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As far below as you can come? : Historical archaeology on vulnerability and marginalization of life at the bottom of the social ladder

Svensson, Eva ; Hansson, Martin LU orcid and Nilsson, Pia (2020) In Post-Medieval Archaeology 54(2). p.165-185
Abstract
In the 19th and early 20th centuries there were numerous non-proprietors and paupers in the Swedish countryside, such as crofters, boarders and inhabitants of rural slums. Multisource methods such as triangulation of written documents, historical maps and archaeological evidence are used to study the living conditions, vulnerability and marginalization of boarders and inhabitants of rural slums from an environmental justice perspective. Being poor also meant being more exposed to risks than people with greater resources and having fragile safety nets. Marginalization could offer new possibilities to the poor, but also weaker security nets and increased vulnerability
Abstract (Swedish)
The Swedish well fare state is a young phenomenon. In the 19th and early 20th centuries there were numerous non proprietor, poor and pauper people in the Swedish countryside such as crofters, boarders and inhabitants of rural slums. Being poor also meant being more exposed to risks than more resourceful persons, and having fragile safety nets. This paper is about these poor and pauper persons of the recent past, investigated from an environmental justice perspective with focus on vulnerability and geographical and social marginalisation.
With a change in the heritage legislation, increased possibilities to archaeologically investigate the non proprietors of the recent past has emerged, however the archaeological material is still... (More)
The Swedish well fare state is a young phenomenon. In the 19th and early 20th centuries there were numerous non proprietor, poor and pauper people in the Swedish countryside such as crofters, boarders and inhabitants of rural slums. Being poor also meant being more exposed to risks than more resourceful persons, and having fragile safety nets. This paper is about these poor and pauper persons of the recent past, investigated from an environmental justice perspective with focus on vulnerability and geographical and social marginalisation.
With a change in the heritage legislation, increased possibilities to archaeologically investigate the non proprietors of the recent past has emerged, however the archaeological material is still both scarce and of a repetitive character. Thus, multisource methods such as triangulation of written documents, historical maps and archaeological evidence is used to study life conditions, vulnerability and marginalisation of boarders and inhabitants in rural slums in a number of cases. We argue for the importance of archaeology in this context, as there often are arguments against the usefulness of archaeology in time period rich in written sources. In the investigated cases, archaeology helps providing a more complex picture of vulnerability and marginalisation of poor and paupers. Marginalisation could offer new possibilities to the poor and pauper, but also weaker security nets and increased vulnerability.
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author
; and
organization
alternative title
Så långt ner man kan komma? Att leva på botten av den sociala stegen
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
subalterns, archaeology, 19th centrury, Sweden, heritage, subaltern, Historical archaeology, Sweden
in
Post-Medieval Archaeology
volume
54
issue
2
pages
21 pages
publisher
Maney Publishing
external identifiers
  • scopus:85096910616
ISSN
1745-8137
DOI
10.1080/00794236.2020.1812291
project
The Heritage of Suablterns in Sweden, 1700-1900 (De osynligas kulturarv)
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
321bdbe7-018c-4a5e-a392-0e3d6057bbd4
date added to LUP
2019-05-29 15:59:15
date last changed
2022-12-15 19:08:09
@article{321bdbe7-018c-4a5e-a392-0e3d6057bbd4,
  abstract     = {{In the 19th and early 20th centuries there were numerous non-proprietors and paupers in the Swedish countryside, such as crofters, boarders and inhabitants of rural slums. Multisource methods such as triangulation of written documents, historical maps and archaeological evidence are used to study the living conditions, vulnerability and marginalization of boarders and inhabitants of rural slums from an environmental justice perspective. Being poor also meant being more exposed to risks than people with greater resources and having fragile safety nets. Marginalization could offer new possibilities to the poor, but also weaker security nets and increased vulnerability}},
  author       = {{Svensson, Eva and Hansson, Martin and Nilsson, Pia}},
  issn         = {{1745-8137}},
  keywords     = {{subalterns; archaeology; 19th centrury; Sweden; heritage; subaltern; Historical archaeology; Sweden}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{165--185}},
  publisher    = {{Maney Publishing}},
  series       = {{Post-Medieval Archaeology}},
  title        = {{As far below as you can come? : Historical archaeology on vulnerability and marginalization of life at the bottom of the social ladder}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00794236.2020.1812291}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/00794236.2020.1812291}},
  volume       = {{54}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}