Book review of David Wagner, Ordinary People: In and Out of Poverty in the Gilded Age. Boulder, CO.: Paradigm, 2008. $24.95 papercover

Herrick, John M.

English

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The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare Volume 36 Issue 2 June Article 15 2009 Review of Ordinary People: In and Out of Poverty in the Gilded Age. David Wagner. Reviewed by John M. Herrick. John M. Herrick Michigan State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw  Part of the Social Work Commons Recommended Citation Herrick, John M. (2009) "Review of Ordinary People: In and Out of Poverty in the Gilded Age. David Wagner. Reviewed by John M. Herrick.," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 36 : Iss. 2 , Article 15. Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol36/iss2/15 This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Social Work at ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact maira.bundza@wmich.edu. 192 Journal of Sociology & Social Welfarework represents a sophisticated academic analysis, yet is easilyaccessible to the lay reader.Christine Lou, University of California, BerkeleyDavid Wagner, Ordinary People: In and Out of Poverty in the GildedAge. Boulder, CO.: Paradigm, 2008. $24.95 papercover.A Gallup poll once asked which is more to blame forpoverty-lack of individual effort or circumstances beyondone's control? One-third of respondents opted for lack of in-dividual effort, one-third for circumstances; one-third feltboth were responsible. The history of social welfare revealshow those beliefs have shaped societal responses to poverty.Ordinary People is a remarkable examination of poverty from1865 to 1895 during the Gilded Age, a period of rapid urban-ization and industrialization, the creation of huge fortunesby entrepreneurs such as the Rockefeller, Carnegie and other"robber barons" and strengthening of social class distinctionsand inequalities. Most histories neglect the lives of the poor andother marginalized people since they produced few records,leaving us with very little social welfare history written "fromthe bottom up."Wagner, continuing his previous examination of the livesof marginalized people such as the homeless and residents ofpoorhouses, utilizes "inmate" biographies produced by of-ficials of the Massachusetts State Almshouse at Tewksbury,census data and other records to craft remarkable portraitsof "ordinary" people who were forced by circumstances toobtain shelter and support (indoor relief), in a Poor Law in-stitution. Reflecting dominant social values, the biographiesattempted to explain what led to the almshouse. Personal fail-ings and "bad" behavior, such as intemperance, were noted;some inmates were "tramps," others were "insane." At the be-ginning of the Gilded Age, the almshouse housed those whowere dependent-children without homes, the elderly and thedisabled who were not otherwise cared for, and adults whoneeded care and shelter. Over time, as specialized institutionsdeveloped to care for the mentally ill, children and those whowere not "able-bodied," the Tewksbury Almshouse changedBook Reviewsits purpose, becoming an "infirmary" for the sick and theelderly. As a good social scientist, Wagner is curious abouthow almshouse residency affected the lives of inmates. Tracinginmates' lives, he finds almshouse residency did not necessar-ily doom inmates to lives of penury. Some left the almshouseand seemed to prosper if they had marketable skills, demon-strating resiliency and "vertical social mobility," while othersremained dependent.Ordinary People clearly shows how social support, personalgumption and simple chance contribute to individual well-being and success over time. Wagner's painstaking researchprovides useful demographic portraits of almshouse inmates.Most were immigrants (the Irish were the largest nationalgroup) and male, more were single than married and mostwere relatively young (15 to 30 years old)-16.3% were skilledcraftsmen, 44.6% were laborers and domestics, and 2.6% were"colored." Wagner skillfully places his research within thecontext of changes in American social welfare. By the 1890s,treatment of the poor had become a concern of social elites, ac-ademics and burgeoning helping professions. To what extent,he asks, were changes in how those in need were treated theresult of pressure by workers, trade unions or powerful immi-grant associations? In Massachusetts, the rise of Irish politicalpower brought new attitudes towards the poor, a change fromthe class prejudices of the Boston Brahmins. Eventually, PoorLaw institutions such as almshouses and workhouses were re-placed by categorical services for those in need. Wagner givesus tantalizing insights into the lives of "ordinary" people whoneeded community support in a time of rapid social change.His innovative research enriches understanding of how wehave considered poverty and have chosen to deal with it.John M. Herrick, Michigan State UniversityKojun Furukawa, Social Welfare in Japan: Principles andApplications. Melbourne, Australia: TransPacific Press,2008. $79.95 hardcover.It would not be an overstatement to say that this book isone of the most comprehensive books written about Japanese

Review of \u3cem\u3eOrdinary People: In and Out of Poverty in the Gilded Age.\u3c/em\u3e David Wagner. Reviewed by John M. Herrick.

https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3439&amp;context=jssw

Review of \u3cem\u3eOrdinary People: In and Out of Poverty in the Gilded Age.\u3c/em\u3e David Wagner. Reviewed by John M. Herrick.

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