AGENTS OF REFORM
Princeton Studies in Global and Comparative Sociology
Andreas Wimmer, Series Editor
Mapping the Transnational World: How We Move and Communicate across Borders, and Why It Matters, Emanuel Deutschmann
Agents of Reform: Child Labor and the Origins of the Welfare State, Elisabeth Anderson
Persuasive Peers: Social Communication and Voting in Latin America, Andy Baker, Barry Ames, and Lcio Renn
Give and Take: Developmental Foreign Aid and the Pharmaceutical Industry in East Africa, Nitsan Chorev
Citizenship 2.0: Dual Nationality as a Global Asset, Yossi Harpaz
Nation Building: Why Some Countries Come Together While Others Fall Apart, Andreas Wimmer
The Paradox of Vulnerability: States, Nationalism, and the Financial Crisis, John L. Campbell and John A. Hall
Agents of Reform
Child Labor and the Origins of the Welfare State
Elisabeth Anderson
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For Andy
Insofar as the age at which children are hired [in cotton and woolen mills], the claim is that they begin at age 7 or 8 years, but in the Geldern district it is age four. The [Dsseldorf] government believes, however, that in most factories, children are employed already at the age of 6 years. The number of working hours is 10, 11, 12 and also in some places 15 and 16 hours. The government believes, that greed for money goes a long way in explaining this situation; such that, when a product is in high demand on the market, the manufacturer requires the children to work beyond the normal daily hours, so long as no legal provisions restrain him.
The number of night workers is now normally 125, but in the Duisburg district, 80 to 100 children work at night in exceptional circumstances.
The most credible persons report that the factory children have unmistakably inferior strength and health compared to those who do not work in factories; that this is evident in their pale faces, dull eyes, their bloated bodies and cheeks, swollen lips and nostrils and swollen glands, and in their posture; that infected eyes, bad skin afflictions and asthmatic episodes are not uncommon among these children. The cause of these evils in the woolen and cotton mills is the fine wool particles that impregnate the air [and] also in the long duration of the working hours and the bad food, or more accurately the unnatural way in which it is consumed. With regard to the latter, it is reported that the children bring their food, which as a rule consists only of cold potatoes, from home and then eat it cold, which must have a negative effect on the condition of their health.
In the districts of Dsseldorf, Elderfeld, Lennep, Solingen and Kempen many of the children do not receive any schooling; others get it only in the evenings, and in the Solingen district, only when the work is not pressing. In the district of Grevenbroich, no provision at all is made for their education.
However [the government] notes also, that the employment of children in the factories is necessary if the manufacturers are not to be rendered incapable of withstanding foreign competition.
REPORT OF THE DSSELDORF DISTRICT GOVERNMENT, 1824
ILLUSTRATIONS
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Research can be lonely work, but no researcher can do it alone. I am grateful to many people who helped me on the long road to completing this book. It began as a PhD thesis in sociology at Northwestern University, where my dissertation committeeBruce Carruthers, Ann Orloff, Chas Camic, and Nicki Beiselmentored and supported me, molded me into a social scientist (more or less), and never told me I was taking too long to figure out what I was doing. Im thankful for how they guided me while allowing me to carve my own path. Jim Mahoney and Monica Prasad were not on my committee, but still took the time to help me think through my methodology and sharpen my arguments. Kieran Bezila, Marina Zaloznaya, Liz Onasch, Gabrielle Ferrales, and Heather Schoenfeld motivated me intellectually while seeing to it that work was leavened with fun. Financial support for my dissertation research came from Northwestern, the National Science Foundation, and the Deutsche Akademische Austauschdiest (DAAD).
Since joining New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Ive deeply appreciated the friendship and intellectual camaraderie of my wonderful colleagues. Eman Abdelhadi, Swethaa Ballakrishnen, David Cook-Martin, Paula England, Maria Grigoryevna, Danny Karell, Elena Korchmina, Kinga Makovi, John OBrien, Blaine Robbins, and Rana Tomaira all provided valuable feedback on various chapter drafts. Zeynep Ozgen gave me the benefit of her keen intelligence and warm encouragement on many occasions. Sabino Kornrich scrutinized my introductory chapter and excised every unnecessary word. Melina Platas and Fiona Kidd helped keep me on track, and Christina Zenker, Jeff Jensen, Maya Allison, and Mark Swizlocki kept me laughing. I also learned much from visitors to NYUAD who took the time to read drafts and offer comments. These included Miguel Centeno, Alejandro Portes, Mustafa Emirbayer, and especially Kimberly Morgan and Cybelle Fox, who both shared thoughtful suggestions and their deep knowledge of the welfare state to push me in fruitful new directions.
As the book was nearing completion, Richard Lachmann, Edgar Kiser, and Monica Prasad generously read the whole manuscript, and provided extensive and incisive feedback. In August 2019, I was fortunate to have David Cook-Martin, Ivan Ermakoff, Sonya Michel, Stephanie Mudge, and Adam Sheingate participate in a book workshop. Even though Ive been unable to meet every one of their expectations, their critiques and suggestions improved the manuscript immeasurably. The workshop was hosted by the NYUAD Institute in New York; I offer my thanks to Ralph Raymond and Sharon Bergman for organizing it.
