Acts of conscience : World War II, mental institutions, and religious objectors / Steven J. Taylor.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Taylor, Steven J., 1949-

Series:

Critical perspectives on disability.

Critical perspectives on disability

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Civilian Public Service--History.

Civilian Public Service.

Psychiatric hospitals--United States--History--20th century.

Psychiatric hospitals.

People with mental disabilities--Education--United States--History--20th century.

People with mental disabilities.

World War, 1939-1945--Conscientious objectors--United States.

World War, 1939-1945.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (503 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Syracuse, N.Y. : Syracuse University Press, 2009.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

In the mid- to late 1940s, a group of young men rattled the psychiatric establishment by beaming a public spotlight on the squalid conditions and brutality in our nation's mental hospitals and training schools for people with psychiatric and intellectual disabilities. Bringing the abuses to the attention of newspapers and magazines across the country, they led a reform effort to change public attitudes and to improve the training and status of institutional staff. These young men were among the 12,000 World War II conscientious objectors who chose to perform civilian public service as an alternative to fighting. Acting on conscience a second time, they challenged America's treatment of its citizens with severe disabilities. Acts of Conscience brings to light the extraordinary efforts of these courageous men, drawing upon extensive archival research, interviews, and personal correspondence. --from publisher description.

Contents:

"Work of national importance under civilian direction"

"Religious training and belief"

"An experiment in democracy"

"A significant epoch in your life"

"Detached units"

"A working compromise between church and state"

"Out of sight, out of mind"

"A mind that found itself"

"They asked for a hard job"

"Bughousers" and "conchies"

"The exposé as a progressive tool"

"They were fighting everybody"

"Mental hospitals are again under fire"

"Another growing pain"

"Scandal results in real reforms."

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN:

9780815651406

0815651406

OCLC:

759158734

Publisher Number:

heb40054 hdl