- Type:
Book Reviews
- Author:
Sybil Neville
Rolfe. 1949. Allen & Unwin, Ltd. 416 pp.
^ 1?
The introduction to this book consists of
autobiographical notes ” crystallizing the experience
of some forty years The next four chapters deal
in general terms with biological influences in
relation to man and his environment. Five
chapters follow, mainly concerned with normal and
abnormal sex behaviour and the value of sound
family life in different types of community.
Chapters 10 and 11 give an account of the development of social work in the colonial empire, and
include discussion of some current problems of
social hygiene. The final portion of the book
consists of a useful handbook on 25 social problems,
including trends of population, illegitimacy, care
of children, old people, mental health, prostitution, written by experts in these various fields, with
well-selected statistical tables from Government
reports.
There is much of value in this publication. The
history of the growth of interest in, and study of the
biological foundations of social science, includes
material which will be new to many and should make
the inheritors of the results of the struggle traced
by Mrs. Rolfe, grateful for work so well done that
it is to-day widely accepted as axiomatic.
But the book has serious faults which spoil its
usefulness. Authors must of necessity interpret
work to which they have given years of thought
and action, and sometimes (as in Mrs. Rolfe’s
case) whole-hearted devotion, through their own
characters and experience. But due regard should
be paid to the work of others, and especially to
those of the pioneers in various fields. This the
writer has failed to do, in more than one instance.
Her book thus loses historical accuracy and balance,
and an impression of ungenerous and obviously
biased criticism is given.
The thread of concern for the mental well-being
of human beings runs through the entire book.
But the sense of the mystery of the as yet scarcely
explored country of the mind, seems to elude the
author. If this and that were done, individuals
would become adjusted or would not be born.
The author does not suggest that failure to
become adjusted to certain material or spiritual
conditions may be one method of forcing human
inertia to take another step on the way set for
humanity.
” Religion ” in this book becomes a method of
improving human stock. This may be, and sometimes
is, a useful by-product of the pursuit of knowledge
of the eternal, but it is not its end and aim.
The author shows a tendency to equate sexual
promiscuity and mental defect, which is quite
unwarrantable. Statistics are given of certain
studies of prostitutes or women in some kind of
sexual trouble, which show a high rate of mental
defect among them. But comparable statistics of
the rate of the sexually promiscuous in groups of
certified mental defectives are not given. The
figure would probably be lower than Mrs. Rolfe
would expect. There is failure to distinguish
between the control justly given to society over the
certified defective, and the control many wish to
exercise over the ” border-line” and unstable
person. However passionate the desire of social
reformers may be to save the human race from the
tragedy of mental illness or defect, careful watch
must be kept for the protection of those who are
legally free and in control of their lives.
A fine courage shines through this book, but
humility in the face of great mysteries is lacking.
K.B.H.
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Social Biology and Welfare
Book Reviews
Sybil Neville
Rolfe. 1949. Allen & Unwin, Ltd. 416 pp. ^ 1?
The introduction to this book consists of autobiographical notes ” crystallizing the experience of some forty years The next four chapters deal in general terms with biological influences in relation to man and his environment. Five chapters follow, mainly concerned with normal and abnormal sex behaviour and the value of sound family life in different types of community. Chapters 10 and 11 give an account of the development of social work in the colonial empire, and include discussion of some current problems of social hygiene. The final portion of the book consists of a useful handbook on 25 social problems, including trends of population, illegitimacy, care of children, old people, mental health, prostitution, written by experts in these various fields, with well-selected statistical tables from Government reports.
There is much of value in this publication. The history of the growth of interest in, and study of the biological foundations of social science, includes material which will be new to many and should make the inheritors of the results of the struggle traced by Mrs. Rolfe, grateful for work so well done that it is to-day widely accepted as axiomatic.
But the book has serious faults which spoil its usefulness. Authors must of necessity interpret work to which they have given years of thought and action, and sometimes (as in Mrs. Rolfe’s case) whole-hearted devotion, through their own characters and experience. But due regard should be paid to the work of others, and especially to those of the pioneers in various fields. This the writer has failed to do, in more than one instance. Her book thus loses historical accuracy and balance, and an impression of ungenerous and obviously biased criticism is given.
The thread of concern for the mental well-being of human beings runs through the entire book. But the sense of the mystery of the as yet scarcely explored country of the mind, seems to elude the author. If this and that were done, individuals would become adjusted or would not be born. The author does not suggest that failure to become adjusted to certain material or spiritual conditions may be one method of forcing human inertia to take another step on the way set for humanity.
” Religion ” in this book becomes a method of improving human stock. This may be, and sometimes is, a useful by-product of the pursuit of knowledge of the eternal, but it is not its end and aim. The author shows a tendency to equate sexual promiscuity and mental defect, which is quite unwarrantable. Statistics are given of certain studies of prostitutes or women in some kind of sexual trouble, which show a high rate of mental defect among them. But comparable statistics of the rate of the sexually promiscuous in groups of certified mental defectives are not given. The figure would probably be lower than Mrs. Rolfe would expect. There is failure to distinguish between the control justly given to society over the certified defective, and the control many wish to exercise over the ” border-line” and unstable person. However passionate the desire of social reformers may be to save the human race from the tragedy of mental illness or defect, careful watch must be kept for the protection of those who are legally free and in control of their lives. A fine courage shines through this book, but humility in the face of great mysteries is lacking. K.B.H.
Disclaimer
The historical material in this project falls into one of three categories for clearances and permissions:
While we are in the process of adding metadata to the articles, please check the article at its original source for specific copyrights.
See https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/about/scanning/