Richard Titmuss
Encyclopedia
Richard Morris Titmuss was a pioneering British social research
er and teacher. He founded the academic discipline of Social Administration (now largely known in universities as Social Policy
) and held the founding chair in the subject at the London School of Economics
.
His books and articles of the 1950s helped to define the characteristics of Britain's post WWII welfare state
and of a universal welfare society, in ways that parallel the contributions of Gunnar Myrdal
in Sweden. He is honoured in the Richard Titmuss Chair in Social Policy at the LSE, which is currently held by Julian Le Grand
.
and the age structure of the population
, migration
, unemployment
and re-armament
, foreign policy
and the peace movement
. In 1938 he published Poverty and Population, which focused on the regional differences between the North and South . In 1939, he published Our Food Problem. Around this time, Titmuss was also active in the British Eugenics Society.
In 1942, he was recruited to write a volume in the civil series of the official war history
, Problems of Social Policy, a work which established his reputation as well as securing him the new chair at the London School of Economics
. In this process, he was strongly supported by the sociologist T. H. Marshall.
At the LSE, he transformed the teaching of social work
and social workers and established Social Policy
as an academic discipline. He also contributed to a number of government committees on the health service and social policy
. He also did some consulting in Africa, sometimes together with Professor Brian Abel-Smith, who was later his successor in his chair.
His concerns focused especially on issues of social justice
. His final and perhaps the most important book, The Gift Relationship expressed his own philosophy of altruism
in social and health policy and, like much of his work, emphasised his preference for the values of public service
over private or commercial forms of care. The book was influential and resulted in legislation in the United States
to regulate the private market in blood.
He has been criticised for a somewhat poor reading of some sociological classics (though he never claimed to be a sociologist), such as the works of Émile Durkheim
; while this may partly reflect his somewhat inadequate academic training, it also derives from his impatience with non-participatory sociology and his preference (this became a defining characteristic of "his" discipline of 'social administration') for engagement with contemporary social policy issues and even some of its more fallible institutions. For example, he was much criticised for his role as a vice-chairman of the government's Supplementary Benefits Commission which some critics felt did not allow him enough distance. He, by contrast argued in favour of trying to make inadequate institutions work better for the benefit of the poor even if his involvement with them had the potential to sully the purity of his reputation.
He held his chair from 1950, after brief spells in the Cabinet Office
and the Social Medicine Research Unit, until his death in 1973.
The Richard Titmuss Professor of Social Policy was established after his death. Like Titmuss, its current holder, Professor Julian Le Grand
has been a government adviser on health policy. However, his emphasis on the potential for the private or quasi markets within the NHS
differs markedly from that of Titmuss who strongly believed in the state and universal services that were allocated exclusively on the basis of needs (instead of income or prestige).
See also recently edited collections of his lectures and articles:
Social research
Social research refers to research conducted by social scientists. Social research methods may be divided into two broad categories:* Quantitative designs approach social phenomena through quantifiable evidence, and often rely on statistical analysis of many cases to create valid and reliable...
er and teacher. He founded the academic discipline of Social Administration (now largely known in universities as Social Policy
Social policy
Social policy primarily refers to guidelines, principles, legislation and activities that affect the living conditions conducive to human welfare. Thus, social policy is that part of public policy that has to do with social issues...
) and held the founding chair in the subject at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
.
His books and articles of the 1950s helped to define the characteristics of Britain's post WWII welfare state
Welfare state
A welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
and of a universal welfare society, in ways that parallel the contributions of Gunnar Myrdal
Gunnar Myrdal
Karl Gunnar Myrdal was a Swedish Nobel Laureate economist, sociologist, and politician. In 1974, he received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences with Friedrich Hayek for "their pioneering work in the theory of money and economic fluctuations and for their penetrating analysis of the...
in Sweden. He is honoured in the Richard Titmuss Chair in Social Policy at the LSE, which is currently held by Julian Le Grand
Julian Le Grand
Julian Le Grand is Richard Titmuss Professor of Social Policy at the London School of Economics and was a senior policy advisor to former Prime Minister Tony Blair....
.
Biography
Titmuss was born in 1907, the second child of a farmer; he was brought up in the countryside and left school at 14 with no formal qualifications. An autodidact, he worked for a large insurance company for 16 years whilst simultaneously pursuing an interest in social topics through reading, debating and writing. His initial concerns were with such issues as insuranceInsurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
and the age structure of the population
Demographic analysis
Demographic analysis includes the sets of methods that allow us to measure the dimensions and dynamics of populations. These methods have primarily been developed to study human populations, but are extended to a variety of areas where researchers want to know how populations of social actors can...
, migration
Human migration
Human migration is physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. Historically this movement was nomadic, often causing significant conflict with the indigenous population and their displacement or cultural assimilation. Only a few nomadic...
, unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
and re-armament
Re-armament
In British history, Re-armament refers to the period between 1934 and 1939, when a substantial programme of re-arming the nation was undertaken to meet the threat posed by Hitler's Nazi Germany....
, foreign policy
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
and the peace movement
Peace movement
A peace movement is a social movement that seeks to achieve ideals such as the ending of a particular war , minimize inter-human violence in a particular place or type of situation, often linked to the goal of achieving world peace...
. In 1938 he published Poverty and Population, which focused on the regional differences between the North and South . In 1939, he published Our Food Problem. Around this time, Titmuss was also active in the British Eugenics Society.
In 1942, he was recruited to write a volume in the civil series of the official war history
History of the Second World War
The History of the Second World War is the official history of Britain's contribution to the Second World War and was published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office . This immense project was sub-divided into a number of areas to ease publication. Military operations are covered in the United Kingdom...
, Problems of Social Policy, a work which established his reputation as well as securing him the new chair at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
. In this process, he was strongly supported by the sociologist T. H. Marshall.
At the LSE, he transformed the teaching of social work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
and social workers and established Social Policy
Social policy
Social policy primarily refers to guidelines, principles, legislation and activities that affect the living conditions conducive to human welfare. Thus, social policy is that part of public policy that has to do with social issues...
as an academic discipline. He also contributed to a number of government committees on the health service and social policy
Social policy
Social policy primarily refers to guidelines, principles, legislation and activities that affect the living conditions conducive to human welfare. Thus, social policy is that part of public policy that has to do with social issues...
. He also did some consulting in Africa, sometimes together with Professor Brian Abel-Smith, who was later his successor in his chair.
His concerns focused especially on issues of social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
. His final and perhaps the most important book, The Gift Relationship expressed his own philosophy of altruism
Altruism
Altruism is a concern for the welfare of others. It is a traditional virtue in many cultures, and a core aspect of various religious traditions, though the concept of 'others' toward whom concern should be directed can vary among cultures and religions. Altruism is the opposite of...
in social and health policy and, like much of his work, emphasised his preference for the values of public service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
over private or commercial forms of care. The book was influential and resulted in legislation in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to regulate the private market in blood.
He has been criticised for a somewhat poor reading of some sociological classics (though he never claimed to be a sociologist), such as the works of Émile Durkheim
Émile Durkheim
David Émile Durkheim was a French sociologist. He formally established the academic discipline and, with Karl Marx and Max Weber, is commonly cited as the principal architect of modern social science and father of sociology.Much of Durkheim's work was concerned with how societies could maintain...
; while this may partly reflect his somewhat inadequate academic training, it also derives from his impatience with non-participatory sociology and his preference (this became a defining characteristic of "his" discipline of 'social administration') for engagement with contemporary social policy issues and even some of its more fallible institutions. For example, he was much criticised for his role as a vice-chairman of the government's Supplementary Benefits Commission which some critics felt did not allow him enough distance. He, by contrast argued in favour of trying to make inadequate institutions work better for the benefit of the poor even if his involvement with them had the potential to sully the purity of his reputation.
He held his chair from 1950, after brief spells in the Cabinet Office
Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United Kingdom....
and the Social Medicine Research Unit, until his death in 1973.
Influence
Some of his works are still read and some have been re-printed in newly-edited forms exploring their contemporary relevance. Many of the writings for which he is known were actually delivered as lectures at the LSE or when he was a much sought-after public speaker. Although several of these were later assembled as 'readers' or 'essays', he never completed a summary of his work or philosophy nor wrote a single magnum opus on social policy. Consequently there remains some confusion in secondary literature on his precise perspective on key issues, either of sociology or public policy.The Richard Titmuss Professor of Social Policy was established after his death. Like Titmuss, its current holder, Professor Julian Le Grand
Julian Le Grand
Julian Le Grand is Richard Titmuss Professor of Social Policy at the London School of Economics and was a senior policy advisor to former Prime Minister Tony Blair....
has been a government adviser on health policy. However, his emphasis on the potential for the private or quasi markets within the NHS
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
differs markedly from that of Titmuss who strongly believed in the state and universal services that were allocated exclusively on the basis of needs (instead of income or prestige).
Personal life
He married Kathleen Miller, a social worker. Their only daughter, Anne Oakley, has edited some of his works for recent re-publication, and has written a biography of her parents.Major works
His major works include:- Titmuss, Richard, The Gift Relationship: From Human Blood to Social Policy (1970). Reprinted by the New Press, ISBN 1-56584-403-3 (reissued with new chapters 1997, John Ashton & Ann Oakley, LSE Books)
- Commitment to Welfare, 1968
- Income Distribution and Social Change, R. M. Titmuss, 1962
- Essays on the Welfare State, R. M. Titmuss, 1958
- Problems of Social Policy, R. M. Titmuss, 1950 (Online version of World War II Official History)
See also recently edited collections of his lectures and articles:
- Welfare & Wellbeing: Richard Titmuss's contribution to Social Policy, P. Alcock, H. Glennerster, A. Oakley & A. Sinfield (Eds.)
- Private Complaints & Public Health: Richard Titmuss on the National Health Service, Ann Oakley & Jonathan Barker (Eds.)
External links
- Richard Titmuss biography
- The Social Policy Association
- Catalogue of the Richard Titmuss papers held at LSE Archives
- Commitment to Welfare, 1968
- John Vaizey, In breach of promise, London : Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1983, 56-78.