Building Character in the American Boy: The Boy Scouts, YMCA, and Their Forerunners, 1870-1920 [Paperback]

David Macleod (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 28, 2004

Among established American institutions, few have been more successful or paradoxical than the Boy Scouts of America. David Macleod traces the social history of America in this scholarly account of the origins of the Boy Scouts and other character-building agencies, through which adults tried to restructure middle-class boyhood.

Back in print; First paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A social history that goes well beyond its immediate subject to be a contribution to our understanding of turn-of-the-century education, male sex roles, and middle-class development."—American Journal of Education

“Far more than a narrow description of boys' work agencies from 1870-1920, this book illuminates, with rich, carefully hewn detail, important features of the social, structural, and cultural landscape of that era.  .  .  .  Scholars with an interest in character and social structure will find much of value in this book.”—John F. Stolte, Sociology and Social Research

From the Publisher

First paperback edition

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Product Details

• Paperback: 424 pages
• Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press; 1 edition (November 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0299094049
• ISBN-13: 978-0299094041
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,417,546 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars About This Book, March 28, 2009

By 

Theseus "theseus" (US of A) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Building Character in the American Boy: The Boy Scouts, Ymca, and Their Forerunners, 1870-1920 (Hardcover)

The University of Wisconsin 1983 1st edition in hardback. Cloth over hardback boards with a sewn binding.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface
Statistical Tables

Part I: Anxious Adults
1. Growing Up: Boyhood, Social Class, and Social Change
2. Character Building

Part II: 19th Century Beginnings: Early Forms of Boys' Work
3. Keeping Lower Class Boys off the Street: The Mass Boys' Clubs
4. The Start of YMCA
5. Forerunners of Scouting: Temperance Orders and the Boys' Brigades

Part III: Reorientation and New Forms of Organization: 1900-1920
6. Adolescence and Gang-Age Boyhood
7. YMCA Boys' Work
8. The Invention of Boy Scouting
9. Expansion of Boy Scouts of America

Part IV: Winning Public Favor
10. Boyhood, God, and Country
11. Winning Institutional Support
12. Recruiting a "Fine Lot of Lads"

Part V: Character Building in Practice
13. Camping: An Organized Setting for the New Boyhood
14. Adult Instruction
15. Group Experience, Membership Turnover, and Age Stratification

Conclusion

80 pp of bibliographic information (End Notes)

Index

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I liked it!, March 20, 2006

By 

Terry Grogan - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Building Character in the American Boy: The Boy Scouts, YMCA, and Their Forerunners, 1870-1920 (Paperback)

What I enjoyed most about this book is that it gives the real history of the early years of Boy Scouting - i.e., it includes both the "good" amd the "not so good" details. For example, I had long been interested to learn why Thomas-Seton left the BSA for about 10 years before coming back in the 1920's. Well this books explains it all very nicely. It also describes the powerful impact that James E. West had in forming the BSA as an organization, along with numerous other little known insights. I highly recommend it for anyone who loves Scouting and wants to learn more about it's early years and the men who contributed to giving us this worthwhile organization that is today too often just take for granted.