"Everyday Life" by J. Robert Wegs in Growing Up Working Class

In J. Robert Wegs' article titled "Everyday Life", we get a glimpse at what real-life consisted of in Vienna during the pre-World War I stage, and during the war. He states that it had already been established prior to his writing this article, that the conditions surrounding the working-class family were not the greatest during the early 20th century. His argument is that, although previous scholars have made many arguments and claims stating that these conditions were the cause of family disintegration and the decline of family life, it is not as true as previously stated.

Wegs discusses a few different aspects of family life that back up his argument and helps persuade the reader to change his views on such topics. Birth rate and family size, nourishment and food in the home, personal possessions, and leisure activity and play are discussed in length to help us fully understand how life was for the working class family in Vienna during the pre-war and inter-war periods.

Regarding birth rate and family size, Wegs states that "After experiencing the material deprivation brought about by the typical large families of the period before WWI, some parents decided to limit the size of their families." I agree with his argument that the economy of the time forced families to limit the number of children they could have, and more importantly he claims that in these smaller families, the children were able to receive more love and affection.

Through numerous interviews and studies, Wegs was able to round up information about the working class family in regards to their diets during this depriving time period. Granted, the portions of meals the children were alloted were meager, he came to the conclusion that "the view that all working-class families suffered equally from undernourishment results from an inattention to economic-social divisions among laboring families." In general, he stated that almost all families were able to "make do" on low incomes and eat well

Personal possessions and leisure activity was the last topic Wegs discussed in regards to the working-class family in Vienna. He states that "for most working-class families it was not how much one had but rather how one dealt with scarcity that was important. It was also common practice for these working-class children to spend much of their time in the streets playing, but they made the most of it and were happy.

His conclusion summed up everything he talked about very well. He states, "While there is no denying that difficult conditions existed in Vienna's working-class districts in the early twentieth century, it is also difficult to deny that a relative stability, rather than disintegration, characterized life for most of the working class there." I agree with Wegs' unique view on the poor working-class family in Vienna. His arguments were very convincing and thorough, and i believe that no matter what state people find themselves in, they will always find a way to maintain a certain amount of human dignity and find a way to achieve happiness.