State, Society and the Poor: In Nineteenth-Century England: 39 (Social History in Perspective) - Softcover

Kidd, Alan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0333632540 ISBN 13: 9780333632543

Publisher: Palgrave, 1999

Synopsis

Today it is impossible to separate discussion of poverty from the priorities of state welfare. A hundred years ago, most working-class households avoided or coped with poverty without recourse to the state. The Poor Law after 1834 offered little more than a 'safety net' for the poorest, and much welfare was organised through charitable societies, self-help institutions and mutual-aid networks. Rather than look for the origins of modern provision, the author casts a searching light on the practices, ideology and outcomes of nineteenth-century welfare. This original and stimulating study, based upon a wealth of scholarship, is essential reading for all students of poverty and welfare. It also contains much to interest a wider readership.

About this title

Review:

'I read it with great pleasure ... It deals with the nineteenth century in its own right, and not as the antechamber to the Welfare State, bringing together poor law, philanthropy and self help in one volume, giving them roughly equal and well balanced treatment.' - Michael Rose, University of Manchester

About the Author:

ALAN KIDD is Reader in History at Manchester Metropolitan University. His previous publications include Manchester, The Making of the British Middle Class and Gender, Civic Culture and Consumerism.

About this edition

• Publisher: Palgrave
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0333632540
• ISBN 13: 9780333632543
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 216