{"product_id":"council-housing-and-culture-alison-ravetz-9780415239455","title":"Council Housing and Culture: The History of a Social Experiment","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eNamed one of the Top 10 books about council housing - the Guardian online\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBorn of idealism, and once an icon of the Labour movement and pillar of the Welfare State, council housing is now nearing its end. But do its many failings outweigh its positive contributions to public health and wellbeing?\u003cbr\u003eAlison Ravetz here provides the first comprehensive and apolitical history from which to arrive at a balanced judgement. Drawing on the widest possible evidence, from tenant and government records to the built environment itself, she tells the story of British council housing, from its seeds in Victorian reactions to 'the Poor', in philanthropy and model villages, Christian and other varieties of socialism. Her depiction of council housing in its mature years shows the often bizarre persistence of 'utopian' attitudes (whether in architectural design or management styles); its rise to a monopoly position in working-class family housing; the many compromises consequent on its state finance and local authority control; and the impact on working-class lives as an intellectuals' 'utopian dream' was converted into a social policy for the masses.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Alison Ravetz\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0415239451\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780415239455\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Routledge\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 07\/19\/2001\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 272\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.28lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.48h x 6.26w x 0.72d","brand":"Alison Ravetz","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":46094088536319,"sku":"9780415239455","price":240.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_e6cbde00-f812-4c8e-80c2-bcb6e74fc70f.jpg?v=1724843651","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/council-housing-and-culture-alison-ravetz-9780415239455","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}