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A History of Infanticide in Britain c. 1600 to the PresentInvestigating Infanticide — An Enduring Phenomenon

A History of Infanticide in Britain c. 1600 to the Present: Investigating Infanticide — An... [Infanticide is an intensely emotional and emotive subject — one that has been a central part of human experience from the outset. It leaves strong feelings in its wake, which has led to sorrow, anger and a desire (in modern times) for whole societies to hide this phenomenon from their population. Thus, both the taboo and the hidden nature of infanticide have made this subject area incredibly difficult for historians to approach. This work provides, for the first time, a detailed history of new-born child murder in mainland Britain from 1600 to the modern era. It examines continuity and change in the nature and characteristics of infanticide in Scotland, England and Wales over a chronology of more than four centuries. As well as offering a comparative analysis of the types of individuals suspected of the offence, and a detailed appreciation of the different ways in which the crime was carried out, the work also exposes the broad nexus of causal factors which underpinned its enactment. In addition, the work investigates the evolving attitude in social, medical and legal contexts to the killing of young infants in Britain, over a substantial time period. Thus, the work as a whole is both compelling and innovative, as it provides the reader with much more than a mere history of infanticide. The book also contributes much to our understanding of criminal history, gender history, legal history, medical history and social history in its analyses of the different contexts allied to the offence. It does this also through its exploration of the complex characteristics of accusers, commentators and perpetrators across cultures, borders and time.] http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png

A History of Infanticide in Britain c. 1600 to the PresentInvestigating Infanticide — An Enduring Phenomenon

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References (78)

Publisher
Palgrave Macmillan UK
Copyright
© Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited 2013
ISBN
978-1-349-36140-3
Pages
1 –22
DOI
10.1057/9781137349125_1
Publisher site
See Chapter on Publisher Site

Abstract

[Infanticide is an intensely emotional and emotive subject — one that has been a central part of human experience from the outset. It leaves strong feelings in its wake, which has led to sorrow, anger and a desire (in modern times) for whole societies to hide this phenomenon from their population. Thus, both the taboo and the hidden nature of infanticide have made this subject area incredibly difficult for historians to approach. This work provides, for the first time, a detailed history of new-born child murder in mainland Britain from 1600 to the modern era. It examines continuity and change in the nature and characteristics of infanticide in Scotland, England and Wales over a chronology of more than four centuries. As well as offering a comparative analysis of the types of individuals suspected of the offence, and a detailed appreciation of the different ways in which the crime was carried out, the work also exposes the broad nexus of causal factors which underpinned its enactment. In addition, the work investigates the evolving attitude in social, medical and legal contexts to the killing of young infants in Britain, over a substantial time period. Thus, the work as a whole is both compelling and innovative, as it provides the reader with much more than a mere history of infanticide. The book also contributes much to our understanding of criminal history, gender history, legal history, medical history and social history in its analyses of the different contexts allied to the offence. It does this also through its exploration of the complex characteristics of accusers, commentators and perpetrators across cultures, borders and time.]

Published: Nov 4, 2015

Keywords: Seventeenth Century; Unmarried Mother; Early Modern Period; British History; Female Criminality

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