The Settlement House Movement Revisited

“University Settlements have a very special place in the history of social work. This new collection demonstrates why, showing the unique contribution they have made to practice and research worldwide.” Viviene E. Cree, The University of Edinburgh

“The transnational, comparative perspective and fresh insights on the settlement house movement offered by this thoughtfully conceptualized book are an original, welcome and overdue addition to the historical canon on these iconic social welfare institutions.” Susan P. Kemp, University of Auckland

“A timely contribution charting the transnational history of the settlement house movement, bringing together a rich body of evidence to support place-based approaches to policymaking and poverty alleviation.” Social Policy and Administration

“This book provides food for thought, in that it invites to look to the future of social work and social pedagogy while learning from the past… I recommend the book, which deserves a broad readership of researchers, lecturers, and students in the field of social work and social pedagogy.” European Journal of Social Work

John Gal is a Professor at the Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Stefan Köngeter is a Professor and Co-Head of the Research Institute for Social Work and Social Spaces at the University of Applied Science, St. Gallen.

Sarah Vicary is Associate Head of School in the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies at The Open University.

Introduction ~ John Gal, Stefan Köngeter and Sarah Vicary

PART 1: The transnational transfer of the settlement house idea

A brief transnational history of the Settlement House Movement ~ Stefan Köngeter

Berlin’s municipal socialism: A transatlantic muse for Mary Simkhovitch and New York City ~ Barbara Levy Simon

The French maisons sociales, Chicago’s Hull-House scheme and their influence in Portugal ~ Francisco Branco

Settlement houses and the emergence of social work in Mandatory Palestine ~ John Gal and Yehudit Avnir

PART 2: The interface between the Settlement House Movement and other social movements

University Extension and the settlement idea ~ Geoffrey A.C. Ginn

Between social mission and social reform: The Settlement House Movement in Germany, 1900-1930 ~ Jens Wietschorke

To be an Englishman and a Jew: Basil Henriques and the Bernhard Baron Oxford and St. George’s Settlement House ~ Hugh Shewell

The English settlements, the Poor Man’s Lawyer and social work, circa 1890-1939 ~ Kate Bradley

PART 3: Research in settlement houses and its impact

Putting knowledge into action: A social work perspective on settlement house research ~ Dayana Lau

Animating objectivity: a Chicago settlement’s use of numeric and aesthetic knowledges to render its immigrant neighbours and neighbourhood knowable ~ Rory Crath

PART 4: Final Reflections

‘The soul of the community’: two practitioners reflect on history, place and community in two community-based practices from 1980 to 1995: St Hilda’s Community Centre in Bethnal Green and Waterloo Action Centre in Waterloo, South London ~ Jeanette Copperman and Steven Malies

Conclusion ~ Sarah Vicary