Correct answer: (d) Charles Booth
Explanation
- A
Sir Henary Maine
Sir Henry Maine claims that legal history and ancient law institutions were the primary focus of his sociological and jurisprudential studies. However, he is not the scholar associated with the landmark poverty survey conducted in London.
- B
Henary George
Henry George claims that land monopoly and taxation were the core economic issues behind poverty, as argued in his famous work Progress and Poverty. Despite his prominent writings on poverty, he did not conduct the specific empirical survey in London referenced here.
- C
Kingsley Davis
Kingsley Davis claims that demographic shifts and population theories were the central themes of his sociological research. He is well-known for his work on human fertility and urbanization rather than the empirical London poverty study.
- D
Charles Booth
Charles Booth claims the distinction of conducting the monumental empirical survey research on poverty in London during the late 19th century, specifically titled Life and Labour of the People in London. His extensive house-to-house research fundamentally shifted the perception of poverty from an individual moral failing to a structural social problem, making this option the officially recognized key.
Summary. Official key is (d) Charles Booth. His pioneering late-19th-century survey in London meticulously documented working-class living conditions and established poverty as a systemic socio-economic issue rather than merely an individual fault. Other scholars like Henry George wrote on economic reform, but they did not lead this specific empirical research. Booth's comprehensive mapping laid the foundation for modern sociological research and welfare policies. Thus, option (d) is the correct answer.