This book focuses on the recipients of charity, rather than the donors or institutions. By doing so, it tackles searching questions of social control and cohesion, and the relationship between providers and recipients in a new and revealing manner. It is shown how these issues changed over the course of the nineteenth century, as the frontier between state and the voluntary sector shifted away from charity towards greater reliance on public finance, workers' contributions and mutual aid. In turn, these new sources of assistance enriched civil society, encouraging democratization, empowerment and social inclusion for previously marginalized members of the community.
