Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 3.djvu/629

 CA USES OF PO VERTY 6 1 5

It is the aim of this study to in some degree express statis- tically this complex nature of the ordinary cause of distress. Acting partially on suggestions of Charles Booth and A. G. Warner, the total cause of distress, so to speak, has in each case been divided into ten units. Each contributing element was then assigned a certain number of these units, according to its relative importance, as far as this could be determined by the compiler.

The cases to be analyzed were taken from the files of Engle- wood and Stock Yards district of the Chicago Bureau of Asso- ciated Charities. For the analysis required a considerable amount of knowledge regarding each case was necessary. The cases were selected, therefore, solely upon the basis of the amount of knowledge possessed regarding each family. All so selected had been known to the compilers for some considerable time. A majority of those selected from the Stock Yards dis- trict lived in the neighborhood of the Chicago University settle- ment and were personally known to the residents. Many had been visited by a "friendly visitor" from the Bureau of Chari- ties, who aimed to cultivate personal relations with the family. It is of especial importance that the information thus gathered came from those to whom the family did not stand in the rela- tion of an object of charity and was not confined to times of dis- tress.

The most general, and perhaps, therefore, the least reliable, result obtained from the investigation is that secured by the addition of the total number of units ascribable to each cause of distress. As seen by the first column in the tables given, pp. 618-19, the one "thousand units of causation group them- selves as follows, with the relative importance indicated :

Stock Yards dist. Knglewood.

Lack of employment, - - 456 499

Intemperance, - 157 105

Sickness, 154 95

Incompetence, 61 36

Desertion of breadwinner, - -51 22

Laziness, 34 160

Old age, - 33 54