CASUAL WARD Meaning and
Definition
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A casual ward is a term commonly used in the context of social welfare, specifically in Britain's historical poor relief system. It refers to a physical facility or part of a workhouse where homeless individuals, often known as vagrants or casuals, could seek temporary shelter and assistance. The term "casual" denotes those individuals who were not permanent residents of a workhouse or recipients of ongoing relief.
Functioning as a short-term refuge, the purpose of a casual ward was to provide shelter, food, and minimal support, primarily to those destitute individuals who were considered "vagrant" or "pauper" under the poor laws existing at that time. The ward was typically a segregated section within a larger workhouse, designed to accommodate the rapid influx and departure of destitute individuals requiring immediate aid.
Casual wards were established across Britain to address the needs of the transient homeless population in a structured and controlled manner. These facilities acted as a gateway to the wider poor relief system, allowing authorities to ascertain the circumstances of the individuals seeking assistance and determine appropriate relief measures accordingly.
Over time, changes in social welfare practices and the ultimate abolition of the poor laws have rendered the term "casual ward" obsolete in the modern context. However, the historical significance of casual wards offers valuable insights into the social and institutional responses towards homelessness and poverty in the past, contributing to our understanding of the evolution of social welfare systems.
Common Misspellings for CASUAL WARD
- xasual ward
- vasual ward
- fasual ward
- dasual ward
- czsual ward
- cssual ward
- cwsual ward
- cqsual ward
- caaual ward
- cazual ward
- caxual ward
- cadual ward
- caeual ward
- cawual ward
- casyal ward
- cashal ward
- casjal ward
- casial ward
- cas8al ward
- cas7al ward
Etymology of CASUAL WARD
The term "casual ward" originated in 19th-century Britain to refer to a specific type of institution in the Poor Law system. The etymology of the phrase can be broken down as follows:
1. Casual: This word comes from the Latin term "casus", meaning "chance" or "accident". In English, "casual" initially meant "by chance" or "unplanned". Over time, the term extended to refer to temporary, irregular, or secondary situations. In the context of the Poor Law system, a "casual" person was someone seeking temporary assistance or shelter.
2. Ward: The term "ward" has its roots in Old English, where "weard" meant "security" or "supervision". In the context of the Poor Law, a "ward" was an area or section of a workhouse where people in need were housed and provided for.
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