Familist

Carrasco’s architect friend, Jesús Ramos, says that the poisoned atmosphere in León reflected what he calls Spain’s “familist” society – where a weak welfare state provides no real safety net.

The chief industry is the manufacture of iron stoves and heating apparatus, carried on on the co-operative system in works founded by J. B. A. Godin, who built for his workpeople the huge buildings known as the familist�re, in front of which stands his statue.

He profited, however, by its failure, and in 1859 started the familist�re or community settlement of Guise on more carefully laid plans.

In 1871 Godin was elected deputy for Aisne, but retired in 1876 to devote himself to the management of the familist�re.

She then described enthusiastically the great Familist�re, or residence establishment, begun by Godin about 1859—the large quadrangular buildings with courts covered in with glass, the co�perative shops and schools, the arrangements even for co�perative char-women, till it seemed as if she were quoting from some dreamer's Utopian fable.