Health and the Modern Home (Routledge Studies in the Social History of Medicine)

Health and the Modern Home explores shifting and contentious debates about the impact of the domestic environment on health in the modern period. Drawing on recent scholarship, contributors expose the socio-political context in which the physical and emotional environment of "the modern home" and "family" became implicated in the maintenance of health and in the aetiology and pathogenesis of diverse psychological and physical conditions. In addition, they critically analyze the manner in which the expression and articulation of medical concerns about the domestic environment served to legitimate particular political and ideological positions. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 6 Copyright......Page 7 Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 1 ‘Home Sweet Home’: Historical Perspectives on Health and the Home......Page 12 Part One: Emotional Health and the Home......Page 30 2 A Bill of Divorcement: Theatrical and Cinematic Portrayals of Mental and Marital Breakdown in a Dysfunctional Upper-Middle-Class Family, 1921–1932......Page 32 3 Desperate Housewives and Model Amoebae: The Invention of Suburban Neurosis in Inter-War Britain......Page 53 4 Anne Sexton’s Poetics of the Suburbs......Page 74 5 Housewives, Neuroses, and the Domestic Environment in Britain, 1945–70......Page 95 6 ‘I Thought You Would Want to Come and See His Home’: Child Guidance and Psychiatric Social Work in Inter-War Britain......Page 122 7 Rabbits and Rebels: The Medicalisation of Maladjusted Children in Mid-Twentieth-Century Britain......Page 139 8 ‘Allergy con amore’: Psychosomatic Medicine and the ‘Asthmogenic Home’ in the Mid-Twentieth Century......Page 164 Part Two: Housing, Health, and Home......Page 186 9 ‘Skeletons in the Medicine Closet’: Women and ‘Rational Consumption’ in the Inter-War American Home......Page 188 10 The Home Fires: Heat, Health, and Atmospheric Pollution in Britain, 1900–45......Page 207 11 Coal, Clean Air, and the Regulation of the Domestic Hearth in Post-War Britain......Page 235 12 Cockroaches, Housing, and Race: A History of Asthma and Urban Ecology in America......Page 255 13 Social Science, Housing, and the Debate Over Transmitted Deprivation......Page 277 14 The Home as Environment: Changing Understandings from the History of Childhood Lead Poisoning......Page 296 15 Into the Mouths of Babes: Hyperactivity, Food Additives, and the Reception of the Feingold Diet......Page 315 Contributors......Page 334 Index......Page 338 Social Sciences Book Cover 1 Title 6 Copyright 7 Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 1 ‘Home Sweet Home’: Historical Perspectives on Health and the Home 12 Part One: Emotional Health and the Home 30 2 A Bill of Divorcement: Theatrical and Cinematic Portrayals of Mental and Marital Breakdown in a Dysfunctional Upper-Middle-Class Family, 1921–1932 32 3 Desperate Housewives and Model Amoebae: The Invention of Suburban Neurosis in Inter-War Britain 53 4 Anne Sexton’s Poetics of the Suburbs 74 5 Housewives, Neuroses, and the Domestic Environment in Britain, 1945–70 95 6 ‘I Thought You Would Want to Come and See His Home’: Child Guidance and Psychiatric Social Work in Inter-War Britain 122 7 Rabbits and Rebels: The Medicalisation of Maladjusted Children in Mid-Twentieth-Century Britain 139 8 ‘Allergy con amore’: Psychosomatic Medicine and the ‘Asthmogenic Home’ in the Mid-Twentieth Century 164 Part Two: Housing, Health, and Home 186 9 ‘Skeletons in the Medicine Closet’: Women and ‘Rational Consumption’ in the Inter-War American Home 188 10 The Home Fires: Heat, Health, and Atmospheric Pollution in Britain, 1900–45 207 11 Coal, Clean Air, and the Regulation of the Domestic Hearth in Post-War Britain 235 12 Cockroaches, Housing, and Race: A History of Asthma and Urban Ecology in America 255 13 Social Science, Housing, and the Debate Over Transmitted Deprivation 277 14 The Home as Environment: Changing Understandings from the History of Childhood Lead Poisoning 296 15 Into the Mouths of Babes: Hyperactivity, Food Additives, and the Reception of the Feingold Diet 315 Contributors 334 Index 338 'Home sweet home': historical perspectives on health and the home / Mark Jackson -- 'A bill of divorcement': theatrical and cinematic portrayals of mental and marital breakdown in a dysfunctional upper-middle-class family, 1921-31 / Michael J. Clark -- Desperate housewives and model amoebae: the invention of suburban neurosis in inter-war Britain / Rhodri Hayward -- Anne Sexton's poetics of the suburbs / Jo Gill -- Housewives, neuroses and the domestic environment in Britain, 1945-70 / Ali Haggett -- 'I thought you would want to come and see his home': child guidance and psychiatric social work in inter-war period Britain / John Stewart -- Rabbits and rebels: the medicalisation of maladjusted children in mid-twentieth-century Britain / Sarah Hayes -- 'Allergy con amore': psychosomatic medicine and the 'asthmogenic home' in the mid-twentieth century / Mark Jackson -- 'Skeletons in the medicine closet': women and 'rational consumption' in the inter-war American home / Nancy Tomes -- The home fires: heat, health and atmospheric pollution in Britain, 1900-45 / Stephen Mosley -- Coal, clean air and the regulation of the domestic hearth in post-war Britain / Catherine Mills -- Cockroaches, housing, and race: a history of asthma and urban ecology in America / Gregg Mitman -- Social science, housing and the debate over transmitted deprivation / John Welshman -- The home as environment: changing understandings from the history of childhood lead poisoning / John Burnham -- Into the mouths of babes: hyperactivity, food additives, and the reception of the Feingold diet / Matthew Smith 'Home sweet home': historical perspectives on health and the home / Mark Jackson A bill of divorcement: theatrical and cinematic portrayals of mental and marital breakdown in a dysfunctional upper-middle-class family, 1921-1932 / Michael J. Clark Desperate housewives and model amoebae: the invention of suburban neurosis in inter-war Britain / Rhodri Hayward Anne Sexton's poetics of the suburbs / Jo Gill Housewives, neuroses, and the domestic environment in Britain, 1945-70 / Ali Haggett 'I thought you would want to come and see his home': child guidance and psychiatric social work in inter-war Britain / John Stewart Rabbits and rebels: the medicalisation of maladjusted children in mid-twentieth-century Britain / Sarah Hayes 'Allergy con amore': psychosomatic medicine and the 'asthmogenic home' in the mid-twentieth century / Mark Jackson 'Skeletons in the medicine closet': women and 'rational consumption' in the inter-war American home / Nancy Tomes The home fires: heat, health, and atmospheric pollution in Britain, 1900-45 / Stephen Mosley Coal, clean air, and the regulation of the domestic hearth in post-war Britain / Catherine Mills Cockroaches, housing, and race: a history of asthma and urban ecology in America / Gregg Mitman Social science, housing, and the debate over transmitted deprivation / John Welshman The home as environment: changing understandings from the history of childhood lead poisoning / John Burnham Into the mouths of babes: hyperactivity, food additives, and the reception of the Feingold diet / Matthew Smith. "Health and the Modern Home" explores shifting and contentious debates about the impact of the domestic environment on health in the modern period. Drawing on recent scholarship, Jackson exposes the socio-political context in which the physical and emotional environment of "the modern home" and "family" became implicated in the maintenance of health and in the aetiology and pathogenesis of diverse psychological and physical conditions. In addition, he analyzes the manner in which the expression and articulation of medical concerns about the domestic environment served to legitimate particular political and ideological positions