Society and Culture in Europe from 1880 to 1900 - Essay Example

Name: Course: College: Tutor: Date: Society and Culture in Europe 1880 – 1900 Europe in the 1880 – 1900 was a perfect home for several ethnic groups, who had come to seek refuge in Europe after escaping political, economical, religious and social insecurities from their mother continents. One very important point to note is that, these dwellers of Europe at this period in time were scientific, artistic, intellectually and culturally innovative. These skills and talented knowledge in the various fields counts for the changes in the culture and the entire life style of the modern Europe. The society however, had lived in extremity in regard to the cultural settings. There were elements of unfairness in human relations. Mostly the European society required to change of its ancient cultural settings to achieve a revolution towards modernization and civilization1. The society had to change a number of its conducts. One, the society had to change its view on women and minority groups in the society. One of the ways in which this was to be made possible was through the introduction of human rights movements. In this case, the civil rights movements for women and minority were initiated. These movements have made it possible for the modern European society to exercise equity and equality for the members of its society. These movements have also enhanced prosperity and power in the European society. Before the 19th century, the culture favored large extended families. This was economically draining the society. As a change, the society’s family set up has been replaced by small nuclear families most of which are characteristics of single-parent families. Mostly, these families are closely knit and the parent is economically stable to raise his or her children2. The scientist in the European society before the 19th century could not withstand the slow modes of transport and communication. At the moment, the means of transport and communication were not effective enough to serve the society in reaching other people outside their society. The scientists came up with faster means of transport and communication. These included ships, planes and motor vehicles, fro transport, and computers, phones, and fax machines for communication3. As a reaction toward recapturing the lost glory of the society, Europeans resorted to adopt affirmative actions. One of these affirmative actions facilitated the repression of black Americans which was marked by the completion of Reconstruction and the institution of Jim Crow laws 4 . The society also needed really real changes in the industrial sector. This was only affordable at arriving into real changes on labor organization5. As a result, the economical intellects in Europe came up with a new system on labor. They established organized labor. This kind of labor was characterized by skilled labor, specialization of labor and trained labor. This was a grate move as it led to the discouragement of forced labor and slavery. There was also division of labor which facilitated quick and quality production6. One major social change that was associated with industrialization in the 1880-1900 Europe was the dissolution of class systems. Due to the increment of quality products for human consumption, the population of the European society increased rampantly. God living conditions for the European society was witnessed as basic needs were being met with ease. There were improved transport and communication means. As the industries enlarged, agriculture was advanced and food production was high. This is another reason for the demographic change. Industrialization led to emergence of states. This called for development of governing bodies. Government emerged. There was political awakening as the population needed organized system of existence7. Another very crucial social change in 1880-1900 Europe was urbanization. Due to industrial growth, need for market for industrial products, and population increase, European society was colored with urban centers. Most of these urban centers were the hosts for industries. As a result, many people who worked in these industries moved to the urban centers and settled there with their families. This led to emergency of a new set of social change. There was change in housing structures. More comfortable shelters were set for the industrial workers by the industry managements. As the population increased in the urban centers, anti-social changes were witnessed. There increased unemployment. Most of those people who were not employed engaged into ant-social activities such as prostitution, robbery, and street life. Crime and criminology was no longer a fantasy but a reality. Slums developed. There was strain in the few social services in the urban centers8. The moral deterioration in the European urban centers called for a quick action to avert it. The legal sector of the European government came up with laws governing terms of labor. For instance, slave population declined and sugar economy expanded. Free labor was introduced instead. In the rural areas a group of people called squatters emerged. These were the free poor people in the rural areas who had no land to settle in. They were forced by situations to work for the sugar planters. However, they were subjected to voluntary methods of recruitment rather than forced labor system9. The legal hand of the European government also set laws on the health sector. They instructed and supported the medical sector on issues to do with treatment and control of sexually associated diseases, and controlled mental diseases that were associated with urban problems. The government also set laws on environmental safety where the industries were required to adopt anti-pollution measures to reduce rate of environmental pollution due to industrial affluent. Another social change was characteristic of class system. The rise of bourgeois, a group of a ruling class which was made up of middle-class people characterized as materialistic. They were capitalists also10. As a move to establish normal social orders in the 1880 -1900 Europe, some cultural practices had to be abandoned and the change embraced by all. For instance, in the European society before the 19th century, women were not allowed to attend schools just like their male counter parts. Women started being admitted in institutions of higher learning for degree programs. Schools for women also appeared in plenty during this period. Women were allowed to take course like law, medicine, social sciences and arts, unlike before when they were not considered for these positions. Historical social reforms were prepared in favor of women. Europe became a dumping place for inconvenient people because of a number of reasons. These included; industrialization, quest for labor force, the rising market, scientific innovations, education advancements, political stability, and civilization11. Capitalism during the period 1880-1900 Europe is highly ascribed the major reason for the emergency of asylums. Pressure from capitalists made families unable to support their family members and lack of room to tolerate members who were unruly. Families dumped inconvenient people in asylums to avoid the strenuous exercises associated with care of these individuals. Families strove to maintain the problem of verbal incongruities, indiscretions of members with florid delusions, and frightening behavioral anomalies of destructive, violent, despondent and self-harming within the family doors but it was not possible to cope with this situation. The kind of working condition could not allow for the care of the inconvenient in the family. Therefore, a better care unit was to be sought to settle this family problem once and for all12. In the quest to bring control over the society, police were involved in controlling the unruly habit of the mentally dislocated people. The sympathy of handling these people in a more reasonable way, asylum had to arise in Europe. These institutions were set apart to assist in execution of social control of deviancy. Asylum thus became instrumental in establishing norms and social order through the confinement of persons considered socially, morally politico-religiously and physically unfit. An Act of law “Dangerous Lunatics Act 1838” was set to solve these problems legally. On thing is true about asylums. They were not set to entice the prosperity of bourgeois but to enhance social orderliness13. As industries went on developing, many poor people were gathering in the industrial areas in Europe in search of fortune. As a result, they came along with their family members who were medically ill. They could not cater for their medical needs and they often dumped them in the medical health centers and left them their. The legal sector of the government took a serious part in the perpetuation of dumping of inconvenient people in Europe. The law courts of Europe allowed a number of asylum admissions of disorderly poor. However, it is often argued that, asylums did not serve the role of crushing political or religious dispute. Only a few patients were admitted on such grounds. However, asylum admission has been considered too complex to be fit for control of normal social order. Most people admitted into asylum were ’difficult people’. This is to mean that, they were people who suffered mental disorderliness due to substance abuse. These are people who were executing acts of violence to the public or even family members. People who suffered deep depression and those who possessed suicidal behaviors were also admitted in the asylums. The families were not too glad to send their members to the asylum. This step was the last resort after the family admitted defeat on its effort to calm these socio-medical disorders. The family bonds and social systems were pliable under the pressure of economic hardships and insolvency14. Police were involved in committing lunatics to the asylums. However, most lunatics committed themselves to the police to be handed over to the asylums for special care. Others were sent to the asylums after they performed destructive, dangerous and violent acts to the family or public and were risking the family getting into worst problem with the bourgeoisies. This brings us to the conclusion that, the root course leading to the existence of asylums is traced right from domestic instabilities, and families resorted to seeking for public attention on the problem solution. This meant submitting to the strength of ‘Poor Law and the asylum15. Asylums were not just dumping places for the inconvenienced people, but they were a most welcome solution for the right places to care for the mentally challenged people. The demand for these places exceeded the supply, not because the asylums were another item used as a scapegoat to care for family lunatics but because they were the most acknowledged places for offering the right care to these persons. Asylums did not only solve social problems for the victims and their families but also medical ones. Europe had developed medically during the period between 1880 and 190016. This was another cause for the development of asylums. There were mentally related case professional medical personnel who could handle these people. Asylums then became more acceptable choice for the care of the insane17. Asylums were more empowered by the introduction of psychiatry as a medical branch that could treat insanity. This made it more acceptable for the inconvenient to be committed and confined in the asylums. This medical development led to the new definition of madness. It was easy to identify mentally ill people medically and put them under the right conditions that could help solve their problems. This made a separation between lunatics and socially unruly people. They were given different treatments from those who were confirmed to be insane. Asylums became a kind of moral reformatory in which patients were taught how to regain own internal control over their distorted behaviors and morality18. At the turn of 19th century, Europe became widely accepted place for the care and treatment of the insane. One of the most prevalent reasons is that of medical advances in the turn of the century, which had lead to the definition of insanity, and was able to treat it. Psychiatrists defined insanity as a moral and physiological disorder. Bad habits, inconclusive judgments and immoderate emotions, from excessive joy or drunkenness to rudeness toward members of the family or public were considered direct symptoms of insanity. Organic and physical causes were given first lead over external behavior that defined sanity at the turn of 19th century19. In Europe, by the 19th century, asylums had increased tremendously and were more reformed; a fact that made Europe a suitable place for the treatment of the insane people. After the decline in hospital care of all kinds all over history at the turn of the 19th century, Europe became more convenient for the treatment of the insane people since it had the best improvements and medical services for such victims. Due to the religious reformation in Europe, the church dwelled with humanitarian issues. This was a welcome tone to the many inconvenienced people20. In conclusion, Europe has become the world’s leading nation in terms of technology. This is a result of the cultural and social changes that were adopted during the 19th century revolution. The efforts of the European society to protect and maintain its identity as a nation made her to care for her citizens at all costs. This is the reason for the nation developing medically, industrially, and in terms of urban centers. The morality of the nation was made superb at the introduction of asylums, making the nation worth credit for treatment of the insane people. The legal intervention on the terms of labor was also instrumental into establishment of a stable nation. The government ensured that it catered for its largely growing population through provision of jobs. The reforms and developments in education that involved women in higher education studies changed the whole traditional view on women and other minority groups. Labor was no longer forced but free and skilled. The desire to conquer poverty made Europe a hard and smart working nation21. This required changes in the traditional cultural practices. More schools and programs were introduced in the education system to serve the large numbers of students facilitated by the inclusion of ladies in the system. Land policies introduced after the termination of forced labor made the land more productive and profitable to the nation in general. The desire to solve family problems of dealing with the unruly people led to the establishment of asylums in order to address this issue in a more sociable and professional way. Political ties were not allowed to put a hand into the admission of persons in the asylums. However, government legal hand was highly welcome. Police were used to enforce social order which included dealing with the unruly in the society. However, they were not directly involved in committing persons to the asylum. 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