The Jungian Strand in Transatlantic Modernism

The Influence of Beatrice Hinkle and Jungian Psychology on the Early Progressive School Movement in the United States

“…While Sigmund Freud"s psychoanalytical approach was sometimes referenced during the mid-twentieth century, Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky were more often discussed in the Bank Street literature by the end of the millennium. While Carl Jung was rarely mentioned as a psychological influence on the developmental-interaction approach, his disciple, Beatrice Hinkle (described in the next section) was often a guest at Lucy Sprague Mitchell and Wesley Mitchell"s home, as were Randolph Bourne, Ernst Brill, Van Wyck Brooks, Pablo Casals, John and Alice Chipman Dewey, Smith Ely Jelliffe, Max Eastman, Waldo Frank, Florence Kelly, and Lillian Wald (Sherry, 2018;Dalton, 2002). Still, most of the psychological principles that have informed the Bank Street School for Children-one century old in 2019-were developed by their own teachers and administrators (Mitchell, 1934(Mitchell, , 1935(Mitchell, , 1950Nager & Shapiro, 2006).…”

“…While many of the other women attending the congress were considered subordinates because of their educational levels and the status of women in the early 1900s, Hinkle traveled as Freud and Jung"s equal due to her medical background and experience. After Jung"s break with Freud, Hinkle became aligned with Jung and returned to the United States, becoming the country"s first Jungian psychoanalyst (Sherry, 2013(Sherry, , 2018Wittenstein & Harris, 1999). She was also one of the first to translate Carl Jung"s writings into English (Jung, 1916).…”

“…The purpose of this article is to briefly review some of the psychological theories that informed practices in progressive schools, emphasizing the influence of Beatrice Hinkle, M.D. and Jungian psychology on the Walden School and the City and Country School (Sherry, 2013(Sherry, , 2018.…”