There’s Been a Social Murder: Capitalism that Killed in Early 20thC Glasgow
Join social historian and family history researcher Sean McDonagh for a public lecture on Engels' concept of Social Murder in auld Glasgow.
About There’s Been a Social Murder: Capitalism that Killed in Early 20thC Glasgow
If you enjoy...
- Glasgow social history
- History 'from below' (social history narratives from the perspective of the disempowered)
- Genealogy and family history stories
Then do come and see social historian and family history researcher Sean McDonagh deliver a critically informed talk in the Calton at Red Rosa's, the newest home of the broad left in Glasgow.
**What's it all about?**
The lecture defines, details and re-evaluates the significance of Friedrich Engels concept of social murder (1845) in the context of late Victorian and early 20thC Glasgow. In doing so, a genealogically informed piece of research in the form of case study is also used.
The concept of social murder, in short, charged the capitalist society and its state with bringing about the premature and avoidable death of the labouring classes whilst doing nothing to intervene and alleviate the in-built structural inequality as suffered by that class of much maligned people.
**What's different about this talk?**
A case study of an individual (William B*) who lived in Glasgow in the 1880-1910 period and who, arguably, was a victim of such murder, will be used to highlight the general inhumanity and toil associated with the everyday life of the working classes of the late Victorian urban centre. Through his life, we begin to see the real horrors of what it meant to be living in poverty within a state that appeared callous and capitalistic before it ever appeared compassionate or caring.
Hear about how William's life was informed, if not completely subjugated, by the normalised structural inequality which defined the capitalist society of late Victorian Glasgow, the British Empire's so called second city.
William's life story helps us to more fully understand the personal tragedy often hidden behind the statistic.
**In what way is it critical?**
The talk will cover themes such as power, poverty, inequality and the state and will attempt to highlight that despite the concept of social murder being nearly 180 years old, it's just as valid today as it ever was, unfortunately. In addition to the primary research which has gone into the making of this talk, various primary and secondary sources have also been used.
Comment will be made on Glasgow's late Victorian housing, slum areas, mortality rates, public health generally, state intervention and neglect as well its asylum system in the early 20thC.
A PowerPoint presentation style is used and a small document booklet is provided during the talk. The booklet is also completely free for you to take home, should you wish.
Expect a critical, enlightened and at times emotive social history talk which is complemented by as yet unseen genealogical research which helps put the soul before the statistic and allows for a more subjective appreciation of this city's powerful history.
**About the Speaker**
Sean is a social history and criminology lecturer in adult education (Edinburgh College, Open University SWAP) who has been working and researching in the field of Scottish and Irish social history - as told from below - for over a decade.
Sean is an associate fellow of the Royal Historical Society (RHS), has appeared on TV (BBC NI - TripleVision Productions) as a radical history expert, been published in the political magazine The Scottish Left Review (2018) and authored the local history pamphlet, 'The Green and White of Govan' (2018).
He is also an accomplished family history researcher who specialises in working class family history with regards to Scotland, Ireland, England, Australia and the United States.
Information on Sean's family history services can be found here: https://seanmcdon.org
A collection of Sean's blogs and essays can be found here: https://seanmcdon.substack.com/
* The genealogical research has been conducted professionally using public access archives and, more significantly, is shared with the audience in an empathic, humane and ethical manner. All rights of known family of the individual have also been sought and their approval for use has been granted.
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