Did ~King Dirt~ and ~Bumbledom~ defeat the objects of the Public Health Act, 1848? : a case study of the political, social and cultural attitudes to public health reform in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Gateshead and Sunderland, 1835-1858
This thesis reinterprets the progress of social reform by assessing the variety of responses to the Public Health Act, 1848 that were expressed in three North-East towns. It seeks to challenge the idea that reform was necessarily imposed by a central body onto an unwilling community for Sunderland Corporation were engaged in a collaborative process with the General Board, not only co-operating with the Board's proposals but generating initiatives themselves. The idea that sanitary reform was resisted by local councils made up of tradesmen and shopkeepers is refitted on the grounds that Gateshead Corporation, which was made up of just this socio-economic group, did accept the Public Health Act whereas Newcastle Corporation, which had a wealthier socio-economic structure, resisted state intervention at all costs. It is argued that there was a range of political and cultural patterns of behaviour that determined the individual responses of the three towns to sanitary reform. Some of these are explored by examining the underlying attitudes associated with key words and catch phrases such as ~economy~, ~self-help~ and ~Cleanliness is next to Godlinessâ. Different groups played their part in shaping public opinion:
Friswell, Caroline A.
History
Did ~King Dirt~ and ~Bumbledom~ defeat the objects of the Public Health Act, 1848? : a case study of the political, social and cultural attitudes to public health reform in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Gateshead and Sunderland, 1835-1858. This thesis reinterprets the progress of social reform by assessing the variety of responses to the Public Health Act, 1848 that were expressed in three North-East towns. It seeks to challenge the idea that reform was necessarily imposed by a central body onto an unwilling community for Sunderland Corporation were engaged in a collaborative process with the General Board, not only co-operating with the Board's proposals but generating initiatives themselves. The idea that sanitary reform was resisted by local councils made up of tradesmen and shopkeepers is refitted on the grounds that Gateshead Corporation, which was made up of just this socio-economic group, did accept the Public Health Act whereas Newcastle Corporation, which had a wealthier socio-economic structure, resisted state intervention at all costs. It is argued that there was a range of political and cultural patterns of behaviour that determined the individual responses of the three towns to sanitary reform. Some of these are explored by examining the underlying attitudes associated with key words and catch phrases such as ~economy~, ~self-help~ and ~Cleanliness is next to Godlinessâ. Different groups played their part in shaping public opinion:
king defeat object public health act case_study political_social cultural attitude public_health reform newcastle_upon tyne reinterprets progress social_reform assess variety_response public health act express north_east town seek_challenge idea reform necessarily impose central body onto unwilling community corporation engage collaborative process general board operating board proposal generate initiative themselves idea sanitary reform resist local council make tradesman shopkeeper ground corporation make socio_economic group accept public health act whereas newcastle corporation wealthy socio_economic structure resist state_intervention cost argued range political_cultural pattern_behaviour determine individual response town sanitary reform explore examine underlie attitude associate key_word catch phrase economy self_help cleanliness next different_group play_part shape_public opinion