In the Shadow of the Poorhouse : A Social History of Welfare in America

by Katz, Michael B

• ISBN13: 9780465032105
• ISBN10: 0465032109
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1996-12-11
• Publisher: Basic Books

Summary

With welfare reform a burning political issue, this special anniversary edition of the classic history of welfare in America has been revised and updated to include the latest bipartisan debates on how to "end welfare as we know it."In the Shadow of the Poorhouseexamines the origins of social welfare, both public and private, from the days of the colonial poorhouse through the current tragedy of the homeless. The book explains why such a highly criticized system persists. Katz explores the relationship between welfare and municipal reform; the role of welfare capitalism, eugenics, and social insurance in the reorganization of the labor market; the critical connection between poverty and politics in the rise of the New Deal welfare state; and how the War on Poverty of the '60s became the war on welfare of the '80s.

Author Biography

Michael B. Katz is the Sheldon and Lucy Hackney Professor in the Department of History at the University of Pennsylvania.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. ix
The Poorhouse Era	p. 1
The Origins and Failure of the Poorhouse	p. 3
Outdoor Relief	p. 37
The Theory and Practice of Scientific Charity	p. 60
The Transformation of the Poorhouse	p. 88
Building the Semiwelfare State	p. 115
Saving Children	p. 117
Reorganizing Cities	p. 151
Reorganizing the Labor Market	p. 185
Reorganizing the Nation	p. 213
From the War on Poverty to the War on Welfare	p. 257
The War on Poverty and the Expansion of Social Welfare	p. 259
The War on Welfare	p. 283
Redefining the Welfare State [1996]	p. 300
Notes	p. 335
Acknowledgments	p. 373
Index of Authors and Names	p. 375
Index of Subjects	p. 383
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.