A coal mining community in late nineteenth-century Shropshire : frontier settlement or close-knit community?
The first aim of this thesis was to examine one community, Madeley, in 1891, in relation to two apparently contradictory stereotypes of late nineteenth-century mining communities, as either close-knit, or as loose-knit. The second aim was to develop a methodology to examine precisely the social characteristics of a late nineteenth-century community as a local social system. An interdisciplinary approach was adopted, adapting social network analysis to a historical context. The research attempted to place equal value upon the experience of all members of the community, including the potentially marginalised, tracing individuals' social networks. The analysis focused upon persistence and kinship as key variables, before turning to both 'formal' and 'informal' social networks. A model was developed within which the composition, structure and content of networks could be analysed precisely, and the intensity of social activity assessed. The thesis has shown that there was a high level of persistence within the area, but also a high level of mobility internally, with significant variations by occupation and age. There was a high level of potential support from kin, and evidence of strong support from older kin,
Ensum, Jan
Madeley; Social system; Network analysis; Kinship
A coal mining community in late nineteenth-century Shropshire : frontier settlement or close-knit community?. The first aim of this thesis was to examine one community, Madeley, in 1891, in relation to two apparently contradictory stereotypes of late nineteenth-century mining communities, as either close-knit, or as loose-knit. The second aim was to develop a methodology to examine precisely the social characteristics of a late nineteenth-century community as a local social system. An interdisciplinary approach was adopted, adapting social network analysis to a historical context. The research attempted to place equal value upon the experience of all members of the community, including the potentially marginalised, tracing individuals' social networks. The analysis focused upon persistence and kinship as key variables, before turning to both 'formal' and 'informal' social networks. A model was developed within which the composition, structure and content of networks could be analysed precisely, and the intensity of social activity assessed. The thesis has shown that there was a high level of persistence within the area, but also a high level of mobility internally, with significant variations by occupation and age. There was a high level of potential support from kin, and evidence of strong support from older kin,
coal_mining community shropshire frontier settlement close_knit community first aim_examine community relation two_apparently contradictory stereotype mine community either close_knit loose knit second_aim develop examine precisely social characteristic community local social_system interdisciplinary adopt adapt social_network analysis historical_context attempted place equal value upon experience member_community include potentially marginalise trace individual social_network analysis focus_upon persistence kinship key variable turn formal_informal social_network model_develop within composition structure_content network could analyse precisely intensity social activity assess show high_level persistence within_area also high_level mobility internally significant variation occupation age high_level potential support kin evidence strong support old kin