The Urban Poverty And The Anti-poverty Measures In American Progressive Era

This thesis comprehensively studies the American urban poverty andanti-poverty measures in the progressive era on the basis of the researches ofscholars at home and abroad and the utilization of many disciplines, such as history,sociology, psychology and economics.The introduction part presents the reasons and significances of this study,defines some related concepts in this study, introduces the related research at homeand abroad and points out the approaches of this study. In the introduction part, itpoints out that only a few researches have been found which specialize in the urbanpoverty in progressive era of the United States. Therefore, much room is left to studythe urban poverty of America in progressive era.Chapter one introduces the American social background of the transitionalperiod at the end of the19thcentury and the beginning of the20thcentury. Asignificant change of America was under way at the turn of the20thcentury whenAmerica transited from an agricultural country to an industrial county, fromlaissez-faire capitalism to monopoly capitalism. The rapid development ofindustrialization and urbanization brought large amount of wealth to the Americansociety.Chapter two discusses the serious phenomenon of American urban poverty inthe progressive era. The rapid development of industrialization and urbanization notonly brought huge wealth to the American society but also caused various cityillnesses. Urban poverty became the most serious and most pressing city illness ofthe United States at the end of the19thcentury and the beginning of the20thcentury.By the analysis of lots of the historical materials, this chapter discusses the seriousphenomenon of American urban poverty from the presentation of the miserableworking conditions and harsh living conditions of the American urban poor people.Chapter three analyzes the reasons of American urban poverty in theprogressive era. Before the end of the19thcentury, urban poverty was thought as the result of individual weakness and the punishment of sloth and vices in the UnitedStates. At the end of the19thcentury and the beginning of the20thcentury, more andmore Americans believed that the social factors rather than individual factors werethe causes of American urban poverty. The inequitable distribution of the socialresources in different social classes was the cause of American urban poverty in theprogressive era.Chapter four discusses the rise of American new middle class and themotivations of the American new middle class to become the key forces againsturban poverty. The first part of this chapter analyzes the formation andcharacteristics of the American new middle class. The second part of this chapteranalyzes the motivations of American new middle class to become the keyanti-poverty forces in the transitional period. The desire for success and the pursuitsof the social fairness and justice were the two motivations of American new middleclass to become the main forces of fighting against the urban poverty.Chapter five discusses the measures of fighting against urban poverty of theUnited States from the perspectives of improving housing conditions of the urbanpoor and providing the assistances to the urban poor women and children. Therewere three solutions to battle with the slums the establishment of model tenementhouses, the formulating of regulations about buildings and the settlement housemovement. The assistances provided to American urban poor children included togive health care to urban poor children, to prevent juvenile delinquency and to solvethe problem of child labor. The solutions of helping the urban poor women were theregulations of maximum working hours and minimum working wages and themother’s pension.The conclusion states that the study of American urban poverty and anti-povertymeasures at the end of the19thcentury and the beginning of the20thcentury not onlylays the foundation of American social security system but also realizes a relativelycomprehensive understanding of American history, society and culture of that time.As the progressive era plays an important role in the development of the UnitedStates, this study also contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the American development.