Many working-class families in urban Victorian slums lived in a single room, often with grandparents, parents, and children sharing space. Kitchens, bathrooms, and privacy were minimal or nonexistent. Despite this, families developed routines, schedules, and ingenious storage solutions. Community norms dictated social interaction, conflict resolution, and mutual support. Overcrowding increased health risks, with disease spreading easily in close quarters. However, it also fostered communal bonds and shared resilience. This living arrangement starkly contrasted with upper-class homes, emphasizing class disparities in daily life.
Shared rooms reveal the material realities of poverty and adaptation.
It highlights how environment and resources shaped social behavior and family dynamics.
Did you know some slum dwellers’ single-room homes accommodated up to ten people?
[History Extra, historyextra.com]