Visiting the Hull House was a very surreal experience for me as it was a location I had heard much about, but never imagined actually seeing for myself, and now that I have finally seen it I can say that I was very pleased with the experience. Upon our arrival, we were treated with a tour around the famous historical landmark which included a look at several key items from the various eras of the Hull House. I feel that discussions of the Hull House are usually synonymous with Jane Addams (or social work), and it was nice to see that our visit to the Hull House and its respective tour showcased the contributions made by her partners and successors, effectively dealing them their rightful position in the pantheon of this monumental settlement house.
I believe the fact that there were others who wished to bear the torch after Addams is proof that the concept of this brand of highly inclusive philanthropy for immigrants and the poor was not something unique to Addams and her cohorts. And while it is obvious that there are people who want to help the less fortunate, as exemplified by social workers and numerous charities, I have mixed feelings as to whether settlement houses like the Hull House would be effective in modern America, or even just Chicago.
The Chicago of today is still very much a city of immigrants, and also a city with a plethora of people of lower socioeconomic status, and it is because of this that the need for something like settlement houses is definitely still present in my eyes, as the provision of education, health, and other forms of human and social capital are invaluable in our society. I am aware of social workers and I do not doubt that many of them are people who genuinely desire to improve the greater health of a given area, but settlement houses just seem so much more effective in their inclusiveness.
The reason why I question whether or not settlement houses would be effective today lies in my belief that there would need to be numerous wealthy eccentric types backing such an ambitious effort. Ultimately, I believe there is a need for settlement houses today as well as people who want to help; the issue is whether there are enough individuals who are willing to help, as well as wealthy enough to command such efforts as there is no chance of settlement houses as inclusive as the Hull House being a reality if such an endeavor would be contingent upon whether or not it would receive government funding; the United States, especially the political right, is in a state of paranoia regarding what they perceive to be socialist policies.
Those concerned with their community can either focus all of their hope on social workers and programs like Head Start, but really the actions of wealthy individuals with an interest in bettering their communities stepping up to the plate would likely be more effective. Regardless, I believe some sort of change needs to occur for the better of not just Chicago, but all American cities, especially as our population grows exponentially and we need our new citizens and members of the underclass to be equipped with the necessary abilities and resources to better their living situation.
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