To Cuba with the Venceremos Brigade The Venceremos Brigade was ideally suited to my special

James G. Holland interest in learning first hand about Cuba's behavior change
University of Pittsburgh system. It was· perfect for learning how the SOCialist penon is
created with the result of freeing society·af the social ills
endemic to a capitalist society.
Our five week trip was divided into a bit over three weeb
Cuba holds a special fascination for a behavioral psy- of wock and ten days of touring with enough unscheduled
chologist because Cubans have solved so many. human and opportunities to mingle among the peopleon our own. (3).
social problems that our "helping" professions find so di.ffi- For the organizacon of our work we were dividecf into
cult to ameliorate. In the United States large numbers of sub-brigades of 25-30' men and women aboutone-thifd of
specialists, psychologists among them, deal with the prob- whom were Cuban members of the Cuban delegation·. In
Ierne of education while literacy declines; alcoholism and addition to these members of the work delegations were
drug addiction prove resistant to correction even with about 20 regular construction ..orkers from Cuba who 00-
massive efforts toward curing addicts; high levels of crime ordinared the overall work 01 the whole brigade and in-
prevail at every stratum of society with no evidence that pro- structed US on the various tasks. The Cuban delegation was
fessionally designed rehabilitation' programs even slow composed .of Cuban men and women from .. miI of
"..rime 's rise; adequate medical care becomes financially pro- occupations; factory workers, mechanics, med1cal students,
hibitive to an ever larger portion of the public despite me a chemist, a nuclear scientist, two psychology students,
efforts of richly funded health professionals; and a chronic store clerks, etc. It is noteworthy that no distinction is made
condition of scarcity for the permanently poor and cyclically between working with one's hands and working with one's
unemployed is helped little by social workers" counselors, mind ; all are together in the brigade, and elsewhere
and vocational training programs. apparently, as equals. The members of the delegation were
I have suggested in professional papers (1), directed to chosen from their normal work places by their peers. To be
other behavior analysts, that behavior therapy, training, and chosen is an honor. Like frequent, similar decisions, the
rehabilitative programs which aim to correct allegedly choice is based on the collective evaluation of the indi-
, 'flawed" individuals are misdirected. People adapt to their vidual's "work". The highly valued criterion for an indivi-
circumstances ana the very characteristics being "cor- dual's work is not specifically the quantity of output but
rected" in the individual are natural adaptations to the indi- rather attitude and the reflection of dedication to the com-
vidual 's prevailing conditions. I have suggested that an munity and society. Since serving on the delegation is an
analysis consistent with the basic tenents of a behavioral honor, this means' that the chemist's work. is reinforced,
science will show that the widespread malaise in society - through the decision of his or her peers, by the opportunity
the alienation, depression, crime, alcoholism, drug addic- to do the hard manuallabot, to lay bricks, to dig sewage
tion, and violence -·are natural outcomes of the prevailing ditches! Again to quote Che, "Our .scholarship students do
systems of reinforcing and punishing contingencies. Social physical work during vacation or together with their studies.
problems persist because the contingencies which produce In some cases, work is a prize, while in others it is an edu-
them are more or less permanent characteristics of our Social cational tool; it is never a punishment. A new generation is
practices and institutions. And these regularly involve heir- being born. " (4).
archical power forms coupled with competition and individ- Building Aparlment Buildings. We worked in the
ualism. country-side about 40 kilometers from Havana, in the be-
Hence my interest in Cuba, where, since 1959, they had ginnings of a small town of four-story apartment buildings.
apparently changed the context from "each getting theirs at The buildings were being built to house textile workers who
the expense of others' ~ to one of equality where everyone's worked in a plant located a kilometer away. For the most
self-interest is met through collective and cooperative forms. part, the international brigades, one of which was the Ven-
It is said that the change in the system goes hand-in-hand ceremos Brigade, would build the town. Some buildings had
with a change in the people. Or as Che said, "To build been completed several years ago and were occupied
communism, a new man must be created simultaneously long enough to have a personal, lived-in look. Another set
with the material base." (2). The creation of a socialist, co- was quite new but occupied and a third set soon to be
operative person must go hand-in-hand with solutions to all occupied.
those human and social problems on which North American The buildings are attractive with ample open spaceS and
psychologists so regularly break their picks with little more they are arranged with the landscape in mind. Each of the
to show than dents. rooms, kitchen included, opens onto a small, private patio"
Such was my thinking when I learned of the chance to balcony. One of these patios contaies the bathroom facilities.
apply to- go to Cuba as pan of the 10th Contingent of the On this bathroom balcony an outer wall, over the necessary
Venceremos Brigade. I jumped at the opportunity portion, reaches to the ceiling for privacy. 'The space
The first brigades were originated in the height of the between the- wall and ceiling provide ventilation without
Vietnam. War as an anti-imperialist project. Then they fans. The arrangement of the building, doors. ~d windows
served as part of the anti-war protest because the Vietnam that open onto patios insures good- cross ventilation and a
War at that point was the most visible example of U.S. combination of indoor-outdoor Jiving with -.t least some
imperialism. Brigadistias were, and are, stating solidarity degree of privacy from other family members. The 8p11rt-
with the third world socialist struggles, generally, and ments are modern in style, with running water and elec-
solidarity With the Cuban Revolution, specifically. The tricity. The water is one temperature. Watertanb 00 the
simple act of 250 U.S. citizens going to Cuba and breaking roof, under the-warm Caribbean sun, provide water that is
the blockade is such a statement. While in Cuba, the wanner than our cold water and colder than our WInD. (I
brigades do voluntary work. Recent contingents built never adapted to what I considered "cold shmnn" and
housing and earlier contingents cut sugar cane. paradoxically I loved to swim in the sea that Cw-tls ronsidrJ'

21
 too cold for swimming until the summer.) The kitchens decisions (who gets new housing) arid lit.Ie decisions (who
acromodate a stove and a refrigerator. Clothes are mostly gets concert tickets) are made among peers, not by bosses 01"
hand-washed and hung to dry on the b~k patios. The apart- bureaucrats and not according to who can afton it. The
ments were, then, modern, pleasant, but without gadetry. criteria, while infinitely adaptable to circumstances and the
This might be a virtue of necessity, but I hope it is a nature of .he decision, usually hinge on the degree to which
necessary virtue of working socialism. I did have a bad one's behavior reflects collectivist values Has tne person
moment when someone told me with pride that his corn- worked hard? Helped others at work? Taken initiative in
munitv 'would soon build some air-conditioned apartments. solving problems? In addition, there may be considerations
We were to construct the fourth floor of one building, lay as to how' the person .nigh: be expected to better serve the
the foundation and construct the first floor of another. In groups or society if chosen, and, no doubt special needs are
addition, the Brigade began construction of the town monu- considered such as a worker with especially inadequate
ment to the Cuban role in the Angolan struggle, The build- housing. Ana even when the chosen family moves mto the
ings, including the beams in the ceiling and floors, were new, modern apartment) the rent is kept at S1X !Jercent ot
made from cinder blocks and prefabricated concrete con- their income.
struction. We produced .the prefabricated beams and slabs in In this manner, Alarnar has already provided new ;ousing
an outdoor factory at the work site. In Cuban fashion we for 30,000 people and will eventually be thE' home of
rotated our iobs moving tram constructing the prefab beams 100,000. This garden-apartment ChY consists principally of
.at the prefab factory, to building cinder block walls, to brightly painted, five-story, modern apartment buildings
spacklingthe walls, mixing mortar, digAing ditches through with some nigher ones and a few twelve-story apartment
limestone with the help of a jackhammer, Such a rotation, buildings are now under construction. There is a modern
among men and women alike, gave each of us a real sense of shopping center, schools, numerous day-care centers: a
accomplishment and .self-reliance. How could we have large swimming pool (with concrete starting blocks), a 1000
previously accepted the idea that we were not ~'skilled" in capacity outdoor amphitheater (with concrete seating 6), and
construction? In three weeks we were doing it all; the whole a polyclinic that provides what has become the typical, t:)-
building belongedto each of us. tensive medical attention given to "he people. All the build"
··Our weekly production meeting itemized our progress. ings at Aiamar are arranged with ample green space and
Each sub-brigade received a detailed, quantitative report for landscaped tropical plants 011 a sloping hillside that overlooks
each of the many tasks members in the sub-brigade per- the Caribbean.
formed that week.... These reports also indicated the percen- Micro-brigades constructed all of. these facilities. They
tage of the week's plan that the work team reached - or began with a dozen brigades of 20 to 30 people each and soon
more commonly exceeded. It was a time of mutual evaluation increased the numbers to 60 brigades. Sinre then, this mcdel
among members of the sub-brigades; one ofthe severaltimes has been followed all over Cuba where presently there. are
for "criticism ~ , and "self-criticism" . mere man 1000 micro-brigades active in solving Cub~'~
This process criticism and self-criticism, plays a key role
1 housing problem.
in socialization, but it's label invites misunderstanding. Health. (7) Immediately after die success OJ rhc revolution
These are not sessions loaded with derogatesy comments and in 1959; the health needs of the people became r tur »riority
confessions of failings. Instead, they are most frequently a Before 19~9 medical services were a big business, available
chance to acknowledge each other's contributions! and to to those who could pay and not the the poor. This meant that
share experiences, to plan, to solve problems, and when most Cubans could not get medical treatment because of
dearly indicated, give negative evaluations. With the accent large scale unemployment and seasonal, marginal
on the positive, people grow in dedication, determination, employment at cane harvest time. Doctors and hospitals were
and competence. Here is the reinforcement system that pro- concentrated in the cities. Havana, with 22 percent of the
duces the socialist person and a socialist. society, and of population had 61 percenr of the hospital beds. Rural medi-
course, apartment buildings for the people. cine just did not exist. Malnutrition hastened the death oi
Alamar; the New City. (5). The brigades worked in a thousands, especiallv infants.
manner modeled after the Cuban micro-brigades that Much of the food and medicine came from the United
successfully built the new city of Alamar in 1970 as a proto- States as Cuba in its quasi-colonial status had become a one-
type of the people's solution to a critical housing shortage. In crop country. Even that one crop, sugar.. was owned by Do S.
the early years after the revolution, higher priorities were coroorations and U"5,, cerporations likewise dominated the
given to solving problems of food, health, and schooling. Cuban market.
Housing continues to be old and overcrowded, although When it became apparent that the new rystem would
'oowhere did ·we. see the miserable shanty towns ~ the ., villas prevail in Cuba ill which the ideal would be tor all to parti-
",uerilu ,. typically found on::he outskirts of cities in most cipate equally _. an equality of responsibility and with it an
other Latin ~ countries- equality of status and wealth -" most of the privileged class
When workers in a work place decide that they need better lied to the United States. ()f the 6,000 doctors, 3~(JOO left.
housing, volunteers of men and women fonn a rnicro-bri- At the same time the United States imposed the embargo
gade to do construction work. full. or part time, until the in an attempt to auickly bri..flg down the new government.
tlousinI neak are met. lRemember.) "workers' is not a The embargo nut only an off established sources of food and
class cIistinctioo.; The nuclear laboratory sent a micro-bri- medicine but also pressured 01 her nations into not trading
gade rl physicians to Alamar.) Those workers who remain with Cuba. Arnazmgly Cuba survived this arrogant and
back at the factory, lab, or school double-u» on the work -to inhumane act through trade with England; Japan, M€.lUCC.
cover for their missing COf1tptllJertlS or comptmeroJ . China, and others d5 well as Eastern block countries. Even
As buildiqs IJ"fI completed the workers, both those who SO~ the immediate effect W~ to make the ~,'efJ' bad health
built them aDd those who maintain production at the regular situation of pre-1959 worse and today 's feats even more
work pbcr, dtridf- which families WUt move in. These big impressive.

22
 No new doctors graduated from medical school in 1960. from developing.
Since then graduates increased steadily until there were On a free day in Havana I dropped by the Psychology
1,124 in 1974, at which time Cuba had 10,000 young, Department of the University of Havana where I was able to
Idealistic doctors dedicated to the common good. Now there discuss mental health problems. Cuba seems to generally
is one doctor per 989 inhabitants, and the goal of one per lack many of-the problems we have. It is said that there is no
750 is in sight. Other health professions, in "many other drug problem, no prostitution, and little alcoholism in Cuba.
terhnical areas, have seen similar growth. All these social maladies ended in th~ earliest years after the
But the real success 01 Cuban medicine is in the change in revolution. At that time brothels were closed, the mafia
the relationships between people, the change in objectives, exited, and laws were enforced against drugs and gambling.
and in the' men and women who practice medicine.
The backboneof the new health delivery system is the 339
new' polyclinics built allover (he country and another 100 to
Job training and placement was initiated for prostitutes
without blame or shame for being past victims of
regime. But 'here, as in all matters, the most important
th'old

be built within the next five years. Only 67 of these are in influence must have been the broad base of support and
Havana. Medicine has been taken to the people with one concern by large numbers of people organized into mass
general practitioner for each 2,000 people in the polyclinic organizations. These people were prepared to criticize anti-
area as well as, one pediatrician for each 1, ooe, a gynecolo- social behavior and support pro-social behavior. Making a
gist for every 2,000. The polyclinic also includes psycho- society work for the common good becamepeople's business.
logicat services, dentistry, technicians, and rotated visits by There is nearly full employment and personal esteem"in all
opthamoiogists and other specialists. Medical attention is not types of work which lessens the struggles of one group
only available by location, and by the commonly made house against another; there is an end to what Sennett and Cobb
calls, but also it is affordable. It is free. All medical services call s 'the hidden injuries of class.') (8). And, yes, that
are free. Private medical practices do not exist, means no sign of racism remains. Their mental health seems
More importantly; however, is the emphasis on preven- assured through these improvements, plus the community
tive carp and public health. Having a healthy population is support (as through the CDR) for individuals who otherwise
everyone's gain. There is 110 profit in the sick when medical would have to shuffle off to special institutions.
care is free. Thus there is regular prenatal care for all expec- Mental problems do still exist, however, One of the main
tant mothers and dOL'1:0rs spend time in the community. problems in Cuba contributing to mental illness is (he
Nationwide campaigns have eliminated or greatly reduced a crowded housing; too many people living in too few rooms.
number of public health problems. There had been about Someday the continuing construction by the micro-brigades
300 cases of polio a year, but polio was eradicated in 1963. may alleviate this one source. The other potential stress
'There wert: 3,000 cases of malaria a year; malaria was source is the tremendous personal pressure to work. After a
eradicated in 19(18. Some 600 children a year formerly had typical day at work, people pitch-in doing voluntary work;
diptheria; it W~ eradicated in 1971~ The list goes on, but going to meetings, studying, etc. With the strong ideological
the nottom line is an increase in life expectancy from 55 cornmittment some may be doing all they can and still feel
years to 70 years since 1953 and a decrease in infant mor- thev 'are not doing enough, Psychologists still find things to
tality from 60 per 1,000 live births to 28.5 per 1,000. The do then; and they do their job by going- into the communities
principal, continuing causes of death are: heart problems, and trying to correct the situation which is. producing' the
tumors, and accidents, in that order. The Ministry of Health problem. Prevention is important here as well.
recognizes that all three are public health problems yet to be Havana's Psychiatric Hospital. There are institutions for
dealt with. Cuba' s smoking habit is implicated in the first the chronically ill, psychotic patient. The Brigade visited toe
rwo and there is as yet no serious program to correct this. country's largest psychiatric hospital near Havana. It cares
These impressive feats in public health were made possible for 3,500 patients with 240 nurses (too few said the doctor
by the direct involvement of the people through the Com- who led our tour), 300 auxillary nurses, and 85 doctors, 45
mitte for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR) which is the of whom are psychiatrists and 40 others of different medical
largest of several mass organizations. About eighty percent specialities, principally internists.
of Cubans over age 14 are members of the CnR which is The description we received of the pre-1959 hospital
organized at a small, local level. In the cities the unit of or- exceeded even the grossest charges, confirmed or not,
ganization is one block. Many of their meetings are festive leveled at North American mental hospitals, The appoint
block parties among neighbors and friends. We divided into ment to directorship was a political plum and funds for its
groups and were hosted by CDR block groups in Santiago operation were diverted. Payrolls were padded with "paper"
and many of us, at other times, came upon CDR street employees; food was grossly inadequate; patients often had
meetings on our own and were invited in. no clothes and lived in filth, as savages. It was a place to die;
The GDR is a voluntary, civic and soci-al group in which and eighty-five died of dysentary in a single day.
neighbors are responsible to each other for all sorts of socially Immediately after the "triumph of the revolution" in
important objectives. When it was organized in .1960 it had 1959, the place was transformed. Basic needs for beds,
the important responsibility of being alert to counter-revolu- Iinen, clothing, and food were immediately met. AD·- of the
tionary acitivity and is still the main protection against the wards were unlocked and they remain unlocked. Bats have
ever rarer street crimes and theft. In the health care area the been' removed from the windows. New housing has since
CDR carried out the universal immunization programs been built and they are best described as over-sized- ranch
mentioned above. The CDR, in cooperation with the local houses, made of red brick, each housing about 30 patients.
polyclinic, organizes health education classes, maintains Between these buildings are expanses of green grass and
sanitary conditions at the neighborhood level, arranges for shrubbery. Patients are treated with respect and dignity and
blood donations and for visiting the old and assisting the ..hey act accordingly. There is a warm, cordial relationship
handicapped, and it helps solve family problems. Important between staff and patient
in public health, the CDR prevents mental health problems During the day, patients are not found ~ around the

23
W8I"Ck • The are all out at places of activity; either work, enrollments; and the present 65,000 university students is
sports 01" other cultural activity ~ The key element to the 5.5 times the 1958 univeristy enrollment. Today one oi
thtnpy program is ergotherapy or work ~y. Wark is an every three Cubans is enrolled as a student.
import.ant pm of beinI a participmt in socialist Cuba, In recent years 310 large, modern secondary schools '.1

Employment is • basic, guaranteed right and vital to a grades 7th through 12th, have been built in tl.e rural areas.
person's pride IS one who is of value. Everyone is a In touring the countryside, one is never far from a school.
puticiplnt. No one su&ers the scorn or lack of self-esteem Often several rise over a flat, country landscape 25 the
asociated with welfare. Thus ergotherapy is a part cf the onlv visible structures. It 1 attendance are some 311,000
rehabilitation of psychotic patients, or, for the older chronic boarding-school children (called scholarship students) whc
patients who will never leave the hospital, it is part of receive free lodging food, and schooI uniforms. Others
1

making their life as full and humane as possible. whose homes are nearby commute to the schools.
The work therapy pt08I"III1 is specially designed to get the The Omar Gomez School near Carnaguey , visited by the
patients functioning outside the hospital at home For 9
Brigade, is a beautiful, new school with 2,700 students. It is
example, the hospital operates a modem chicken farm and well equipped for all educational areas with art and span
has placed many ex-patients in this type of work outside. facilities, Modern teaching techniques are used wnd a
Much of the work takes place in two buildings nearby the curriculum as varied as in our O'VIl best schools. Beyond the
hospitalsrounds. The tasks vary from the extremely simple, rich curriculum, there are varied cultural acrvitics
repetitive tasks for minimally functioning patients to skilled (dancing, plastic arts, music, theater rhythmical band.
crafts such as cabinet making. When ready, the patient is choir, piano) and some 8(, team sports (baseball" volle yball,
placed in an appropriate job and watched carefully at first swimming, chess, fencing, tennis, archery.) and over 30
with regular follow-up checks. special ,-:interest circles ~) including such diverse things as
The patients are paid for their work and the level of pay is computers, textiles, soil and fertilizer, sugar indust-y ,
determinedless by the type or quantity or work they do than Russian language, hydroponic crops, oil, and electricity
by bow modi they send home to financiaJ1y assist their Cuban students are full of life and enthusiasm. They are full
families~ This keeps the patient a part of the family to which participants in creating the new socialist society and are
they-are to return. They are neither forgotten by tbefamily aware of their role. They Me knowledgable in international
nor do they view themselves as having neglected their affairs and informed of the struggles of people in other
responsibility to the family. countries toward justice and freedom.
Activities other than 'work also keep the day too full for The unique and kev feature of Cuban education is the
psychotic episodes or deterioration. A group of patients per- work-study ptl1~ram. _~:\ll students from secondary school
formed a two hour musical variety show for the visiting and up through graduate and professional schools spend
Rrigade and we saw patients working-out on the athletic three hours per dav in some Iorm of manual labor. Typically
field. An annual patients' ,(olympic games" caps the year t s this is iarm work such as pianring and caring for citrus
sport program. The realization of the miracle of this place groves (as was the case for schools near our own work site),
reached me as I watched an unguarded psyc.hotic patient, or harvesting tomatoes. potatoes, com and bar.anas as was
with aliveness and purpose, practice throwing s javelin. done by students of the pre- university school we visited in
EdUClZtiofl in Cuba. (9) The importance of education 10 Granma Province. This combining of manual work with
creating a new classless society is apparent. A new morality study serves to develop a social conscience which values
must replace individualism and exploitation. Moreover, work. lt alsohelps guard against developing intellectuals who
meeting the needs of the people requires a technically trained are removed from manual laborers, Moreover, the students
population. Education WIS, therefore, an early prionty and are earning their way through productive activity Their free
continues to be so. school, food and clothes are not charity or welfare, but the
Before the beginning of the Coban Revolution about a prodnrt of a collect. '~ff: socie: Y toward which thev have
quarter of the popuiationwas illiterate and the numbers were already begun I8 conrribun. their labor In addition, dividing
growing. Of the school-aged chiidren, marlY were not the time between intellectual activity and manuaiwork rna}
attending srbool. One and a half million persons over six produce better academic results As the work-study was
years of age had never attended school; of these between 6 being introduced, it is said mat those passing final exams
end 14, only S,.6 percent were attending school; of those increased from 70 p-ercent to 95 percent. In a ~~ountry where
between 15 and 19 t only 17 percent attended and the there is no lonzer an underclass, the -NOl'k -study system
werage level attained foe those 15 was below the third grade. must be a great help in laking care of some nf the wcrk
For many schools 'M!'e just not available; at the same time drudgery on a part-time basis. (10)
there were 1.0,000 unemployed teachers in Cuba. 10 short, Not only has work been brought to scnool but school is
education filled its role in the old Cuba and its role was to brought to wo-k. Educational programs for adult workers are
help maintain. stratified social system. common and the older workers, victims of the old regime,
Quickly after. . fall of Batista in 19'9, new classrooms are catching-up educationally. Lrst year, while we were
,opened. The 6rst were in ~ jails and military garrisons there, there was a campaign to assure that eve! y adult hac' at
converted into schools IDdin the _lu.ge homes of the monied least the equivalent of a sinh glade education. The crowning
elite who Bed tu Miami. In this first year educ.:ation was achievement, though, was the solving of the basic liter acv
carried to nmote riInllrelS by 3,000 volunteer teachers problem, In a single year, 1961, illiteracy W~ reduced from
(some IIICkiDI their own _ level education) An
0
about a quarter of the population to a mere 3. I percent.
estensiw bui.1dina campeil" br DeW sc:book followed until The literacy campaign 1.5 an impressive example of what is
today seventy percmt «.. factlities are oewly built. Today possible when the social context changes to working for 1he
all ftJiM;8rioo is free.. All cbiIdren between 6 and 12 attend collective good.
scbool. eu.up.ed with 1~8, there are 2.7 times the The literacy campaign was launcncd by ciosmg the schools
primary . . . . . mmlJments; 6.. 1 times the intermediate in April and having thousands ~-)f teachers and tens of

24
 thousands of school children come forth as volunteers to grocery stores is quite cheap, but rationed; and restaurant
teach reading. The program began by bringing the food is moderately priced but not rationed. Ice cream CODe
volunteers together in what had been a wealthy area on a (25-40 centavos) arepopular, with Cuban ice cream one of
resort beach. At this resort spot they were given materials the best in the world. Shoes are 5-20 pesos; shirts about'
and instruction on the teaching of reading. ft..t least as pesos; men's slacks, 10-20 pesos; movies, 30-60 pesos (60
importantly, moreover, they were prepared for what the pesos for first run. urban, air-conditioned theaters). Books
poor working peasants would teach them of human dignity are inexpensive; three paperbacks C9St me 2 pesos, In other
and of their role in building socialism. After this preparation, words, necessities and wholesome entertainment are cheap.
they lived in the homes of the people they' would teach. Luxury items, on the other hand, are vt!ry expensive A
Grants were made to the peasants to pay for feeding the medium sized, black and white television COSts 400 pesos
literacy-campaign workers. The CDR had previously located and a small, portable radio, 180 pesos. A 'record costs 10
and recruited illiterates into the program and these were pesos each, but the same record in a tourist shop costs 4
often in rural, remote areas. (11) Che's forecast was pesos. Rmn is 4 pesos bought on a ration card, 12 pesos if
confirmed, "Society as a whole must become a huge bought without the card and 2..50 pesos for tourists.. In other
school.' (12) words, too much drinking is discouraged among Cubans but
Economic Life. Both ends and means of social control are Cuba remains a good host to its tourists. (13) Cigarettes cost
intermingled in tht day to .day 'problems of getting and 20 centavos for the one pack a week. that is available on the
spending. A social system should, I feel, be evaluated in ration card and 1-2 pesos bought without the rations card,
terms of how well the full needs of all its, people are met. At The impression one gets is that Cubans do have sufficient
the same'time, the attainment of goods is -often the basis f01' money for some luxuries. T. V .'s despite the high cost, are
much social control. Through economic planning of produc- common. Through the open doors and windows of many
tion, pay, and.spending, all of the economy can be put in the Cuban houses,families can be seen gathered at night
service of the social policy to meet the needs of the people. watching their television.
In Cuba there has been much discussion of the relative Social EqwJity. The question arises' as to whether
weights to be given to "moral" and material incentives. differentials in pay foreshadow a renewed hasis for stratifi-
Since the failure, to 'attain the 10 million ton sugar harvest in cation. Might the technocrat be, set apart in power and status
1958, there has been some shift toward an increased use of over others? This is a .clear danger, but there are reasons for
mat.erial incentives, optimism, Movement into different types of work appears
Material incentives - pay for work - plays an important not to be determined by race or class lines. There is no sign
role and there are differential pay scales for. different types of of racism in Cuba today. The country is considered Afro-
work..Pay ranges from about 80 to 500 pesos per month but Latin American and the mix is seen in all aspects of its art
typical- pay for most work is in the 200 to 300 peso range. and music as well as in its concern for the emerging African
COne peso equals 0.80 U.S. dollars" but the more important socialist states.
basis for judgement is to consider the basic living cost The range of pay differentials is modest and little remains
itemized below.) Regular construction workers at our work of private ownership of profit-making businesses.. ..;~ small,
site made 250 pesos a month and the skilled jackhammer dwindling number of landlords continue to rent housing,
operator who taught us' to use the jackhammer makes 300 although at the lower rates required by law. Most of the
pesos a month. New doctors (those graduated since the landlords skipped out in panic after the revolution. Some
revolution) make 300-350 pesos. An assistant professor at farming is in private hands -- 30 percent of tht;, farming is
Oriente University in, Santiago makes 400 pesos and a full done by small, private farms which are limited to 67 hectares
professor makes 45,0 pesos. Fidel Castro is paid 750 pesos by the 1963 land reform. The .other 7.0 percent -of the
each month. There is, for many workers, frequent oppor- farming is nationalized, "peoples' farms". The conversion
tunities to earn more by working extra and through bonuses to peoples farms has had certain advantages and the trend
for exceeding quotas. The impression we received was that continues increasingly in that direction. However, even the
the people generally have plenty of money. No really poor private farmers are organized though their mass organiza-
were apparent and, of course, no signs of any wealthy either. tion, the National Association of Small Fanners (ANAP).
The beggars, shoe-shine boys, street hustlers, and, prosti- Through ANAP each year's production plan is, initiated at
tutes that characterize other Latin American countries are the grass roots, coordinated at higher levels" and finally
not to be found in Cuba. There is full employment and em- discussed and implemented. The plans include receiving
ployment is a constitutional guarantee. fertilizer, herbicides, and farm machinery from the govern-
The consumer side of the material incentive system serves ment. In short, the private farmer is hardly the basis tor a
social needs as well. Pricing is planned as well as pay. All new landed aristocracy.. It is to a high degree collectivized
medical services are free; education is free at all levels along even if these private farmers have not joined the peoples'
with room and board for the thousands who win scholarships farm system.
to the countryside, boarding schools. None of the worker's All stores and commercial establishments are now
pay is taken back in taxes - there are no taxes, Rent is free in pubJicallyoperated . This is -done by .keepingmanagerial con-
newer housing ,; and the long range plan is to remove trol of local stores at the local level. H the comer pub, phar-
housing from the mercantile- system altogether. The macy, or grocery store is not serving the people weD, they
Housing we were building will be rent free - not. I trust, a can give detailed feedback through either the CDR or the
commentary on our gringo workmanship. Concerts and Peoples' Power representative to the Peoples' Power
sports admissions are free (and when baseball fans catch Assembly, If the matter cannot otherwise be resolved the
balls, they throw them back). During my window shopping, Peoples' Power Assembly will replace the rnutager ~ Such
I found that bus fares ,even over impressive distances are 5 controls at the local level eliminate any business or profit
centavos (equivalent to about 6 cents); newspapers are 5 basis for a new elite.
centavos and devoid of advertising as is all media; food in Nor should the Peoples' Power Assemblies be the basis for

25
a new elite. These assemblies are the unit of governmental Shortly after our return me first United States cruise ship
orpnization recently created in the new constitution entered Havana Harbor The Neu-suces repon~r conveyed
adopted in 1916. (14) Representatives ~ elected at a local his impressions of the tourists ~ impressions. ,A lady or: the
level, bepmingwith nominations from the block levelCDR approach commented that it looked like Miami Beach. It
meetings and eventually elections at a zone level. There are didn't to tile. And her husband grumbled and asked if anyone'
16810cal municipal assemblies responsible for representing could see any Russian subs. The clean streets seemed tc
tilt: people in all community matters. They also elect from suggest regimentation. The sou venit shops used well worn
their number representatives to the fourteen provincial old 'U.S. coins apparently suggesting to Newsweek either
assemblies, one for each ~ ~ fourteen ptovinces in Cuba. that Cuba lacked sufficient minted coins of it:) own or that the
Members of the National Assembly are also chosen by the lLS. dollar was prized above Cuban currency. In my experi-
Peoples' Power Assemblies. These National members ence I saw no use of foreign current y or coins in over 1 ,000
appoint and oversee the heads of ministries - the national miles of travel. I do not doubt the Netostueee reponer)ls
administrative offices. Peoples' Power representatives hold experience as his own and wonder if' it y\ 3S but a courtesy
T

regular open meetings with their coastitnents and one day a arranged for the convenience of the tour boat passengers.
week they have office hours to receive their constituents. The Newsweek reporter described the tourists' boredom
The representatives otherwise continue whatever type of because everywhere variou.. bands played Guantanomero for
work they did before electedto the Assembly. The receive no them, hinting of sterility in music and art. Again my
additional pay for their duties as representatives. They are experience differs. I heard and saw rich variety in music and
paid for the time away from· their .regular job at the rate of art, alive, vivid powerful.
paynormally received for that.job. The close responsibility to In tim land of the tree press it is good that this. reporter and
the 'people and the lack of special privilege in this system I can both share our experiences. When several hundred
holds promise at least for I continued socialist democracy in return with experiences similar to mine and write pieces for
Cuba without a basisb- a new elite class, the lower circulation publications that are availablewe might
The Peoples ~ Power Assemblies do dratnatize one eventually reach as many persons as Netosueet: reached with
persistent, unsolved problem - women make up less zhan negative 'account of that reporter's brief stop-over.
10 percent of the assemblies. Equality fur women has been a The high circulation publications regularly cast more
1001 sought goal in Cuba. A mass orpnization, the serious aspersions. Castro is referred to consistently as a dic-
Federation of Cuban Women, is ciev~ to facilitatin8 the tator as though it is a self-evident truth. If that means an
inteption of women into work and society. The new family absolute rule without dissent" without input from others and
code, adopted after mass grass roots discussion and inputs (a power held by police force then the press proclamation is
t

procedure followed for all new, imJ'OlUDl policy matters), simply wrong. I saw almost no policemen in Cuba, except a
recognizes complete equality 8IIlOD8 men and women. It few concerned with traffic. Castro often appears quite
even specifies that housework and chlld care responsibilites casuall y among people without troups 01 guards. \15) At the
U"e to be equally shared. A man's, or woman t S for that May Day Parade he was on a very large reviewing stand
matte! , failure to do so, at least in theory~ could be grounds unshielded from the thousands who \V'~ e chosen by then
for divorce. But there is considerable difference between peers to share the reviewing stand with him. Our sub-brigade
theory and' practice. Removal of Latin mtl&bismo from the sent Lou Bortz of Pittsburgh. Castro seems to be d charis-
woUld-be new socialist man is slow. The d1ange is taking matic, respected and loved leader, not a tvranr followed out
place, however. HI1f of the doctors Ire women; the Cuban of fear
delegation to our brigade was roughiy half men and half There is cent...alized planning ani] policy making but t'tt;.;\
women: other micro..:brisades that I noticed around the involves extensive inputs from grass roots discussion
country were also mixed. However, the regular workers at through the mass organizations (CDR. ~N'AP ~ Trade
our construction site were all men and at their insistance Unions, and the Young (-:Ommurust League) After the
some of the more arduous and dangerous assiJnment."i t such policy is drafted and prepared for adoption, further discus
as laying in place the heavy concrete cellini beams, were off- sion takes place through these mass organizations. For
limits to WOOlell. But progress continues and none less than example it is said that in rhe discussion of the first draft of
t

Fidel has repeatedlJF called attention to the problem The the new constitution there were 160,000 meetings involving
generation DOW in Cuba's secondary schools may move almost everyone in Cuba. From these meetings, 16,OOC
towardcompleting the process of equality for Cubanwomen. modifications were suggested and finally hundreds made in
the final draft. Discussion and criticism-is considered a part
DisCfUSio. (JfI(} DisSCflJ. Problems such as the status of of being a responsible citizen. (16)
women, insufficient 'housing, continued heav)" reliance on As a long time dues paymg member of the American Civil
the sugar crop for foreign 9dwtge t are but a few among a liberties Union, the reference to a lack of free press does
host of' problems in ~uba today. A long list could no doubt be bother me, even though I am aware that large circulation
made or present &hortcomings. Cuba is een:aio1y not a publications here present a narrow range of political vic w..
utopian paradise .00: has it reached many of its own goals. points. That broader coverage is in fact found in d Cuban
The revolutionary, cban8e process soes on and rnaJ well paper than in our own typical metropolitan newspaper is
solve those we might list. But beyond ihose there would, no hardly adequate. In principle Cubans may not have a pTe55
·doubt be more problmns to list.
i supporting the ovethrow of the' government; we c. an in I

I have presented a highly pr.sitive view of Cuba because principle, but not in fact. Neither is comforring tG the r:ivil
that was my ezperience of it. I am cominS from my own libertarian.
ezperience and I am truly impressed. I have traveled esten- The question of political prisoners i~ an. uner difficult
s1vely throughout the Caribbean and some of Central issue. But the issue is not presented straightforwardly to the
America. The ccntrast with Cuba is striking ; yet surely American people. In the Barbara '\Jalters interview as
some peopIr would be negative in their evaluation. aired, Castro said that there are '{ 000-3 _000 persons

26
imprisoned as a result of counterrevolutionary activity and the basis for love, as surely it must be, then Che, I agree
thar the number had been over 15,000 at the height of U.S. -'that the true revolutionary is guided by strong feelings of
action against Cuba. He said much more but it was not aired love." (18)
-lost to the cutting room floor. The high number was the
result of the Bay of Pigs invasion. Omitted too was the
rollowing exchange:
Barbara Walters: Two or three thousand political
prisoners seems like a great amount.
Fidel Castro: TIley are not political prisoners, they
ale counterrevolutionaries, peoole who
rose up in arms in the Escambrey
Mountains by order of the CL~~ people
responsible for sabotage, for different
crimes,
Also omitted was Castros description of their treatment as
prisoners. They, like common prisoners, have the oppor-
tunity to work and are paid at the same rate _and have the
, 'same economic 1 ights as a worker. ;-, (1 7) Like the freedom Footnotes
of the press question. ] am left as uncomfortable by this as I
am by the continued jailing of the Wilmington 10, or the 1 Holland, J.G. Behavior modification for prisoners,
Puerto Rican liberation fighters who fired shots in Congress. patients, and other people as a prescription for the
planned society. Mexican Journal of Behavio,f\fIIl/ys;s,
What seems to be behind much of the press image about
1975,1,81-9); and Holland, J.G~ Behaviorism: Part
Cuba is cold war thinking. They are friends of Russia. We are of the problem or part of the solution? ]oumal ~f Ap-
to treat them as enemies because it is one less place for cor- plied Behavior.Analysis, 1978, 1.1, (in press).
porations to tum to for cheap materials and labor. Individual 2. Guevara, C. Che Man and socialism in Cuba. In B.
North ..Americans are not threatened by this small country Silverman (ed.; Mlln and socialism in Cuba: The great
- about the size of Pennsylvania and with about half of debate. New York: Antheneurn, 1973,P. 343.
Pennsylvania's population. The jaded cold war concepts and 3. Thanks to the University of Pittsburgh '5 Hispanic
the ideas, pro or con, from abstract school books on Marxist Department and certain of its instructors, Rosa
theory and socialism blind us to the social miracle of Cuba - Mendoza (Spanish 1) and Virginia Brown and Cecilia
a miracle of changing behavior so that a societ y of coopera Heinrich (Spanish 10) I could do tolerably well in com-
tive people can emerge. munication when on my own. Still the large numbers of
bilingual Puerto Rican brigadistas and able Cuban trans-
.S'ummtl1'Y: Behavior Change in Cubtl. People behave, lators were of most importance in my getting a richly
change their environment and are thereby changed by
variedexperience of Cuban society,
themselves. ntis is tile general statement which character.. 4. ~, cu., P. 35.1.
izes the workings of contingencies of reinforcement as 5. The information cited below romps from notes taken
expressed in a science of beha vior. Our social behavior during a presentation given on our tour of Alamar, The
account is consistent with information available in other
depends on the criteria for reinforcement dictated by our
desci iptions. The reader might be particularly interested
institutions and cultural practices. Ihe revolution can be in: Mankiewicz, F. and Jones, K. With Fidel, New
understood as a change in context to one in which the needs York: Random House, 1975; and Russell, P. Cuba in
of all are to be met through the collective action of all. transition. Austin, Texas' Armadillo Press, 1972.
Values, the criteria for social reinforcement are changed to 6. Concrete is used where we might use wood or metal.
meeting the human needs through cooperation and equality. Cuba has no wood because in the past North American
Tne change in these criteria was fast; the change in companies stripped Cuba of its hard wood forests. Now
behavior, the change in the psychology of the people is not, even telephone poles and fence posts must be made of
It is a continuing process. The change involves specific concrete.
reinforcement contingencies for the many types of behavior 7 n Again the infonnationbelow is based on presentations
of each person. made while I spoke.All quantitative data can be found in
Ultimately reinforcement takes place in face to face Report 01the First Congress ofthe Communist Pmy of
contacts, but first people must accept the basis for evaluating Cuba, held in Havana, Dec. 1972-197~. Moscow: Pro-
behavior. Education, heroes and modeling, are important in gressPublishers, 1976.
setting these criteria. In addition, collective work with the 8. Sennett, R. and Cobb, J. The biiJden injuries 01class,
output and gain depending on each other makes the rein- New York: Randomiiouse, 1972.
forcement vf cooperation real and material. So-called 9. Quan.titative data are from Repon of the .rlnt Congress
"moral ~, incentives are not matters of spirit but of material a/the Commu,,;st Pony ofCIihtz. Op. Cit.
gain also. The greater fruits of collective effort, voluntary 1.0. There are many forms of voluntary work in Cuba. A
work, and so forth reinforcecollective- work. good account is found in Mesa-Lago, C~ Economic sig-
The most important part of the social change process nificanceof unpaid laborin socialistCuba. lfUlfUtritzJ MId
Labor ReJat;oflS Review, 1969, 27, 339-357. He
happens at the small group level.zhe production meetings of evaluates how economical voluntary work is and finds
co-workers, the CDR meetings, and informal social contacts. forms more costly than paid and others, including work
In these contexts work attitude and the criteria for evaluation by boarding school students, less costly. Economy is, of
- tnc basis for reinforcement. The participation of all, the course, somewhat secondary to the consciousness shap-
sharing of oneself and the product of one's work are the basis ing role and the role in getting grub-work dont" without
for ~': 'rearing the socialist person. If sharing among people is an underclass.

27
1 J. The program produced its heroes, youths killed by discussion througnout Cuba which led to it~ adoption.
coenter-revolunoaaries (now called politiul prisoners). This publication also contains a good description of the
A museum in Cuba has a bullet riddled black board with mass organizations. (A vailable from Vencerernos Bri
the day's lesson on it for the day Of the Bay of Pig's gade, P.O. Box 21A9, New York, N.Y._ 10001).
landing. 15. for example see Mankiewicz and jones. Op. Cit.
12. Guevara, Op. cit. P. 343. ro. Op. Cit. Democracy in Cuba.
13. Inexpensive two week tours are now-possible. For infor- 17. The complete transcript ot the Interview by Barbara
mation write Venceremos Brigade, Box 7217, Pitts- Walters of Fidel Castro appeared in Seven Days (De-
burgh, PA 152!3. cember, 1977). It is an interesting exercise in slanted
14. The publication, Democracy in CUbll, by Venceremos reporting by network television though selective
Brigade provides an excellent account of the Peoples' cutting.
Power Assemblies, the new constitution, and extensive 18. Op. Cit. Guevara, CIte.

CAll FOR POSITION PAPERS FOR MABft

MEETINGS
Behaviorists For Social A ction will ha ve a general
membership meeting at the Midwestern Association of
Behavior Analysis meeting in Chicago May 13 to 16. The
purpose will be to discuss the goals and strategy of the group
and develop a program for the coming year
Position papers and proposed programs no longer than 5
pages are hereby solicited and should De sent to:
Behaviorists for Social Action
Special Interest Group of MABA
Elizabeth de la Ossa, Corresponding Secretary
Psychology Department
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan 49008

28