PROBLEMS WITH ‘STRATEGY’ IN MICROSOCIAL HISTORY: FAMILIES AND NARRATIVES, SOURCES AND METHODS

Abstract

This article considers the extent to which the concept of strategy may be applied in analyses of household and family behaviour. Strategy implies conscious, long-term decision making. However, such rationality is often difficult to discern, and when findings are compared using nominal record linkage across several sources elements of conflict and uncertainty emerge within families. A Scottish case study indicates the value of multiple-source methods in interpreting the complex relationships between individuals, households, work and welfare. Biographical profiles derived from Poor Law case histories indicate that both claimants and officials employed appropriate tactics to manage immediate circumstances. Nevertheless, the existence of long-term calculation based on collective household decisions cannot be demonstrated.