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Widows and orphans first : the family economy and social welfare policy, 1880-1939 / S.J. Kleinberg.
- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- Kleinberg, S. J.
- Series:
- Women in American History
- Women in American history
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- Family services--United States--History.
- Family services.
- Family policy--United States--History.
- Family policy.
- Widows--Services for--United States--History.
- Widows.
- Orphans--Services for--United States--History.
- Orphans.
- Physical Description:
- 1 online resource (250 p.)
- Edition:
- 1st ed.
- Place of Publication:
- Urbana : University of Illinois Press, c2006.
- Language Note:
- English
- Summary:
- The experiences of widows and their children during the Progressive Era and the New Deal depended on differences in local economies and values. How did these widely varied experiences impact the origins of the welfare state? S. J. Kleinberg delves into the question by comparing widows' lives in three industrial cities with differing economic, ethnic, and racial bases. Government in Fall River, Massachusetts, saw employment as a solution to widows' poverty and as a result drastically limited public charity. In Pittsburgh, widows received sympathetic treatment. Few jobs existed for them or their children; indeed, the jobs for men were concentrated in "widowmaking" industries like steel and railroading. With a large African American population and a diverse economy that relied on inexpensive child and female labor, Baltimore limited funds for public services. African Americans adapted by establishing their own charitable institutions. A fascinating comparative study, Widows and Orphans First offers a one-of-a-kind look at social welfare policy for widows and the role of children in society during a pivotal time in American history.
- Contents:
- Widows : a demographic and economic overview
- Widows' children and the cult of true childhood
- The transition from charity to widows' pensions
- The implementation of widows' pensions
- Widows and orphans first? the New Deal and its legacy.
- Notes:
- Description based upon print version of record.
- Description based on print version record.
- Includes bibliographical references (p. [167]-217) and index.
- ISBN:
- 9786613895943
- 9781283583497
- 1283583496
- 9780252091636
- 0252091639
- OCLC:
- 867794051
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