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Influenza and Inequality: One Town's Tragic Response to the Great Epidemic of 1918
Patricia J. Fanning
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Description for Influenza and Inequality: One Town's Tragic Response to the Great Epidemic of 1918
Paperback. Brings to life the influenza epidemic of 1918 by tracing its path through the town of Norwood, Massachusetts. This close analysis of one town's struggle illuminates how even well-intentioned elite groups may adopt and implement strategies that can exacerb Num Pages: 192 pages, 27 illustrations. BIC Classification: JHB; MBN. Category: (G) General (US: Trade); (P) Professional & Vocational; (UP) Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly. Dimension: 228 x 155 x 13. Weight in Grams: 281.
The influenza epidemic of 1918 was one of the worst medical disasters in human history, taking close to thirty million lives worldwide in less than a year, including more than 500,000 in the United States. What made this pandemic even more frightening was the fact that it occurred when death rates for most common infectious diseases were diminishing. Still, an epidemic is not merely a medical crisis; it has sociological, psychological, and political dimensions as well. In Influenza and Inequality, Patricia J. Fanning examines these other dimensions and brings to life this terrible episode of epidemic disease by tracing its path through the town of Norwood, Massachusetts. By 1918, Norwood was a small, ethnically diverse, industrialized, and stratified community. Ink, printing, and tanning factories were owned by wealthy families who lived privileged lives. These industries attracted immigrant laborers who made their homes in several ethnic neighborhoods and endured prejudice and discrimination at the hands of native residents. When the epidemic struck, the immigrant neighborhoods were most affected; a fact that played a significant role in the town's response--with tragic results. This close analysis of one town's struggle illuminates how even well-intentioned elite groups may adopt and implement strategies that can exacerbate rather than relieve a medical crisis. It is a cautionary tale that demonstrates how social behavior can be a fundamental predictor of the epidemic curve, a community's response to crisis, and the consequences of those actions.
Product Details
Format
Paperback
Publication date
2010
Publisher
University of Massachusetts Press
Condition
New
Number of Pages
186
Place of Publication
Massachusetts, United States
ISBN
9781558498129
SKU
V9781558498129
Shipping Time
Usually ships in 7 to 11 working days
Ref
99-1
About Patricia J. Fanning
Patricia J. Fanning is associate professor of sociology at Bridgewater State University and author of Through an Uncommon Lens: The Life and Photography of F. Holland Day.
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