Fig. 8 – The Panopticon prison theory diagram
The food was uninspiring and bland, but covered the basic nutritional needs of the workers. Staff were trained so that portion sizes were carefully measured, and the food would vary from breakfast to dinner and supper (L Smith 2008). Meals were selected each day and for each class of inmate. A typical days’ food would consist of bread and gruel for breakfast, cooked meat, pickled pork or bacon with vegetables or potatoes, yeast dumpling, soup suet or rice pudding for lunch, and broth, cheese and bread for supper (L Smith 2008). Whilst staff received largely the same food as the paupers, they received substantially more of it – for example a Master and Matron would receive about six times the …show more content…
The Workhouse could also offer free education and medical care, something not available to the poorest classes of Victorian Britain. During the 1860s a second wave of Workhouses would be built. This was due to damning report of the condition of existing Workhouses by Poor Law inspectors – where it was noted that the existing building stock fell well short of health, light and ventilation standards (Fowler 2007). It was also becoming more accepted that Workhouses did not have the sole job of discouraging able bodied workers to enter. The facades of these new Workhouses would often be decorated in Italianate or Elizabethan features – a far less intimidating style of Architecture (Fowler 2007). However, the class system and long work hours remained in place. Separate Infirmaries were also set up so that the sick and infirm could be treated and cared for in an entirely isolated location from the Workhouse. By the early 20th Century, conditions were also improved inside the Workhouse, and paupers were even provided with books (Higginbotham 2012). Despite these improvements, the fundamental principles of control and manipulation remained in place until Workhouses were finally abolished for good in the 1930s. The vast majority were torn down, and every trace of their existence wiped
The food was uninspiring and bland, but covered the basic nutritional needs of the workers. Staff were trained so that portion sizes were carefully measured, and the food would vary from breakfast to dinner and supper (L Smith 2008). Meals were selected each day and for each class of inmate. A typical days’ food would consist of bread and gruel for breakfast, cooked meat, pickled pork or bacon with vegetables or potatoes, yeast dumpling, soup suet or rice pudding for lunch, and broth, cheese and bread for supper (L Smith 2008). Whilst staff received largely the same food as the paupers, they received substantially more of it – for example a Master and Matron would receive about six times the …show more content…
The Workhouse could also offer free education and medical care, something not available to the poorest classes of Victorian Britain. During the 1860s a second wave of Workhouses would be built. This was due to damning report of the condition of existing Workhouses by Poor Law inspectors – where it was noted that the existing building stock fell well short of health, light and ventilation standards (Fowler 2007). It was also becoming more accepted that Workhouses did not have the sole job of discouraging able bodied workers to enter. The facades of these new Workhouses would often be decorated in Italianate or Elizabethan features – a far less intimidating style of Architecture (Fowler 2007). However, the class system and long work hours remained in place. Separate Infirmaries were also set up so that the sick and infirm could be treated and cared for in an entirely isolated location from the Workhouse. By the early 20th Century, conditions were also improved inside the Workhouse, and paupers were even provided with books (Higginbotham 2012). Despite these improvements, the fundamental principles of control and manipulation remained in place until Workhouses were finally abolished for good in the 1930s. The vast majority were torn down, and every trace of their existence wiped