author
Phyllis Blanchard
1895–1986
A psychologist and writer of the early 20th century, she explored girlhood, family life, and child development with a mix of social analysis and practical concern. Her books capture a moment when psychology, education, and changing ideas about women were all colliding.
1 Audiobook
Taboo and genetics : A study of the biological, sociological and psychological foundation of the family
by Melvin M. (Melvin Moses) Knight, Phyllis Blanchard, Iva Lowther Peters
About the author
Phyllis Mary Blanchard (1895–1986) was an American psychologist and author whose work centered on adolescence, child development, and the social pressures shaping family life. Records for her published books and library listings connect her with works including The Adolescent Girl, The Care of the Adolescent Girl, and The Child and Society.
She also collaborated on Taboo and Genetics, an early interdisciplinary study of the family that brought together biological, sociological, and psychological ideas. Another later book, New Girls for Old, suggests her continuing interest in the experiences and expectations placed on young women.
Although she is not widely known today, her writing belongs to an important period in the history of psychology, when authors were trying to understand childhood and adolescence in modern social terms rather than treating them only as moral or medical problems. That makes her work a useful window into both early psychology and changing attitudes toward girls and family life.