Work

“To Use This Word … Would Be Absurd”: How the Brainwashing Label Threatened and Enabled the Troubled-Teen Industry

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: From the early 1960s to the early 1990s, a range of concerns about “brainwashing” in youth reeducation programs obfuscated professional and political discourse, influencing key outcomes that shaped the development of the troubled-teen industry in the United States. The most significant historical developments related to this controversy involved three different youth programs. In response to accusations of “brainwashing,” program executives created elaborate counterarguments and public-relations campaigns. Instead of working to address inherent risks associated with therapeutic reeducation, the brainwashing label obscured the potential for harm and enabled an unethical teen program industry.

Source: Journal of American Studies

DOI: 10.1017/s0021875824000112

Author: MARK M. CHATFIELD

Institutions: Princeton University, University of Florida, State of New Jersey

Language: English

Topic: Military, Security, and Education Studies

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,450