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'Salk hops': Teen Health Activism and the Fight Against Polio, 1955–1960

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)
797 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

In the late 1950s, a health charity, known as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (March of Dimes), organized American teens into volunteer divisions to fight polio, as well as tame adult anxieties surrounding juvenile delinquency. The alliance that developed permitted the NFIP to increase its influence and revenue, while granting teens an opportunity to assert their cultural power and challenge negative stereotypes. Although the NFIP nurtured and at times dominated the relationship, young volunteers joined for their own reasons and shaped the program to suit their own aspirations and interests.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)249-265
Number of pages17
JournalCultural and Social History
Volume13
Issue number2
Early online date23 Feb 2016
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2 Apr 2016

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

  1. SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Research Groups and Themes

  • Centre for Black Humanities
  • Centre for Humanities Health and Science

Keywords

  • Juvenile delinquency
  • vaccination
  • poliomyelitis
  • United States
  • March of Dimes
  • National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis
  • Teens Against Polio

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