Family and Kinship in East London
Encyclopedia
Family and Kinship in East London was a 1957 sociological study of how the urban working class lived as a community, and the effects of the post-war governments' social housing policy on this way of life, which saw many East Londoners moved out into the new estates of Essex. The study was carried out in the Metropolitan Borough of Bethnal Green
, in the East End of London
. The research was carried out by Michael Young and Peter Willmott, who had been an integral part of building the welfare state
in Britain during the tenure of Clement Attlee
and the Labour
government between 1945-52.
The study itself has been acknowledged by many sociologists as being one of the most influential sociological studies of the twentieth century. It is argued by some that it has inspired British sociology to take new paths away from the more traditional Functionalist
versus Marxist perspectives. It used social observation as its means to do so, going away from statistical information that had been previously preferred. In this sense, it counters the Structuralist
(Positivist) model that statistics prove cause and effect within society.
The idea was to interact and understand a post war community, to determine its aspirations, worries, doubts and insecurities. This key understanding moves the study into a more Interactionist line, about each individual's role within society. Indeed, it could also be linked to Max Weber
's idea of empathy and "going deep" to comprehend the complexity of communities.
On Wednesday 25 April 2007, The Guardian
society section reported on the 50th Anniversary of the study. Madeleine Bunting
expressed how "the voices they found described a world rich in social relationships, networks of dependence and mutual support that were central to the people's resilience in facing the adversity of insecure and low paid employment."
Bunting also mentions how the pair were amongst the first to discover "social capital
" and its role in shaping community life.
It was the first British sociological study that really investigated deeply, people's attitudes, beliefs and feelings. It charted how decisions from the top affected ordinary people on the ground.
Metropolitan Borough of Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green was a civil parish and a metropolitan borough in the East End of London, England. It was formed as a civil parish in 1743 from the Bethnal Green hamlet in Stepney ancient parish. The vestry became an electing authority to the Metropolitan Board of Works in 1855 and in 1889 it became...
, in the East End of London
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
. The research was carried out by Michael Young and Peter Willmott, who had been an integral part of building the welfare state
Welfare state
A welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
in Britain during the tenure of Clement Attlee
Clement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS was a British Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, and as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955...
and the Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
government between 1945-52.
The study itself has been acknowledged by many sociologists as being one of the most influential sociological studies of the twentieth century. It is argued by some that it has inspired British sociology to take new paths away from the more traditional Functionalist
Structural functionalism
Structural functionalism is a broad perspective in sociology and anthropology which sets out to interpret society as a structure with interrelated parts. Functionalism addresses society as a whole in terms of the function of its constituent elements; namely norms, customs, traditions and institutions...
versus Marxist perspectives. It used social observation as its means to do so, going away from statistical information that had been previously preferred. In this sense, it counters the Structuralist
Structuralism
Structuralism originated in the structural linguistics of Ferdinand de Saussure and the subsequent Prague and Moscow schools of linguistics. Just as structural linguistics was facing serious challenges from the likes of Noam Chomsky and thus fading in importance in linguistics, structuralism...
(Positivist) model that statistics prove cause and effect within society.
The idea was to interact and understand a post war community, to determine its aspirations, worries, doubts and insecurities. This key understanding moves the study into a more Interactionist line, about each individual's role within society. Indeed, it could also be linked to Max Weber
Max Weber
Karl Emil Maximilian "Max" Weber was a German sociologist and political economist who profoundly influenced social theory, social research, and the discipline of sociology itself...
's idea of empathy and "going deep" to comprehend the complexity of communities.
On Wednesday 25 April 2007, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
society section reported on the 50th Anniversary of the study. Madeleine Bunting
Madeleine Bunting
Madeleine Bunting is an English journalist and writer who is an Associate Editor and columnist on The Guardian.Born in Oswaldkirk, North Yorkshire, Bunting was educated at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where she read History, and won a Knox postgraduate fellowship to study Politics and teach...
expressed how "the voices they found described a world rich in social relationships, networks of dependence and mutual support that were central to the people's resilience in facing the adversity of insecure and low paid employment."
Bunting also mentions how the pair were amongst the first to discover "social capital
Social capital
Social capital is a sociological concept, which refers to connections within and between social networks. The concept of social capital highlights the value of social relations and the role of cooperation and confidence to get collective or economic results. The term social capital is frequently...
" and its role in shaping community life.
It was the first British sociological study that really investigated deeply, people's attitudes, beliefs and feelings. It charted how decisions from the top affected ordinary people on the ground.
- ISBN 978-0140205954