Social Conditions, Status and Community, 1860-c. 1920

The years between 1860 and 1920 saw dramatic changes in the lives of the English people and the attitudes of society towards poverty, community, voluntary activity and the role of the state. This collection of essays from established scholars and young academics brings together recent research on the social history of the period. The topics covered include Guilds of Help, health and the environment the philanthropic contribution to dealing with poverty, infant mortality, the Contagious Diseases Acts, the 1908 Old Age Pensions Act, policing and the community, and the role of sport in society. These reveal that the role of women was more important than has been suggested previously, that the local community was vital in dealing with the social problems of the late Victorian and Edwardian age and that it was only the sheer weight of the problems and the effects of the First World War that produced the increased involvement of the state. Offering new insights into many of the issues which have come to the fore of debate in recent years this volume is suitable for all students of modern British history, especially those studying the economic and social history of the period.