Voluntarism and the state in British social welfare 1914-1939
The New Right's critique of the welfare state has generated considerable interest in the history of alternative forms of welfare provision. Recent work has focused upon the continued existence of voluntarism alongside the growth of twentieth century state welfare. In doing this, it has reacted against the tendency of post-war social welfare writing to concentrate exclusively on the statutory social services. This thesis, therefore, adds to a growing body of writing on inter-war voluntary social action. However, it differs from the work of others by focusing upon the interplay of voluntary and statutory sectors in the face of war, industrial unrest and mass unemployment: in other words the upheavals of the early twentieth century. The main body of the research not only deals with the part played by both sectors in the delivery of social services, but also places voluntarism in a wider social context by exploring its ideological response to working-class assertiveness. Indeed, the belief in a British national community with interests that transcended class or sectional divisions was a common feature in voluntarism's attitude towards the above challenges and their implications for social stability. Thus, by highlighting
Tait, Irvine Wallace
HC Economic History and Conditions ; HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform
Voluntarism and the state in British social welfare 1914-1939. The New Right's critique of the welfare state has generated considerable interest in the history of alternative forms of welfare provision. Recent work has focused upon the continued existence of voluntarism alongside the growth of twentieth century state welfare. In doing this, it has reacted against the tendency of post-war social welfare writing to concentrate exclusively on the statutory social services. This thesis, therefore, adds to a growing body of writing on inter-war voluntary social action. However, it differs from the work of others by focusing upon the interplay of voluntary and statutory sectors in the face of war, industrial unrest and mass unemployment: in other words the upheavals of the early twentieth century. The main body of the research not only deals with the part played by both sectors in the delivery of social services, but also places voluntarism in a wider social context by exploring its ideological response to working-class assertiveness. Indeed, the belief in a British national community with interests that transcended class or sectional divisions was a common feature in voluntarism's attitude towards the above challenges and their implications for social stability. Thus, by highlighting
voluntarism state british social_welfare new right critique welfare_state generate considerable_interest history alternative form welfare provision recent_work focus_upon continue_existence voluntarism alongside growth state welfare react tendency post_war social_welfare write concentrate exclusively statutory social_service therefore add_grow body write inter_war voluntary social_action however differs work others focus_upon interplay voluntary statutory sector face war industrial_unrest mass unemployment word upheaval early main_body deal part_play sector delivery social_service also place voluntarism wider_social context explore ideological response working_class indeed belief british national community interest transcend class division common_feature voluntarism attitude_towards challenge implication social_stability thus highlight