Simon Szreter, University of Cambridge

Simon Szreter, University of Cambridge- The state of welfare in England (long) before the welfare state: a study in history and policy

A long-standing consensus holds that the Poor Law of Elizabeth I dating back to 1598 was chaotic, repressive and unhelpful. It was replaced in 1834 by the infamous Victorian workhouse system. In turn that was finally superseded by the postwar welfare state created by the first majority Labour government, 1945-51, apparently opening an entirely new chapter in welfare history. The lecture will question this. It will present a revisionist synthesis of new research by early modern historians published during the last six decades. This demonstrates that in fact the English people enjoyed an increasingly well-funded and effective universal welfare system under the Old Poor Law, c.1598-1834. It is argued that this was a unique kind of inter-generationally solidaristic society that actively promoted a productive economy. It is best characterized by the apparent oxymoron of ‘collectivist individualism’. The lecture will discuss the challenging implications this revisionism has for our understandings not only of individualism and collectivism but also of the relationship between wealth creation – economic growth – and the social and political institutions of welfare provision.

Date: November 5, 2024

Time: 4 pm to 5:30 pm

Location: Robert C Vipond Seminar Room (SS 3130)

Come join us for an insightful event with Simon Szreter! This in-person gathering will take place at the Robert C Vipond Seminar Room, where attendees can engage with the renowned speaker and participate in thought-provoking discussions. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to learn from a leading expert in public health policy!

Simon Szreter is Professor of History and Public Policy at Cambridge University and Life Fellow of St John's College.

He has published many articles and a dozen books, including Fertility, Class and Gender in Britain, 1860-1940 (1996), Health and Wealth. Studies in History and Policy (2005), Sex Before the Sexual Revolution. Intimate Life in England 1918-1965 (2010 with Kate Fisher) and After the Virus. Lessons from the Past for a Better Future (2021 with Hilary Cooper). In 2002 he co-founded History&Policy https://www.historyandpolicy.org/ where he is Editorial Director, publishing 589 articles since 2002. In 2009 he was the first non-American awarded the American Public Health Association's Arthur Viseltear Prize for distinguished contributions to the History of Public Health.

Event Venue

Robert C Vipond Seminar Room (SS 3130), 100 Saint George Street, Toronto, Canada