What Was The Goal Of The Settlement Movement

Settlement houses are a large part of social work history in both the United States and England. These houses have many different functions, but their main priority is to provide services to individuals, groups and communities in order to solve community problems. Some houses have a specific focus such as children, women, employment etc. Others are simply a resource in the community for everything from employment to education. These houses were so successful that many are still in operation today. The settlement movement began in the 1880s in both England the United States. This time period was where settlement houses got their momentum. The goal of the settlement movement was to bring the rich and poor of society together, in
His building was on the lower East Side of New York, which was a large immigrant area. Coit’s Guild had two purposes. The first was based on the immediate needs of the community, which consisted of an educational and recreational approach. Secondly, the Guild focused on bringing about basic social reforms. Coit followed the settlement method and had his volunteers live in the slums along with the immigrants in need. This method moved away from the superiority that many charity workers felt and moved towards an attitude of neighborliness. Coit actually went a step further than just having the one house. He organized different “clubs” which would consist of about 100 families who lived on the same street or block. This network of clubs that was formed was able to raise awareness about social reforms. In 1891, the Neighborhood Guild reorganized into the University Settlement
Although European immigrants were seen as fit to join American society, African Americans were not. This view led to segregated settlement houses, some for white Europeans and others for African Americans. Settlement houses for African Americans were also set up as a response to the migration of blacks from the South to the North. The focus for these houses was helping African Americans in the labor force with finding employment and learning skills. Right here in Rhode Island, we have the John Hope Settlement House. John Hope was established in Providence in the late 1920s. The original name was the Crispus Attucks Association., but in 1937 the house was renamed after the late John Hope. Hope graduated from Brown University, was the first African American president of Morehouse College in Georgia, and was among the founders of the NAACP. The priority for this was to provide a community place for African Americans. Today, John Hope Settlement House is a haven for all members of the community regardless of race, age, or