Four The case of older people: social thought and divergent prescriptions for care
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John Offer
Abstract
This chapter presents a ‘case study’ of theoretically grounded approaches to the care of older people. It starts by reporting the nature of Herbert Spencer’s concern with the treatment of parents late in their lives by their offspring. It also examines the comments on older people of the majority report of 1909, and the minority report: both reports reflect what José Harris calls idealist styles of social thought. The importance of ‘idealist social thought’ and the ‘power’ of this concept, and the implied contrasting concept of ‘non-idealist social thought’ are explained. It then briefly emphasizes some recent developments in policy and research. It appears that the idea of ‘idealist social thought’ and the further distinction between idealist and non-idealist modes of thinking have a real potential to enhance the interpretation of the significant normative differences over the role of filial beneficence, domiciliary support from other sources and institution.
Abstract
This chapter presents a ‘case study’ of theoretically grounded approaches to the care of older people. It starts by reporting the nature of Herbert Spencer’s concern with the treatment of parents late in their lives by their offspring. It also examines the comments on older people of the majority report of 1909, and the minority report: both reports reflect what José Harris calls idealist styles of social thought. The importance of ‘idealist social thought’ and the ‘power’ of this concept, and the implied contrasting concept of ‘non-idealist social thought’ are explained. It then briefly emphasizes some recent developments in policy and research. It appears that the idea of ‘idealist social thought’ and the further distinction between idealist and non-idealist modes of thinking have a real potential to enhance the interpretation of the significant normative differences over the role of filial beneficence, domiciliary support from other sources and institution.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- Acknowledgements iv
- Foreword v
- Introduction 1
- ‘Virtue’ and the poor law in Britain and Ireland in the 1830s 11
- Spencer and a liberal road to welfare: the eclipse of a vision 29
- Free agent or ‘conscious automaton’? The individual in Spencer’s social theory 53
- The case of older people: social thought and divergent prescriptions for care 75
- Social policy and idealist versus non-idealist thought: the fundamental schism 95
- Idealist thought, social policy and the rediscovery of informal care 129
- Social theory and voluntary action in Britain since 1880 149
- Epilogue: from poor law to Labour’s ‘new idealism’ 167
- Notes 183
- References 197
- Index 215
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- Acknowledgements iv
- Foreword v
- Introduction 1
- ‘Virtue’ and the poor law in Britain and Ireland in the 1830s 11
- Spencer and a liberal road to welfare: the eclipse of a vision 29
- Free agent or ‘conscious automaton’? The individual in Spencer’s social theory 53
- The case of older people: social thought and divergent prescriptions for care 75
- Social policy and idealist versus non-idealist thought: the fundamental schism 95
- Idealist thought, social policy and the rediscovery of informal care 129
- Social theory and voluntary action in Britain since 1880 149
- Epilogue: from poor law to Labour’s ‘new idealism’ 167
- Notes 183
- References 197
- Index 215
