PROTECTION AND RE-EDUCATION OF DEPRIVED CHILDHOOD: THE CASA DE LA MISERICORDIA OF MÁLAGA (1862-1936)

Abstract

The Casa de la Misericordia (Home of Mercy) of Málaga was one of the institutions founded after the Ley de Beneficiencia of 1849 (charity law). It was created in 1862 when the casas de socorro, expósitos y mendicidad merged with each other to centralise and improve social security and it became the most important charitable and educational institution in Málaga at that time. The home provided accommodation for children, and for elderly people, but we are going to focus on the first group. According to the regulations of the home, the three main objectives were the following ones: physical and moral protection for marginalised children, offering suitable primary school education and instructing them in a trade. Gradually, we can observe that the former restrictive regime where the inmates were secluded turned into a sheltering regime. Nevertheless, some of the characteristics of the old models based upon moralisation and control were still latent. We have divided the article in different sections to provide the reader with a better understanding of the development of the educational tasks in the Home. The sections are related to the conditions of entry, rights and obligations of the inmates, the management staff and teaching methods, paying special attention to the existing differences between sexes.