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Pressures for Reform - Coggle Diagram
Pressures for Reform
Booth
Background
-wealthy, serious minded entrepreneur
-social conscience drove him to investigate the nature of poverty in London
-35 co-workers over 17 years to undertake a detailed study of the poor in London
-moved the debate forward as his findings showed that poor were in distress due to circumstances beyond their own control
-poverty was not the fault of the poor
-did not blame the capitalist system
Key Findings
-shows that 30% of London's population was living in poverty
-shocking stat that was taken up by reformers as an indication to the scale of the problem
-showed that poverty was a consequence of circumstance as well as individual fault
-poverty caused by problems relating to employment
-did not fully abandon the idea of individual responsiblity
Impact
-by revealing that 30% of London's population was living in poverty, he had a profound impact on the debate about poverty and welfare
-indicated that poverty was caused by economic circumstance more than individual failure
Classes
-Booth and his team divided the population into classes from A to H
-Class A consisted of 0.9% of the population (semi criminals)
-Class B consisted of 7% of the population
-Class E and F consisted of 51% (people in regular employment)
-Class G and H were only 17% (upper and middle class)
Criticism
-Helen Bosanquet attacked the statistical basis of the investigation
-stated it underestimated the sources of income available to poor families
-Bosanquet believed that Booth overestimated the extent of poverty
-Booths findings consisted only on primary research
Rowntree
Key Findings
-3 surveys of poverty in York
-provided statistical info that supported the work of Booth
-aim to find out the number of people in poverty and the nature of their poverty
-full-time investigator that did house to house visits
-11,000 houses visited, info from 46,000 people (2/3 of York)
-found that 28% of the population were in obvious need and living in poverty
-worked out the minimum wage necessary was 21 shillings 8d a week for a family of 5
Poverty Line
-28% of York lived in poverty, so he was able to create a Poverty Line
-demonstrated that 10% of the York population lived below this line, with no way they would ever make ends meet
-18% were living in secondary poverty (had the necessities to life)Poverty Cycle
-death of the main wage earner, trade decline, child illness could through a family into primary poverty
- Childhood was a time of poverty
- conditions improve when the children become wage earners
- improvement continued into early marriage
- when children born, the couple slips below poverty line
- remain here until children become wage earners
- couples fall below the poverty line when they are old
Background
-Rowntree was a devoted Quaker (seek for God's advice)
-his religious nature dominated his attitude to society and his own workforce
-he believed that healthy, contented workers were the most efficient workers
-championed democracy in the workplace
-set minimum wages, family allowances and old age pensions
Impact
-described the nature of poverty- primary and secondary
-suppoted Booth's findings 30% and 28% in London and York were very similar
-showed that poverty was a national issue
-demonstrated the cause of poverty were circumstances such as low wages, beyond the control of the individual
-state should provide for those in need
-findings influential for the formation of the Liberal Party and Welfare Policy
Criticism
-criticised to have overestimated the level of poverty by setting the line too high
-based on observation, did not include income
-'primary' and 'secondary' poverty was subjective
Fabian Society
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Aim/beliefs
-wanted to reconstruct society in accordance with the highest moral principles
-wanted to have a citizen army replace the professional one (controversial)
-lobbied for a minimum wage
-1911 lobbied for a universal health prganisation
-promotion of socialist ideas
-Fabians supported the Boer War
-advance national and international socialism in a gradual, non-confronting way
Members
-early members included Sidney and Beatrice Webb (involved in the Royal Commission Reports), Emmeline Pankhurst and others
Boer War
What it showed
-it showed that the general public weren't fit to fight- 66% of the population
-efficiency of the empire, economy and the country were under threat
-showed Britain had little power
-26% of people were rejected as completely unfit, supported the work of Booth and Rowntree
What it led too
-poor health of the nation led to recommendations which were given to the govt to act on
-liberal reform emerged
-Germany and America were becoming large powers which threatened the position of Britain on an international scale
What was it?
-fought in SA from 1899 to 1902 after dispute between settlers of Dutch origin and the British Empire
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