CALABASAS : Dr. Spock to Speak at Soka University

Dr. Benjamin Spock, whose book about child care revolutionized America’s ideas about parenting, will speak at Soka University next month to update his vision on shaping young minds.

His talk, part of the school’s Human Rights Lecture Series, will be held at 11 a.m. March 4. It is entitled: “Rebuilding American Family Values: Where We Went Right--A 50-Year Perspective.”

Spock, now in his 90s, won fame after the publication in 1945 of his first book, “Baby and Child Care.” Translated into 39 languages, the book urged parents to show their children more affection and to nurture their children’s sense of individuality.

“Baby and Child Care” broke with child-rearing experts of the time, who took the attitude that parents knew nothing about the process and should compensate by establishing strict, unbending routines for children.

Spock’s book transformed him from a little-known New York pediatrician into a guru for a new generation of parents. But his ideas later angered some conservatives, who denounced his philosophy as overly permissive.

Spock, a peace activist, joined the National Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy in 1962 and in the mid-1960s he spoke out against U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. In 1968, he was convicted of helping young men resist the draft.

He ran for President in 1972 on the People’s Party ticket. Spock said at the time that while he didn’t want to be President, he wanted to give America’s youth a voice.

He recently expressed regrets about how he raised his sons, saying that although they turned out fine, he wished he had been more affectionate.

In one of his recent books, “A Better World For Our Children,” he bemoans what he views as America’s downward spiral. Parents can reverse that trend, he says, by teaching a new set of values to their young.

For information about the lecture series call (818) 878-3780.