Down and Out in Victorian London from Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens questions I don't understand.

Question

1. What is a parish? (not in religious content)
2. How did social values affect the treatment of the poor?
3. What were "workhouses" and how did they operate?

Answer 1

1.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/parish

2. Many people believed (and some still do) that we'll always have poor people and they're not worth much.

3.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workhouse

Answer 2

Thank you Ms. Sue!

Answer 3

You're welcome, Bethany.