Contagion and Cultural Perceptions of Accepted Behaviour : Tuberculosis and Venereal Diseases in Scandinavia c.1900–c.1950

uring the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, industrialisation and urbanisation created densely populated areas, surroundings that facilitated the spread of contagious diseases. Simultaneously the growth of democracy paved the way for legislation to assist the needy without hurting their dignity. As social hierarchies weakened, so did the use of demeaning poor law institutions. Demand for social and political equality resulted in a growing system of social legislation that later developed into the modern welfare state. All this heightened respect for the individual citizen. D