At the turn of the 20th century, public health became a prominent topic in medicine. This changed the view from what’s best for an individual’s health to what’s best for the health of a population. Case studies done in this century have a vast range of conclusions and theories in an attempt to fix societal issues. These social issues, such as masturbation, prostitution, and criminal acts, were previously assumed to be moral irregularities. Now, through the use of science and medicine, these issues can be diagnosed as mental issues originating from either their conditions or their genes. Public health soon became a popular topic throughout the country. These ideas even crossed oceans, influencing other countries even to drastic measures. The
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Early theories of social issues surround the affect the poverty-stricken environment can have on morality. One of the earliest and most popular authors who argues for the influence of the environment was Karl Marx. Marx, who influenced socialist Soviet Union, represented ‘Extreme Environmentalism’ as a philosopher. Another author James O. S. Huntington describes in detail the influence the tenement environment can have. However, he goes on to say “No doubt there are (corrupt) people in tenement-houses, but that they represent the great body of the tenement-house population I entirely deny” (Huntington “Tenement-House Morality” 1887). Huntington claims that hard-working men and women leading noble and pure lives are just as present in tenement-houses as feeble minded and corrupt people. Jacob A. Riis claims that generations degrade in the slums because of “the influences that prevail there” (Riis “The Problem of the Children” 1892). This environment is not only degrading, but can be the only way of life. “The road to ruin, as we call it, is so fatally easy to them; who shall dare to blame them if they take it?” (Edgar Fawcett “The Woes of the New York Working-Girl” 1891). An early study on a particular family in a similar situation created one of the first ways that the family as whole was considered, a macro view versus the micro view of the
Early theories of social issues surround the affect the poverty-stricken environment can have on morality. One of the earliest and most popular authors who argues for the influence of the environment was Karl Marx. Marx, who influenced socialist Soviet Union, represented ‘Extreme Environmentalism’ as a philosopher. Another author James O. S. Huntington describes in detail the influence the tenement environment can have. However, he goes on to say “No doubt there are (corrupt) people in tenement-houses, but that they represent the great body of the tenement-house population I entirely deny” (Huntington “Tenement-House Morality” 1887). Huntington claims that hard-working men and women leading noble and pure lives are just as present in tenement-houses as feeble minded and corrupt people. Jacob A. Riis claims that generations degrade in the slums because of “the influences that prevail there” (Riis “The Problem of the Children” 1892). This environment is not only degrading, but can be the only way of life. “The road to ruin, as we call it, is so fatally easy to them; who shall dare to blame them if they take it?” (Edgar Fawcett “The Woes of the New York Working-Girl” 1891). An early study on a particular family in a similar situation created one of the first ways that the family as whole was considered, a macro view versus the micro view of the