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Family and Kinship in East London
First published in 1957, and reprinted with a new introduction in 1986, Michael Young and Peter Willmott's book on family and kinship in Bethnal Green in the 1950s is a classic in urban studies.A standard text in planning, housing, family studies and sociology, it predicted the failure in social terms of the great rehousing campaign which was getting under way in the 1950s. The tall flats built to replace the old 'slum' houses were unpopular. Social networks were broken up. The book had an immediate impact when it appeared - extracts were published in the newspapers, the sales were a record for a report of a sociological study, Government ministers quoted it. But the approach it advocated was not accepted until the late 1960s, and by then it was too late.This Routledge Revivals reissue includes the authors' introduction from the 1986 reissue, reviewing the impact of the book and its ideas thirty years on. They argue that if the lessons implicit in the book had been learned in the 1950s, London and other British cities might not have suffered the 'anomie' and violence manifested in the urban riots of the 1980s.
224 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1957
About the author
Michael Dunlop Young
329 books44 followersMichael Dunlop Young, Baron Young of Dartington, English sociologist, social activist and politician.
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December 14, 2011Was bought this as a gift in our work Secret Santa. What a thoughtful present, especially considering I got a stress ball in the form of a pair of boobs last year.
October 4, 2014
This classic sociological study of familial relationships in Bethnal Green, a working class neighborhood in East London, and how the slum clearance changed those relationships remains of interest over 50 years later and was highly influential in its time. While there is controversy over the methodology and conclusions presented in the book, it still has both literary and historical value. At the time it was published, many felt it over romanticized the tight family bonds that existed in Bethnal Green and was overly critical of the way families were dispersed as the tenements were emptied. These, and many other criticisms, are still leveled at the book; however, it provides us with an unprecedented insider view of the the family and kin network. It also gives the modern reader insight into the type of family and neighborhood closeness that is very rare today. Looking back, the changes seem inevitable, but one can understand why Young and Willmott lamented the loss even as it was occurring. Moves to the suburbs brought much good,enhanced the importance of the nuclear family, and created an environment that involved the father more in the daily minutia of the family, but it came at a cost. The three generation system may have had many drawbacks, but it certainly made it easier to care for the varying needs of individual family members as they moved from infancy to old age.
July 17, 2021
A fascinating, and very readable, sociological study performed in a working class area of East End London in the early 1950s, and comparisons with families who have moved out to the new builds of Essex as a consequence of post-WWII migration.
Though much of the conclusions were somewhat obvious in hindsight (the close knit community of the East End was missed, especially by daughters and mothers, following migration... for all that the standard of living was much improved) it did make for a very interesting read. I appreciated the style in which it was written, and was not so bothered by the anecdotal nature and the small sample sizes as I had been by a book written at a similar time about education and the working class.
This book was certainly a very intriguing snapshot of attitudes and the sociology of the time.
Though much of the conclusions were somewhat obvious in hindsight (the close knit community of the East End was missed, especially by daughters and mothers, following migration... for all that the standard of living was much improved) it did make for a very interesting read. I appreciated the style in which it was written, and was not so bothered by the anecdotal nature and the small sample sizes as I had been by a book written at a similar time about education and the working class.
This book was certainly a very intriguing snapshot of attitudes and the sociology of the time.
December 14, 2012
Classic study of change post war in the East End of London. Particularly interesting for me due to where I work and the fact that I live down the road from what is believed to be the edge of town GLA council estate that was disguised in the study.
December 1, 2011
What I liked about Family and Kinship in East London:
1. Young and Willmott's 200-page account of family life and the close networks that bind the inhabitants of Bethnal Green in the 1950s is an easy read that can be finished in one sitting. The prose is clean and simple and the book is well structured. Part One of the book focusses on the different kinds of ties that bind the inhabitants of Bethnal Green - husbands and wives; mothers and daughters; husbands and mothers; the broader network of familial relationships e.g. between siblings; family ties and how they influence occupational choices and where people live. Part Two of the book explores what happens to familial ties when people move out of the area where they've been born and bred, in the context of families being resettled from Bethnal Green to a suburb that the authors have renamed "Greenleigh". What happens to Greenleigh residents' relationships with family members back in Bethnal Green? What kind of relationships do they establish with their neighbours in Greenleigh? Young and Willmott tackle the topic of family and kinship systematically, each chapter of the book examining a specific kind of relationship or interaction. Within each chapter, the authors take pains to provide a one page summary at the end of their findings and insights.
2. The ethnographic approach they've taken to the study helps bring 1950s Bethnal Green to life and gives you a sense of its inhabitants in a way that a quantitative approach could not. And living in the East End now, it's interesting to see how Bethnal Green in 2011 compares to the Bethnal Green that Young and Willmott write about (and looking even further back in time, to the historical Bethnal Green of the Huguenot immigrants that they mention when laying out the historical context of the area).
3. Although written in the 1950s, some of Young and Willmott's insights still seem relevant today. Like their observation that when you live in a community and are part of a "close network of personal relationships", your status is defined by a complex combination of factors like your personality, who is part of your network, your job, etc. The assessment of status is a nuanced and multi-faceted one. By contrast, when you move to a place where most people are strangers to each other, status is reduced to superficial and mono-faceted assessments based on the trappings of wealth, e.g. the kind of car you drive, what your garden looks like, the way you dress.
Family and Kinship in East London is an interesting read. Although the perennial question I have reading ethnographic research is what can you do with the conclusions. Young and Willmott try to draw broader conclusions and situate the research in the larger context of UK social housing policy - "In the docks, the markets, and in printing the right to family succession has been formally acknowledged. The same system, we would expect, works sporadically and less formally right through the economy of East London and in all probability far beyond that". "we would expect"; "right through the economy of East London"; "in all probability far beyond that". But how far, really, can you extend the findings of ethnographic research based on a small, not necessarily representative sample size?
1. Young and Willmott's 200-page account of family life and the close networks that bind the inhabitants of Bethnal Green in the 1950s is an easy read that can be finished in one sitting. The prose is clean and simple and the book is well structured. Part One of the book focusses on the different kinds of ties that bind the inhabitants of Bethnal Green - husbands and wives; mothers and daughters; husbands and mothers; the broader network of familial relationships e.g. between siblings; family ties and how they influence occupational choices and where people live. Part Two of the book explores what happens to familial ties when people move out of the area where they've been born and bred, in the context of families being resettled from Bethnal Green to a suburb that the authors have renamed "Greenleigh". What happens to Greenleigh residents' relationships with family members back in Bethnal Green? What kind of relationships do they establish with their neighbours in Greenleigh? Young and Willmott tackle the topic of family and kinship systematically, each chapter of the book examining a specific kind of relationship or interaction. Within each chapter, the authors take pains to provide a one page summary at the end of their findings and insights.
2. The ethnographic approach they've taken to the study helps bring 1950s Bethnal Green to life and gives you a sense of its inhabitants in a way that a quantitative approach could not. And living in the East End now, it's interesting to see how Bethnal Green in 2011 compares to the Bethnal Green that Young and Willmott write about (and looking even further back in time, to the historical Bethnal Green of the Huguenot immigrants that they mention when laying out the historical context of the area).
3. Although written in the 1950s, some of Young and Willmott's insights still seem relevant today. Like their observation that when you live in a community and are part of a "close network of personal relationships", your status is defined by a complex combination of factors like your personality, who is part of your network, your job, etc. The assessment of status is a nuanced and multi-faceted one. By contrast, when you move to a place where most people are strangers to each other, status is reduced to superficial and mono-faceted assessments based on the trappings of wealth, e.g. the kind of car you drive, what your garden looks like, the way you dress.
Family and Kinship in East London is an interesting read. Although the perennial question I have reading ethnographic research is what can you do with the conclusions. Young and Willmott try to draw broader conclusions and situate the research in the larger context of UK social housing policy - "In the docks, the markets, and in printing the right to family succession has been formally acknowledged. The same system, we would expect, works sporadically and less formally right through the economy of East London and in all probability far beyond that". "we would expect"; "right through the economy of East London"; "in all probability far beyond that". But how far, really, can you extend the findings of ethnographic research based on a small, not necessarily representative sample size?
July 14, 2026
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4.5 Stars
Feelings about the book:
- There is an ‘introduction’ in the first page that provides some background into the authors and how revered they are. These two were very impressive intellectuals.
- I liked the authors’ 1986 introduction, they looked back on the reception of their book, how life actually turned out and more.
- I had to do a bit of Googling to realise that the town they called Greenleigh in this book was in fact Debden. The authors had interviewed families who had been moved there by the government. This was due to the clearance of slums in Bethnal Green.
- This is yet another book that references 'African Systems of Kinship and Marriage' by Radcliffe-Brown and Forde.
- I do love reading books that are set in East London because it's where I'm from. So, I know all the places referenced and their cultural significance.
Premise/Plot:
- The authors initially looked to the residents of Bethnal Green to research how rehousing policies had affected the working-class people. However, they soon realised something deeper that was worth researching – kinship relations.
- The authors and their families lived and worked in Bethnal Green during the three years of research (1953 – 1955).
- This book is split into two parts: Part 1: Kinship in Bethnal Green and Part 2: Families on the Move. Part 1 portrayed the interconnected lives of families and communities in Bethnal Green at the time. Part 2 analysed those same families when they moved from Bethnal Green.
Themes:
- Close community ties, family structures, the consequences of war and immigration, urban redevelopment, snobbishness, ignorance and more.
Pros:
- Chapter 3: Mothers and Daughters was a very powerful chapter that looked at the close ties between the women. Particularly when it comes to day-to-day living and help during childbirth.
- It is important to note how the authors acknowledge the ever-changing ethnic demographics and therefore, businesses in the East End. Nothing is permanent, even if certain groups chose to settle and make a life for themselves.
- I appreciated the contrast of men and their ties with other male family members: fathers, brothers, sons etc and how that was important for trade, unions and employment.
- The lack of third places was noted in the second part of this book. Which was to be expected as those who moved away from their communities struggled to integrate or find friends in their new town.
- It was interesting to see that people who were friendly with their neighbours and community in Bethnal Green, not be when they had to relocate. It made me think that there is a lot more to unpack when people say they miss or want a community.
- Very accessible and engaging - so if you don't like nonfiction, you'll love this. Especially if you're interested in the topic.
- The observations, conclusions and even participants insights are all still so relevant today.
Cons:
- The reference list is decent but not as rich as a topic like this would usually have. Although, this is a minor point because the book is on the duos own research.
- Some may say it romanticises urban, working-class communities. But the loss of those communities is felt by those who had it. Hell, even by those who don't. The bigger question is if this research can be viewed as a representative picture for most people in those kinds of situations. Just some food for thought, as the authors don't touch on crime, addiction and the heavy stuff.
Quotes:
‘Of the 162 married, widowed, and divorced women in the general sample with their mothers alive, 35 per cent had seen a sister in the previous day, against 16 per cent of the 242 whose mothers were dead.’
‘If we are to pick out one conclusion, it is the importance of residence. The Bethnal Greeners whom we have been describing did not change their residence just because they got married.’
4.5 Stars
Feelings about the book:
- There is an ‘introduction’ in the first page that provides some background into the authors and how revered they are. These two were very impressive intellectuals.
- I liked the authors’ 1986 introduction, they looked back on the reception of their book, how life actually turned out and more.
- I had to do a bit of Googling to realise that the town they called Greenleigh in this book was in fact Debden. The authors had interviewed families who had been moved there by the government. This was due to the clearance of slums in Bethnal Green.
- This is yet another book that references 'African Systems of Kinship and Marriage' by Radcliffe-Brown and Forde.
- I do love reading books that are set in East London because it's where I'm from. So, I know all the places referenced and their cultural significance.
Premise/Plot:
- The authors initially looked to the residents of Bethnal Green to research how rehousing policies had affected the working-class people. However, they soon realised something deeper that was worth researching – kinship relations.
- The authors and their families lived and worked in Bethnal Green during the three years of research (1953 – 1955).
- This book is split into two parts: Part 1: Kinship in Bethnal Green and Part 2: Families on the Move. Part 1 portrayed the interconnected lives of families and communities in Bethnal Green at the time. Part 2 analysed those same families when they moved from Bethnal Green.
Themes:
- Close community ties, family structures, the consequences of war and immigration, urban redevelopment, snobbishness, ignorance and more.
Pros:
- Chapter 3: Mothers and Daughters was a very powerful chapter that looked at the close ties between the women. Particularly when it comes to day-to-day living and help during childbirth.
- It is important to note how the authors acknowledge the ever-changing ethnic demographics and therefore, businesses in the East End. Nothing is permanent, even if certain groups chose to settle and make a life for themselves.
- I appreciated the contrast of men and their ties with other male family members: fathers, brothers, sons etc and how that was important for trade, unions and employment.
- The lack of third places was noted in the second part of this book. Which was to be expected as those who moved away from their communities struggled to integrate or find friends in their new town.
- It was interesting to see that people who were friendly with their neighbours and community in Bethnal Green, not be when they had to relocate. It made me think that there is a lot more to unpack when people say they miss or want a community.
- Very accessible and engaging - so if you don't like nonfiction, you'll love this. Especially if you're interested in the topic.
- The observations, conclusions and even participants insights are all still so relevant today.
Cons:
- The reference list is decent but not as rich as a topic like this would usually have. Although, this is a minor point because the book is on the duos own research.
- Some may say it romanticises urban, working-class communities. But the loss of those communities is felt by those who had it. Hell, even by those who don't. The bigger question is if this research can be viewed as a representative picture for most people in those kinds of situations. Just some food for thought, as the authors don't touch on crime, addiction and the heavy stuff.
Quotes:
‘Of the 162 married, widowed, and divorced women in the general sample with their mothers alive, 35 per cent had seen a sister in the previous day, against 16 per cent of the 242 whose mothers were dead.’
‘If we are to pick out one conclusion, it is the importance of residence. The Bethnal Greeners whom we have been describing did not change their residence just because they got married.’
August 28, 2019
Once you set aside the discussions of sample and tables, this is a bit of a gem - and recommended reading for the Londonist, thanks to its regular quotes and sketches of everyday life (the walk down the high street picking out who you know is a beauty). As with any social history, it's full of unintended sitcom - nosey neighbours, big headed brother-in-laws, snobby sister-in-laws and nightmare mother-in-laws. The micro-differences and the snobbery; the vacuous chit-chat and banter.
[Oh, but why the silly name changes ? Greenleigh is Debden, apparently. They even mention Debden later]
I've been divided for years on the value and significance of urban community and still think it's massively sentimentalised by the middle class left, being, in practice, a dressed up quasi-Welfare State that doubtless brings terrific moments of happiness and some terrific singalongs, but is chiefly about shared hardship, forced intimacy and making the most of a bad deal (the same thing existed and then vanished in Russia until 1989 - the fabled 'collective feeling' / 'chuvsto kolleltivnosti').
Frankly, I'd still rather live one to a room and have hot and cold running water. And turns out, when you give someone a house (and telly comes along), they too prefer being there, privacy and doing the lawn to being crowded into gran's with a couple of stouts. But I can see the charm.
One for your 'working class types' bookshelf. alongside The Uses of Literacy and Emanuel Litvinoff. No, not Iain Sinclair, no.
[Oh, but why the silly name changes ? Greenleigh is Debden, apparently. They even mention Debden later]
I've been divided for years on the value and significance of urban community and still think it's massively sentimentalised by the middle class left, being, in practice, a dressed up quasi-Welfare State that doubtless brings terrific moments of happiness and some terrific singalongs, but is chiefly about shared hardship, forced intimacy and making the most of a bad deal (the same thing existed and then vanished in Russia until 1989 - the fabled 'collective feeling' / 'chuvsto kolleltivnosti').
Frankly, I'd still rather live one to a room and have hot and cold running water. And turns out, when you give someone a house (and telly comes along), they too prefer being there, privacy and doing the lawn to being crowded into gran's with a couple of stouts. But I can see the charm.
One for your 'working class types' bookshelf. alongside The Uses of Literacy and Emanuel Litvinoff. No, not Iain Sinclair, no.
July 20, 2025
During dinner, my granddad talked about his time working for the Labour Party in the ‘60s which led him to talk about Michael Young. He spoke about Young’s contribution to the manifesto for the 1945 General Election and later, my granddad would work with Young during the 1964 General Election.
I wouldn’t say this book is a representation of the great influence Young had over Labour politics but it was certainly an insightful read of life in East London during the ‘50s. It reminded me much of Edmund Swinglehurt’s “Family Life in Britain”. Living in a post-pandemic world, we can draw comparisons on how casual connections with our neighbourhoods are essential to building strong communities. No man is an island — or woman. Women play a prominent role in community building according to Young but it tends to get overlooked because of how small these casual connections can seem. However, when women of these communities disappear, the gaping hole is certainly felt.
I wouldn’t say this book is a representation of the great influence Young had over Labour politics but it was certainly an insightful read of life in East London during the ‘50s. It reminded me much of Edmund Swinglehurt’s “Family Life in Britain”. Living in a post-pandemic world, we can draw comparisons on how casual connections with our neighbourhoods are essential to building strong communities. No man is an island — or woman. Women play a prominent role in community building according to Young but it tends to get overlooked because of how small these casual connections can seem. However, when women of these communities disappear, the gaping hole is certainly felt.
February 13, 2022
I read a later edition with additional introductory material. However, the core of this excellent sociological study, which I suppose now classes as history, is unchanged from the original published in 1957. It’s a sociological study notable for its clarity, it’s use of non-technical language, it’s brevity and, I think, it’s empathy. It probably has relevance today, the contrast between the family-oriented Bethnal Green and the status-by-ownership Greenleigh is thought provoking. A surprisingly engrossing read.
June 17, 2024
Absolutely brilliant. Realised that any of the changes I would have made, or wanted to be made, are matters that would expect to be dealt with by authors researching and writing now. The methods, analysis, and way of capturing a period of massive flux, is all absolutely essential. Many findings can still guide us now in social policy, communities, and housing interventions. Aware how many others have needed this work to base their own on, and reading it so belatedly (in my Dad's own 1966 copy), will be guiding my thinking hugely in the future
May 9, 2025
I very much appreciated this book. This academic look at what sustains and contributes to both happiness and life in and amongst the people of a housing development and a new housing development gave the opportunity to see the economic, educational, and social consequences for the families and the individuals growing up and living in these places. It causes me to reflect on life in the place we live now and in the places we have lived (not to mention our proximity to one grandchild now).
March 10, 2020
This research was a landmark of field work in modern sociology and a rare account of working-class family life in a major Western city. The book is fully deserving of the plaudits it has received from commentators across the political spectrum.
August 15, 2022
A friend lent me this and I read it in a couple of days. Absolutely fascinating social commentary and some telling comments about out of town estates and the potential future impact on housing supply and kinship/family support structures.
July 6, 2019
This is a special book. It was a landmark in the emergence of in-depth social research, and also in the understanding of the role of community in the life of inner-London working classes.
June 20, 2020
Funny and charming.
Then of course, you realise none of the recommendations were taken on board by anyone in authority and we are currently paying the price.
Then of course, you realise none of the recommendations were taken on board by anyone in authority and we are currently paying the price.
March 5, 2021
Exceptional study
July 16, 2009
i know nothing about sociology or anthropology so i can't judge the book on those merits, but it's doubly fascinating because it describes a new way of life (migration from the east end to essex lcc housing estates) which itself has been completely swept away in the last 50 years.
Read
July 21, 2009amazing large scale social science!
May 22, 2010
Classic book about changing family relations and the movement from extended to a nuclear family in the period of urbanization and economic development
April 24, 2014
Set in the 50's ... Interesting social insights relating to a time past ...
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews