Parish-Fed Bastards - A History of the Politics of the Unemployed in Britain, 1884-1939

This volume breaks tradition with previous studies of the unemployed in Britain. It offers a history highlighting the active political nature of the unemployed, rather than a depiction of them as passive victims of the system whose existence signals economic decline and social injustice. Beginning with the first appearance of the jobless as a political group in 1884, Richard Flanagan reduces large amounts of available information on their activities-- outlining the major points that define the nature of the politics of the unemployed, discussing their troubled leadership, and documenting the government's response to their efforts through the end of the National Unemployment Workers' Movement in 1939.

Curious as to why much of the information about Britain's unemployed has been overlooked, Flanagan lifts the literature on the subject out of what he considers to be a largely fictionalized view by presenting a factual, historically relevant account examining the unemployed in relation to their society, past and present, and how they were able to overcome their diversity at certain times of crisis to form a single political voice and gain some control over their lives. The study reaches beyond the immediate subject, as its conclusions reflect upon the connection between unemployment and any industrialized society, the viability of certain solutions to the conflicts between classes, and most importantly, the political influence that even the most disadvantaged can exert if encouraged to take an active role in their future.

List of contents

Introduction
A Procession of a Most Grotesque Character: The Origins of the Unemployed
Black Banners to Red Flags: The Unemployed and the Socialists, 1884-1904
The Right to Work: The Unemployed and Labour, 1904-1910
My Comrades Are Extremists: The Politics of the Unemployed Ex-Service Men, 1919-1920
One Big Union? The National Unemployed Workers' Committee Movement, 1920-1929
Are We Red? The National Unemployed Workers Movement, 1929-1939
The Free Hand of the State Machine: The National Council of Social Service and the Unemployed Club Movement, 1932-1939
Conclusion
Index

About the author

RICHARD FLANAGAN holds a Master of Letters from Oxford University and presently lives in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.

Product details

• Authors: Richard Flanagan
• Publisher: Bloomsbury
• Languages: English
• Age Recommendation: ages 7 to 17
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 16.10.1991
• EAN: 9780313274398
• ISBN: 978-0-313-27439-8
• No. of pages: 304
• Weight: 652 g
• Series: Contributions in Labor Studies
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; SOCIAL SCIENCE / Poverty & Homelessness, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Process / Political Advocacy, 20th Century, HISTORY / Social History, Social & cultural history, POLITICAL SCIENCE / World / European, world history, c 1800 to c 1900, 19th century, c 1800 to c 1899, Poverty & unemployment, 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999, United Kingdom, Great Britain, Social and cultural history, Pressure groups, protest movements and non-violent action, Demonstrations & protest movements, Poverty and precarity, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Activism & Social Justice