Wikipedia:Peer review/Workhouse/archive1

Workhouse

This peer review discussion has been closed.
I recognise that this isn't yet the finished article, but I think it's been developed to a point where the views of uninvolved editors may be helpful. I've agonised over this for God knows how long, and without the help of Parrot of Doom it would still be languishing

Thanks for taking a look. Malleus Fatuorum 00:19, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

Lede needs to describe the decline to set the period? Is there any major historiographical debate that has occurred over workhouses? "In certain parts of the country there was a good deal of resistance to these new buildings, some of it violent, particularly in the industrial north." expand? Chartism? Incidenaryism? Captain Swing? Hasn't a great deal of political analysis occurred over the relief system? I'm not reading this in the narrative of the system? Apart from the one wife selling incident, sexuality isn't developed well yet... sexual segregation of the able bodied in the Kempthorne plan and general imposition of middle class sexual values on the poor? Does child transportation need to be expanded? The meaning and context of the discipline in education and discipline isn't obvious unless you're historically trained—regulation of personal conduct. Religion isn't adequately covered, isn't this post Catholic emancipation, forced Anglicanism? Dissenters? Has any scholar compared the benefits of being indigent in the late poor law medical and educational situation to the benefits claimed of indigency today in the UK? I love the media, the quotes are a perfect example of how to use primary sources as "media" rather than as evidence. Well done. In summary: missing historiography, minor context issues, great article. I hope these comments help you develop the article. Fifelfoo (talk) 07:08, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

Thanks for your helpful comments. The lead is entirely inadequate I know, but we thought we'd leave that until the rest of the article was in good shape. Malleus Fatuorum 13:29, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

See, I told you it needed more about religion :P Parrot of Doom 22:21, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

I'm afraid that I've got a bit of a blind spot where religion is concerned, but if you both think so then I'll have to defer to you. Malleus Fatuorum 22:38, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

Brief comments from Nikkimaria

• This link returns a 404 error

  Link now fixed. Malleus Fatuorum 22:08, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

• Diet image: is this caption italicized because it's a title for this image? If so, who is the photographer?

  Yes to the first question, for the second, the photographer is not identified by the publication the image appeared in. Parrot of Doom 22:12, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

• If you're going to keep those Further reading entries, they need reformatting

  I'm not sure if we'll be keeping all of them or not, but I've reformatted them anyway. Malleus Fatuorum 22:50, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

• Maybe use a more historical lead image?
  • I've been looking for something suitable but so far haven't found much. I'm now thinking about a proper "workhouse" image complete with heavy clouds, etc. Parrot of Doom 22:12, 14 October 2011 (UTC)
• Heavy emphasis on England - is that deliberate (a la wife selling)?

  Quite deliberate, yes, and just like wife selling. The social and legal context, conditions, and evolutionary history makes workhouses in England and Wales quite different from their equivalents even in Scotland, which had (and still does) a separate legal system and established Church. Malleus Fatuorum 22:06, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

• Link to Home children?

  Link added. Malleus Fatuorum 22:50, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

• What sort of work did inmates do? Did they receive any sort of "job training" as adults? (Some of this is discussed under Diet, which seems odd)
• Any more information on workhouse finances/costs? Sanitation/disease in workhouses?

  Yes indeed, I'll stick that one behind my ear to be dealt with when I get the sourcing for "pauper's palaces" sorted out. Malleus Fatuorum 22:53, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

• Were girls also beaten, or did they receive some other punishment?

  Girls weren't beaten no. Like adults, their punishments were to be confined, have their diet restricted, and so on. I've added a little bit to explain that. Malleus Fatuorum 22:06, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

• What did people over 60 do at the workhouse? Nikkimaria (talk) 16:06, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

  They were expected to work just like anyone else if they weren't sick or infirm. I've added a couple of sentences to explain that. Malleus Fatuorum 22:06, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

  Thanks for taking a look and for your suggestions Nikkimaria. Malleus Fatuorum 22:06, 14 October 2011 (UTC)