Early Twentieth-century Britain Research Articles

Approaches to the fertility transition in Victorian England.

The secular decline of marital fertility which took place in late nineteenth and early twentieth-century England and Wales is considered by using a number of approaches. Among the theoretical approaches considered are those of transition models, and social diffusion. The former overemphasises the role of industrialization and urbanization; the latter is inappropriate when dealing with the development of a small-family ideal in Victorian society. Explanations of fertility decline using ecological and time-series analysis are considered. The registration districts of England and Wales provide the framework for analyses of spatial variations in marital fertility and its correlates in 1861, 1891 and 1911. A time-series analysis attempts to establish the sequential nature of social, economic and demographic changes during the sixty years preceding the First World War. The following points are emphasised in conclusion. The Victorian fertility transition was not directly related to the development of an urban-in...

The Political Economy of Women's Higher Education in late nineteenth and early twentieth-century Britain

The Political Economy of Women's Higher Education in late nineteenth and early twentieth-century Britain

Town City and Nation: England 1850-1914

By the outbreak of the First World War England had become the world's first mass urban society. In just over sixty years the proportion of town-dwellers had risen from 50 to 80 per cent, and during this period many of the most crucial developments in English urban society had taken place. This book provides a uniquely comprehensive analysis of those developments - conurbations, suburbs, satellite towns, garden cities, and seaside resorts. The author assesses the importance of London, the provincial cities, and manufacturing centres; he also examines the continuing influence of the small country town and 'rural' England on political, economic, and cultural growth. In many respects, P. J. Waller's book is a general social history of late nineteenth and early twentieth-century England, seen from an urban perspective. It is both scholarly and immensely readable.

The vicissitudes of herbalism in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Britain.

The vicissitudes of herbalism in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Britain.

Medical theories and professional development: The theory of focal sepsis and dentistry in early twentieth century Britain

This paper traces the history of the theory of focal infection—which related a number of general conditions to septic foci from which toxic products spread to different parts of the body—and its application to dental diseases in early 20th century Britain. Bad teeth were said to be one of the major sources of infection and a cause of many diseases. The paper focuses on the social and professional context in which the theory emerged and flourished. It shows that in spite of its lack of scientific foundation. The theory of focal sepsis was readily accepted by the dental profession and used to advance its claims for professional recognition. Thus the paper attempts to illustrate the point that the acceptance of a medical theory by health practitioners is as much determined by social and economic factors as by its therapeutic potential or its scientific validity.

"The fust official psychologist in the wurrld": aspects of the professionalization of psychology in early twentieth century Britain.

"The fust official psychologist in the wurrld": aspects of the professionalization of psychology in early twentieth century Britain.