In September 1889, a new institution appeared in the burgeoning city of Chicago. It was neither a bank nor a store. Nor was it a church or a hospital. It was a social settlement. But what exactly was a social settlement?.
By the end of the nineteenth century, wealth had become almost as polarized as in Britain. There was the affluent class - a small, elite group of wealthy individuals that owned most of everything and lacked nothing in terms of material goods or luxuries. The lower class, which consisted of the marginalized and the just outright poor. Their lot was feeding off the table scraps thrown to them by the two classes above. And then there was the immediate class above them - the middle class - where Jane Addams (1860-1935), a graduate of Rockford Seminary (a town west of Chicago), Addams became cognizant of the plight of the impecunious and the alienation between the classes. While the rich walled themselves off in extravagant homes and luxurious neighborhoods, the middle class tried to maintain its security in semi-respectable areas that afforded the basic amenities of modern life. And the destitute? They lived in deplorable conditions - overcrowded slums infested with rodents and broken dreams. Of course, they were the 'lucky ones.' The truly down and out slept outdoors. Many of them probably made it a nightly ritual to pray not to wake up the next morning. That did not occur much among the urban bourgeoisie.
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After meeting her lifelong companion, Ellen Gates Starr (1859-1940) in seminary school, Addams decided to take action to help the less fortunate by founding a social settlement - a place where the needy could receive both food, skills and free lectures on civic issues from a group of largely female university volunteers. Their institution, known as Hull House, became the most famous social settlement in the world. By 1912, it had helped thousands of European immigrants, many of which were Italian, to establish themselves in American society and countless others from various walks of life. What, however, underpinned Addams' philosophy of social action? In 1892, she published "The Subjective Necessity of Social Settlements" to explain her approach to society and her worldview. From the following lines below, it will become quite clear that not only did Addams read the words and deeds of Jesus of Nazareth correctly with regard to building a social ethic but that Addams' life and message are still relevant today.
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"That Christianity has to be revealed and embodied in the line of social progress is a corollary to the simple proposition that man's action is found in his social relationships in the way in which he connects with his fellows, that his motives for action are the zeal and affection with which he regards his fellows."
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Any cursory reading of the three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) in the New Testament demonstrates that Jesus of Nazareth did not intend to found a 'religion' per se. He believed God's work was in actively helping his struggling 'children'. According to Luke 6:20-21, Jesus stated, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled." As the same person who coined the expression "The last will be first, and the first will be last" (Matthew 20:16), it was the humble, the meek and the pure of heart that would receive God's favor. When a youth from the upper strata of society asked Jesus "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?," Jesus replied, "You lack one thing. Go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow me." (Mark 10:20-22). Not only did Jesus ask him to sacrifice his worldly possessions but the young man was also called to follow Jesus in taking social action in helping those in need. Hence, Jesus never intended to establish a belief system to simply help people cope with the world on an individual basis through individual prayer or church gatherings among people of the same economic and social class. Rather, believing in God required "taking up the cross" and finding the joy of life in helping those in need of help and bringing everyone - rich, poor and semi-affluent - into a single family and a single community of hope and security.
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"Democracy has made little attempt to assert itself in social affairs. We have refused to move beyond the position of its eighteenth century leaders, who believed that political equality alone would secure all good to all men."
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Unfortunately, the same can be said of the United States in 2011. The 45 million Americans living below the poverty line receive scant attention from the middle and upper classes. To be sure, there are millions of people who work professionally and millions more who volunteer to help out their fellow man, but the size and scope of entrenched poverty in the United States has never been addressed. A new stimulus package will do little for those who cannot read, write or have no skills in demand. Both political parties, Republican and Democrat, cater expressly to the middle class - and have been co-opted by the financial elites to one degree or another. As such, the plight of the homeless is nowhere on their agenda.
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"They (young people) feel a fatal want of harmony between their theory and their lives, a lack of coordination between thought and action. I think it is hard for us to realize how many are taking to the notion of human brotherhood, how eagerly they long to give tangible expression to the democratic ideal. These young men and women, longing to socialize their democracy, are animated by certain hopes."
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Addams could have included adults as well. Most people wish for a world of cooperation rather than cutthroat competition. Few people (if anyone) grow up hoping that society will maintain its rigid class system whereby a third of more the population is socially and economically excluded from having a dignified life. At the heart of our 'theories' and 'thoughts' is the idea of fairness, compassion and decency, but what does our profit-driven world teach - except stark individualism, live for yourself, do not talk to strangers, be fearful of the underclass, live to add another line on your CV and above all - attain status? A PhD, a Porsche, a bigger and better home in a smaller and more elite area, a 'higher' position in the company and a more refined circle of friends are constantly trumpeted by society as the path to happiness. Yet, what is genuine and rewarding about these things in comparison to helping another human being?
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Jane Addams: A Woman Relevant To The Twenty-First Century
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Interestingly, Jane Addams never became a Christian despite quoting the reputed words of Jesus of Nazareth throughout her life. This is instructive. One need not be a Christian to appreciate the message of Jesus. His message of hope and redemption for all men and women ought to inspire the people from the ultra-religious to the Enlightenment-based atheist. If the world has any hope in closing the gap between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots,' we must put our highest principles and ideals into action. Otherwise, the story of human history will sadly go down as 'what could have been.'
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(Photo: Jane Addams upon her graduation).
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To read the "The Subjective Necessity of Social Settlements," please click onto the following link:
http://www.h-net.org/~hst203/documents/addams.html
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J Roquen