These photos are from Jacob Riis' project titled "How the Other Half Lives". This project, which later turned into a book, highlighted the dangerous conditions that poor immigrants were subject in the 19th century in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Riis' assumption was that if people were made aware of what was happening in the shadows of society, people would be moved to provide more assistance for this disadvantaged population. In fact, Riis' book actually did lead to improved conditions on the Lower East Side, even in a time where society was becoming increasingly skeptical of social welfare.
The Social Darwinism that was emerging at this time believed in pretty much the opposite of what Riis believed. Social Darwinism believed that society would perish if these poor were allowed to continue to exist and made a strong argument to not provide any assistance at all. It doesn't necessarily surprise me that some people thought this way back in the 19th century, but sometimes I wonder if Social Darwinism is truly dead. According to Social Darwinism, essentially any attempt to improve society is wrong.
No comments:
Post a Comment