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From Mutual Aid to the Welfare State: Fraternal Societies and Social Services, 1890–1967

From Mutual Aid to the Welfare State: Fraternal Societies and Social Services, 1890–1967 Book Reviews 1555 Yorkers wielded “unprecedented” influence, litical, legal, and cultural development of in- making the United States the “most bourgeois dustrial America. of all nineteenth-century societies.” This is a Clearly written, well argued, and assidu- book about the consolidation of class power ously researched, Beckert’s analysis is far-rang- and class identity, but it also traces the em- ing and generally persuasive. Not surprising brace of laissez-faire liberalism, the increasing given the scope of his argument, Beckert occa- use of repressive policies against the working sionally overreaches with his interpretation class, and the rising popularity and cultural and reifies concepts of class identity in order significance of opulent parties; the final chap- to fit them into his larger interpretation. ter sets the stage for the flowering of the Pro- Moreover, despite the scale and complexity of gressive movement. his subject, Beckert relies disproportionately The Civil War redefined elite power and sta- on the perceptions of a small group of letter tus, transforming wealthy New Yorkers into a writers and diarists. But these are minor (and bourgeois class, according to Beckert. The perhaps inevitable) shortcomings in a provoc- analysis, which includes a rigorous examination ative and important analysis of class http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png The Journal of American History Oxford University Press

From Mutual Aid to the Welfare State: Fraternal Societies and Social Services, 1890–1967

Greenberg, Brian
The Journal of American History , Volume 88 (4) – Mar 1, 2002
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Publisher
Oxford University Press
Copyright
© Published by Oxford University Press.
ISSN
0021-8723
eISSN
1945-2314
DOI
10.2307/2700685
Publisher site
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Abstract

Book Reviews 1555 Yorkers wielded “unprecedented” influence, litical, legal, and cultural development of in- making the United States the “most bourgeois dustrial America. of all nineteenth-century societies.” This is a Clearly written, well argued, and assidu- book about the consolidation of class power ously researched, Beckert’s analysis is far-rang- and class identity, but it also traces the em- ing and generally persuasive. Not surprising brace of laissez-faire liberalism, the increasing given the scope of his argument, Beckert occa- use of repressive policies against the working sionally overreaches with his interpretation class, and the rising popularity and cultural and reifies concepts of class identity in order significance of opulent parties; the final chap- to fit them into his larger interpretation. ter sets the stage for the flowering of the Pro- Moreover, despite the scale and complexity of gressive movement. his subject, Beckert relies disproportionately The Civil War redefined elite power and sta- on the perceptions of a small group of letter tus, transforming wealthy New Yorkers into a writers and diarists. But these are minor (and bourgeois class, according to Beckert. The perhaps inevitable) shortcomings in a provoc- analysis, which includes a rigorous examination ative and important analysis of class

Journal

The Journal of American History – Oxford University Press

Published: Mar 1, 2002

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