'Seeking and saving' : the reform of prostitutes and the prevention of prostitution in Birmingham, 1860-1914
A number of attempts were made in Victorian and Edwardian Britain to reform individual prostitutes and to regulate, control and eliminate prostitution. This thesis examines a small number of groups which were committed to the reform of prostitutes and to the prevention of prostitution in Birmingham between 1860-1914. The first group, composed of Anglican men and women dedicated to reform, founded a Magdalen Asylum. Soon after, a group of middle class Nonconformist women inspired by Ellice Hopkins' vision, established an alternative to the Anglican model. It is argued that this initiative marked a small shift in the process of reform but did not alter it fundamentally for whatever the gender, religious commitment or class background of people on the governing committees of these organisations all attempted to train working class women for domestic service. Preventive work was also developed by Nonconformist women and men to augment the reform institutions. In establishing different organisations to provide a moral safety net for young women, they believed that their organisations would eliminate some of the perceived causes of prostitution: immoral behaviour, unemployment, illegitimacy, homelessness and mental
Bartley, Paula
History
'Seeking and saving' : the reform of prostitutes and the prevention of prostitution in Birmingham, 1860-1914. A number of attempts were made in Victorian and Edwardian Britain to reform individual prostitutes and to regulate, control and eliminate prostitution. This thesis examines a small number of groups which were committed to the reform of prostitutes and to the prevention of prostitution in Birmingham between 1860-1914. The first group, composed of Anglican men and women dedicated to reform, founded a Magdalen Asylum. Soon after, a group of middle class Nonconformist women inspired by Ellice Hopkins' vision, established an alternative to the Anglican model. It is argued that this initiative marked a small shift in the process of reform but did not alter it fundamentally for whatever the gender, religious commitment or class background of people on the governing committees of these organisations all attempted to train working class women for domestic service. Preventive work was also developed by Nonconformist women and men to augment the reform institutions. In establishing different organisations to provide a moral safety net for young women, they believed that their organisations would eliminate some of the perceived causes of prostitution: immoral behaviour, unemployment, illegitimacy, homelessness and mental
seeking save reform prostitute prevention prostitution birmingham number attempt_make victorian edwardian_britain reform individual prostitute regulate control eliminate prostitution examines small_number group commit reform prostitute prevention prostitution birmingham first group compose anglican men_woman dedicate reform found asylum soon group middle_class nonconformist woman inspire vision establish alternative anglican model argue initiative mark small shift process reform alter fundamentally whatever gender religious commitment class background people govern committee organisation attempt train work_class woman domestic_service preventive work also_develop nonconformist woman_men augment reform institution establish different organisation provide moral safety net young_woman believe organisation would eliminate perceived cause prostitution immoral behaviour unemployment illegitimacy mental