European Legislation and the Poor

       Today, social welfare is neither harsh nor kindly.  Numerous individuals choose to benefit from several forms of welfare, while others find it offensive and discriminative.  The concept of “being poor” generally means those who lack enough money to live comfortably within society (Boukaert, 2007).  Various elements of Europe’s English Poor Laws used in dealing with the “poor of society” are emphasized and modeled even today. 

       The origin of the English Poor Laws came from the rise of economic hardship and the paranoia of the poor.  It began with the Statute of Labourers issued in 1351 which allotted the prohibition of idleness, the payment of high wages, and the worker’s ability to cease work (Quigley, 1996).  Ownership of land became Europe’s main measure of wealth and status.  The poor lived off wealthy land, and were hired by the rich to tend to it.  The Black Plague was a large contribution to the European poor population.  It left many people unable to work, sick and dying.  Those who attempted to flee the disease in larger cities in turn spread it across rural lands.  Worker wages were frozen in attempt to prevent the poor from desperately searching for higher-paying jobs.

       By 1531, the English government enforced the order for all beggars to face imprisonment and punishment, while also limiting the mobility of able-bodied workers.  By enforcing this legislation, the government believed it would in turn force the idle to work.  It was thought that this would contribute to a greater working society (Lees, 1998).  Poor children were forced into child labour to aid their families, as governmental taxes were raised for those unable to work-including the disabled and elderly.     Under the Elizabethan Law of 1601 it was deemed allowed for individuals both elderly and disabled to remain poor because of their physical inability to work.  This meant that they were able to receive charity without facing punishment. Those caught travelling in search for better job opportunities without permission were dragged back to their previous jobs (Quigley, 1996).

       By the 1800’s the term “poor” was divided into two categories.  This included the worthy poor-those who were independent and refused to accept assistance, and the undeserving poor-those who were dependent, lazy and accepting of relief (Quigley, 1996).  Many people began to face the harsh punishment of abuse, whippings and imprisonment.  Individuals without proper housing forcefully inhabited filthy workhouses teeming with crowded, unsanitary conditions.  These workhouses restricted socialization, family relations, warmth and movement making the concept of aid psychologically shocking-only the truly needy would request it (Quigley 1996).  Workhouses ensured a flowing supply of cheap, forced labour for the benefit of English kingdoms.  It was apparent that welfare and relief walked hand in hand with production and punishment in purpose to create a stable economy. 

       The Poor Laws of 1834 called for reform.  It was decreed that “all relief provided to able-bodied persons or their families, otherwise than in well-regulated workhouses shall be declared unlawful, and shall cease” (Quigley, 1996).  This ensured that the non-working, able-bodied poor received far less assistance than the city’s lowest paid workers (Lees, 1998). The law stated that poverty was not possibly a societal problem, but lay in the individual.  Poverty would be punished, as it caused increase in laziness and dependency towards others.   However, the issue of poverty increased as European government’s raised its taxes for the poor.  It was declared that individuals could in turn lift themselves out of poverty through discipline and hard work (Boukaert, 2007).

       Throughout modern day society we see poverty persist as a degraded element of society.  Individual idleness and inability to work is stereotypically linked to crime related activity.  Discrimination evolves, asserted by those particularly of higher middle class.  It is still believed that those able-bodied for work should do so, as the jobless are viewed as indolent, sluggish characters.  Even today, governmental laws and policies tend to favour the idea of the employer and the economic need for more workers.  The welfare of society’s people is most often ignored. 

Kara

Lees, Lynn H.  (1998). The Solidarities of Strangers:  The English Poor Laws and the People, 1700-1948.  New York:  Cambridge University Press.

Quigley, William P.  (1996).  “Five Hundred Years of English Poor Laws, 1349-1834: Regulating the Working and Non-Working Poor.”  Akron Law Review, (Vol. 30).  Retrieved October 18, 2012 from http://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/aklr30&div=11&g_sent=1&collection=journals#83.

Bouckaert, Boudewijn R.  (2007). “The Roots of Our Liberties:  On the Rise of Civil Society in the Medieval West.”  New Perspectives on Political Economy, (Vol. 3).  Retrieved October 17, 2012 from http://pcpe.libinst.cz/nppe/3_2/nppe3_2_2.pdf.