Martin Deutsch (psychologist)

Martin Deutsch (1926–2002) was an American developmental psychologist known for his research on the education of disadvantaged children. His efforts to develop a compensatory education program in New York City served as a predecessor to the national Head Start program.[1] He developed early intervention programs with what he called a "therapeutic curriculum", which aimed to specifically address the deficient experiences of children living in deprived environments.[2] He believed that such environments put children at a disadvantage with respect to beginning school and acquiring basic literacy skills.[3]

Martin Deutsch
Born1926
New York City, US
Died2002
Norwalk Hospital, Norwalk, Connecticut, US
CitizenshipAmerican
EducationColumbia University
Known forCompensatory education
Spouse(s)Cynthia Deutsch
Children1
Scientific career
FieldsDevelopmental psychology
InstitutionsNew York University

Biography

Born in New York City, Deutsch was educated at Columbia University (B.A., 1943; M.A., 1947; Ph.D., 1951).[1][4] In 1958, he and his wife founded the Institute for Developmental Studies at New York University, where he became a professor in 1960.[5] He remained director of the Institute for Developmental Studies for the rest of his career.[1] He was the president of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues in 1969.[6] He died of renal failure on June 26, 2002 at Norwalk Hospital in Norwalk, Connecticut.[1]

Research

In 1962, Deutsch began a pilot early childhood education program in Harlem for disadvantaged 3- and 4-year-olds. In the program, Deutsch aimed to give children early exposures to experiences in which they had been lacking, such as music and books.[1] In the short term, the program aimed to equip children with the skills they would need for formal education; in the long term, it was intended to improve participants' communication and learning skills, thereby benefiting them in adult life.[7] A 1964 article in Life described the program as "the first scientific and concerted attempt by any public school system to confront the problem of educating poor preschool children.[8]

Criticism of hereditarianism

Deutsch was an early critic of Arthur Jensen's controversial essay How Much Can We Boost IQ and Scholastic Achievement?, published in the Harvard Educational Review in 1969. In a subsequent issue of the same journal, Deutsch criticized Jensen's essay for allegedly supporting racism, and claimed that the essay contained "many erroneous statements, misinterpretations, and misunderstandings".[9][10] In 1973, he debated Richard Herrnstein over the relative importance of genetics and environment in determining human intelligence. The debate was held at the Carnegie Center in Manhattan and sponsored by the magazine Social Policy.[11]

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References
  1. O'Connor, Anahad (2002-07-05). "Dr. Martin Deutsch, an Innovator in Education, Dies at 76". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-09-09.
  2. "CLASSES TO BEGIN FOR 4‐YEAR‐OLDS; Schools to Admit 950 More; Pupils on Monday From Underprivileged Areas; 1,600 BY END OF MONTH; Similar Program Will Begin in Suffolk on Oct 15 for Ages 3 and 4". The New York Times. 1964-10-03. Retrieved 2018-09-09.
  3. Spencer, John P. (2012-08-16). In the Crossfire: Marcus Foster and the Troubled History of American School Reform. University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 76. ISBN 978-0812207668.
  4. Hess, Robert (2017-09-29). Early Formal Education: Current Theory, Research, and Practice. Routledge. p. 83. ISBN 9781351312677.
  5. Caldwell, Bettye (2003). "Obituaries: Martin Deutsch (1926-2002)". American Psychologist. 58 (1): 75. doi:10.1037/0003-066x.58.1.75. ISSN 1935-990X.
  6. Loye, David (December 1998). The Healing of a Nation. iUniverse. p. 184. ISBN 9780966551440.
  7. Zigler, Edward; Styfco, Sally J. (2010-05-07). The Hidden History of Head Start. Oxford University Press. p. 8. ISBN 9780199745500.
  8. Blake, Patricia (1964-04-03). "A Big Break for Poverty's Children". Life. Time Inc. p. 78B. Retrieved 2018-09-09.
  9. Deutsch, Martin (September 1969). "Happenings on the Way Back to the Forum: Social Science, IQ, and Race Differences Revisited". Harvard Educational Review. 39 (3): 523–557. doi:10.17763/haer.39.3.3m44122wh263497n. ISSN 0017-8055.
  10. Raz, Mical (2013-11-11). What's Wrong with the Poor?: Psychiatry, Race, and the War on Poverty. UNC Press Books. p. 71. ISBN 9781469608884.
  11. Jenkins, Evan (1973-06-01). "Heredity Backer Scored In Debate on Intelligence". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-09-09.
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