Arnold Toynbee

:This page is about the economic historian Arnold Toynbee; for the universal historian Arnold Joseph Toynbee see this article. For further Toynbees and related topics see the disambiguation page Toynbee.

Social commitment

For Toynbee, early industrial capitalism and the situation of the working class in it was not only a subject of ivory-tower studies; he was actively involved in improving the living conditions of the proletariat. He read for workers in large industrial centres and encouraged the creation of trade unions and co-operatives. A focal point of his commitment was the slum of Whitechapel in East London, where he helped to establish public libraries for the working class population. Toynbee also encouraged his students to offer free courses for working class audiences in their own neighbourhoods.

Related Topics:
Proletariat - Trade union - Co-operative - Whitechapel - East London

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Inspired by Toynbee's ideas, Samuel Augustus Barnett and Henrietta Barnett founded the first university settlement shortly after his death in 1884, which was named Toynbee Hall in his honour and still exists today. The concept to bring upper and middle class students into lower class neighbourhoods, not only to provide education and social aid, but to actually live and work together with their inhabitants, soon inspired a worldwide movement of university settlements. The idea was to help members of the future elite understand the problems of British society; this was especially important at a time when class divisions were much stronger, social mobility was minimal, and the living conditions of the poor were completely unknown to many members of the upper class. Toynbee Hall attracted many students, especially from Wadham College and Balliol College where Toynbee had taught.

Related Topics:
Samuel Augustus Barnett - Henrietta Barnett - University settlement - 1884 - Toynbee Hall - Wadham College

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