The Reports of Booth and Rowntree Flashcards
Ku1
After 12 years of research Booth discovered that around 30% of London’s population was living in extreme poverty. He also found out that poverty had the biggest impact on children, the elderly, the sick and the unemployed
Ku2
After 2 years of research in 1901, Rowntree discovered that there were similar levels of poverty (27%) in York to in London. He also documented primary poverty which was unavoidable, for example old age and secondary poverty, due to bad life choices For example drinking problems
Analysis
As a result, it can be argued that the reports of Booth and Rowntree made it impossible for the government to do nothing about poverty as the reports were based on statistics and key facts, making it difficult to argue against thus encouraging reforms
Analysis plus
However, it can be said that attitudes among many politicians were towards laizze faire and self-help which were so ingrained in their minds that even the reports of booth and Rowntree failed to persuade them otherwise.Also, there reports were not successful as the liberals did not listen to them since The liberals made the pension two shillings below the poverty line that they created in 1908.
Evaluation
In evaluation the reports of booth and Rowntree was the most important reason the liberal’s introduced reforms as Before these reports, many political leaders adhered to laissez-faire principles, believing that poverty was a result of personal failure or bad choices. The reports changed that narrative by highlighting that poverty was not just an individual issue, but a societal problem with structural causes—like low wages, sickness, old age, and raising children—that required collective action also making more people aware of poverty.
