Containing the Poor: The Mexico City Poor House, 1774–1871

摘要: In 1774 Mexico City leaders created the Poor House - centrepiece of a bold experiment intended to eliminate poverty and impose new work ethic on former beggars by establishing forcible internment policy for some putting others work. "Containing Poor" Silvia Marina Arrom tells saga this ill-fated plan, showing how asylum functioned primarily educate white orphans instead suppressing mendicancy exerting control over multiracial community whom it was designed. For nation that had traditionally regarded needy as having undisputed right receive alms whose affluent citizens felt duty-bound dispense them, doomed from start, explains Arrom. She uses deep archival research reveal much policymakers' dismay became an orphanage largely because government underestimated embeddedness moral economy begging. While tracing course eventful century also saw colonialism give way republicanism in Mexico, links House's transformation with other societal factors well, such Mexican women's increasing impact social welfare policies. With poverty, begging, homelessness still rampant Latin America today, study changing approaches will be particularly valuable student scholars American society history, well those engaged policy.