Representation of Poor Emigration in the English Press 1850–1884

Abstract. The analysis of the representation of the emigration of the poor in this article is carried out through the prism of discourse analysis, the components of which were introduced into the historical reconstruction of the image of sociocultural practice, as a tool for theoretical analysis of the current direction of new social history. The purpose of this article is to identify factors that influenced the representation of the social problem
of poverty in mid-Victorian England using the example of emigration as a sociocultural practice. The study involved materials from the Victorian English press, including regional ones, previously not covered by domestic historiography. Based on the analysis of newspapers as a specific source on the history of public opinion, the multitasking practice of migration for the Victorians is shown in the context of: reducing social tension,
practical implementation of political and economic teachings, creating an image of home colonies, disseminating value concepts of the metropolis in the colonies. It is proved that the assessment of migration was subordinated to the dichotomy of discourses about the “deserving” and “undeserving” poor. The results of the study demonstrate that in 1850–1884. emigration is a popular and socially approved factor in maintaining social stability. It contributed to the establishment of the value foundations of English society in the home colonies and generally found wide support in newspapers, reflecting a kind of emigration propaganda in society.

Keywords: emigration, poverty, paupers, newspapers, discourse, Victorian England, new social history, sociocultural practice.