Synopses & Reviews
This is the first full study of the great alarm about "mental defectives" in Britain between 1870 and 1959, and the resulting policies of segregation, community care, and sexual sterilization. Mathew Thomson examines the origins of these policies in central government and shows how they were put into practice by health professionals and local authorities. He reveals how policy-makers avoided extremist measures such as compulsory sterilization (introduced in Germany and parts of the US during this period), not for reasons of liberal principle but because of the socially conservative and anti-interventionlist nature of British political culture.
Review
"This book should be of interest to a wide range of readers. Thomson includes comparative material that takes the study beyond the confines of the British Isles, and his multi-leveled analysis holds value for historiography as an example of how the history of a medical/mental issue can be fruitfully examined in a broad social and political context."--American Historical Review
"This is an excellent treatment of an important aspect of the British welfare state."--Choice
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. [307]-342) and index.