Spock Talk: A Parenting Advice Podcast
A conversation about the history of parenting advice.
In ten episodes we explore: what's the deal with Dr. Benjamin Spock? What was so great about the Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care? And who gets to tell parents how to parent?
Listen and learn about twentieth century history, weird recipes, gentle parenting, anti-war protests, the Paris Olympics, book publishing, medical school education, women's magazines, and more!
Episodes
11 episodes
Now that We're Spockologists
This is our “Behind the Podcast” episode in which we talk about history crushes, library lessons, social media, influencer culture, information source evaluation, and obsolete audio technology.Listeners! Leave a review and let us know h...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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31:35
Such an American Story: Lessons in Dr. Benjamin Spock-onomics, Internet History, and Venture Capital
We discuss Dr. Benjamin Spock’s personal finances and the venture capitalists that brought Baby and Child Care to the World Wide Web.ReferencesAssociated Press. “Dr. Spock’s Advice - 60 Years Later.” The Canadian Pres...
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29:52
Spock, Oprah; Oprah, Spock: Celebrity Culture in the 20th Century
We explore Spock in the spotlight. Did he have an irresistible, outsized personality? Or was he attention-seeking and fame-hungry?Public domain archival audio courtesy of the Iowa State University Archives.References<...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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29:59
Spocked Or Spanked?
We explore Dr. Benjamin Spock’s political activism: Was he a hip protester? Or an anti-establishment pariah? Public domain archival audio courtesy of John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston.References<...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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30:55
Spock's Women's Group: Sisters, Wives, and Daughters-in-law
We explore Dr. Benjamin Spock’s personal relationships with women: sisters, co-workers, dance partners, mentors, wives, and daughters-in-law.Spock recording used with permission from WNYC Archive Collections.Listeners! Let us kn...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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32:01
Supposing the Baby is a Girl: Sexism in Dr. Benjamin Spock's Written Works
We explore Dr. Benjamin Spock’s treatment of women in his books and magazine columns.Listeners! Let us know your favorite parenting advice book or website. Leave it in a review!Spock recordings used with permission from WNYC Arc...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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30:37
FemLibs and Freud
As the first baby doctor to blend pediatrics with psychology, Dr. Benjamin Spock infused The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care with Freudian psychoanalytic theory.Spock recording used with permission from WNYC Archive Collections...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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30:12
Men Not Moms
What was Dr. Benjamin Spock’s role in the professionalization of the domestic sphere (i.e. the patriarchy’s long game)?Spock audio courtesy of the National Library of Medicine.ReferencesAtkinson, V. Sue. “Shif...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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31:03
Silver Spoon, Outdoor School, and Blue Striped Suits: How Nepo Privilege Created the Ultimate Parenting Influencer
Did a privileged upbringing, Yale legacy admission, and dapper fashion sense establish Dr. Benjamin Spock as a trustworthy authority on child rearing?Spock recording used with permission from WNYC Archive Collections.Referenc...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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32:03
Half a Banana, Two Baked Beans, and Zero Kisses: Parenting Advice in the Early Twentieth Century
Was Dr. Benjamin Spock’s bestseller The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care popular because early twentieth century parenting guides were awful and harsh? Spock recording used with permission from WNYC Archive Collections.<...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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30:46
Introducing Spock Talk, A Podcast About the History of Parenting Advice
Spock Talk is a new conversational podcast about the history of parenting advice. Over ten episodes, we'll cover the life and legacy of Dr. Benjamin Spock, exploring his predecessors, privilege, medical training, written works, activism, and pe...
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Season 1
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Episode 0
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0:40