In Our Time Booth's Life and Labour Survey
Jun 10, 2021
Emma Griffin, a professor of Modern British History, and Sarah Wise, an expert in Victorian social history, join Lawrence Goldman, an Emeritus Fellow at Oxford, to discuss Charles Booth's monumental survey of London life and labor. They delve into Booth's shocking revelation that a third of Londoners lived in poverty, reflecting on his innovative mapping techniques to visualize wealth distribution. The conversation highlights Booth's influence on social reforms, advocating for pensions and welfare, while exploring the dynamic urban landscape of late 19th-century London.
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Household Focus
- Booth's survey used households, not individual wages, as the primary unit of analysis.
- This approach reflected the 19th-century reality where households, often large and with varying income sources, were responsible for their own welfare.
Spontaneous Waltz
- Booth documented a street scene where people spontaneously waltzed to a barrel organ.
- This anecdote, though unintended, captures the vibrancy of life amidst poverty, contradicting his criticism of romanticized portrayals.
Old Age and Poverty
- Booth linked old age to poverty due to declining work capacity and lack of support.
- This insight led him to advocate for state-funded old-age pensions, a radical idea at the time.