1:3 Social developments - Content Flashcards
Even though many women worked during WW2, many of them did what in the 1950s?
They returned to traditional homemaker roles
What % of women were married?
75%
What was the average age at which a woman got married?
21
What were the main things a woman spent her time doing?
Looking after children, cleaning, cooking, shopping and doing laundry
Why were women deterred from working, especially when they got married and had children?
It was believed that working mothers would be detrimental to the development of their children
Why was family allowance paid to women?
To ensure that the woman did not need to work
Why did trade unions tend not to support women?
They believed this would lower wages
When was equal pay for teachers introduced?
1952
Women’s lives in the home were improved by…
new labour-saving devices
Between 1957-59, the number of households owning a washing machine rose by…
54%
The booming economy encouraged higher levels of…
immigration
In which two areas was there a lack of jobs?
Transport and nursing
What 3 places made up the New Commonwealth?
The West Indies, India and Pakistan
The people living in the New Commonwealth were…
encouraged to come to Britain to fill these jobs
What was the ‘Empire Windrush’?
The ship that sailed from Kingston, Jamaica to London in May 1948
How many immigrants did Empire Windrush carry?
492
By 1958, how many Commonwealth immigrants had settled in Britain?
Approx. 210,000
Why were 75% of the immigrants men?
They were working to support family back in their home country
Where did the majority of Commonwealth immigrants come from?
The West Indies
In the 1960s, how many people came to live in Britain in total?
Approx. 1.25 million people
However, many people emigrated out of Britain to what 2 places?
Australia and North America
Australia was keen to attract immigrants and so offered…
assistance with travel, jobs and housing
In the 1950s, how many Britons migrated abroad?
Approx. 1.32 million
In the 1960s, how many Britons migrated abroad?
1.92 million
Many people welcomed the immigrants, and immigration had many economic benefits as…
immigrants filled many low-wage jobs
However, immigration led to…
social tensions
When were the race riots in Nottingham?
1958
When were the race riots in Notting Hill, London?
1958
Who was the leader of British fascism?
Oswald Mosley
How did Oswald Mosley attempt to become MP for Notting Hill at the 1959 general election?
He took advantage of the race riots and based his campaign on repatriation (returning an immigrant to their home country)
What were men’s average weekly wages in 1951?
£8.30
What were men’s average weekly wages in 1961?
£15.35
There were massive increases in…
private savings
What helped farmers to do very well economically in this period?
The continuation of generous state subsidies
When did food rationing end completely?
1954
Easy access to cheap mortgages led to…
an increase in homeownership
However, in the 1950s, there were still more people living in…
council houses and rented accommodation than private homeowners
What kind of society was Britain in 1951?
Deferential and conformist, with an ingrained respect for authority
Were class loyalties strong?
Yes
What % of working-class voters voted for Labour in 1951?
65%
What % of middle-class voters voted Conservative in 1951?
80%
What was the most obvious sign of the new affluence?
The increase in ownership of consumer goods, such as televisions, washing machines, refrigerators and new furniture bought on hire purchase
By 1960, how many television sets were in use?
10 million
People also had more time and money to develop hobbies such as…
DIY and gardening, and television programmes began to reflect these interests
Between 1957-59, car ownership rose by…
25%
Why did holiday camps reach their peak of popularity in the 1950s?
People had paid time off work and enough disposable income to be able to afford to go on holiday
How many people holidayed each week with Butlins?
60,000 people
What enabled people to access more consumer goods?
Hire purchase
New consumer goods included…
fridges, cars and new furniture
Slums from the war-years were cleared and replaced with…
new towns, such as Harlow in Essex and Kirkby in Liverpool
Macmillan’s house-building programme created…
more affordable houses and replaced those damaged in the war
What made housewives’ lives easier?
New household gadgets which assisted with washing, shopping and cooking
Advertising became more prevalent, especially when…
ITV was launched in 1955
The boom in car ownership encouraged…
infrastructure improvement, such as the building of motorways
How and when did the building of motorways begin?
With the construction of the Preston bypass in 1958
Overall, access to cars, increased prosperity and shorter working weeks opened up new….
leisure, work and holiday opportunities
The members of the establishment all came from…
the same kinds of backgrounds and attended the same schools and universities
The establishment dominated all…
sectors of society - politics, business, law, media, the Church and the army
Why did the Suez Crisis lead to a decline in deference to the establishment?
Upon finding out that the government had lied, trust in politicians was weakened
Debates over issues like nuclear disarmament led to…
people challenging set ideas by the establishment
The behaviour of members of the establishment tainted their reputation, for example,
the Profumo affair, who lied to Parliament and was forced to resign in disgrace
There was a satire boom of media which…
ridiculed leading figures of society; the establishment
Give 3 examples of satire which ridiculed the establishment.
> Beyond the Fringe
Private Eye
That Was The Week That Wa
A number of academic studies argued that…
Britain’s class-ridden society and lack of social mobility had blocked talent.
Give an example of one of these academic studies and when it was published?
Snow, in 1959
Who were the ‘angry young men’?
A group of male writers who used their plays and books to attack established attitudes and sought to more accurately portray contemporary life
Why might the new household appliances have had a negative impact on women?
They left them feeling more unfulfilled by their limited lives
How did the government encourage women to stay at home as housewives?
They paid Family Allowance to the mother for any children after their first
Some middle-class women benefitted from…
equal pay being introduced for female teachers and women in the civil service
When was equal pay in the civil service introduced?
1954
What was the main factor that encouraged immigration?
Britain’s booming economy
How did the government respond to growing unrest over immigration?
They passed the Commonwealth Immigrants Act in 1962
What did the Commonwealth Immigrants Act of 1962 do?
It limited the number of immigrants allowed to come to Britain
How did the booming economy allow for the creation of youth culture and the emergence of the teenager?
Full employment and rising wages meant that young people had disposable income to spend on luxuries for themselves
What helped to create the teenage image?
Advertising
Give an example of technological change which allowed for distinct youth cultures to develop?
The transistor radio
What gave young men more freedom?
The end of national service in 1960
What gave young women more freedom?
Labour-saving household devices
How did the baby-boom give teenagers more influence?
This was a larger generation due to the baby boom, and so they had more influence
Who were the Teddy Boys?
A youth subculture known for their long coats, narrow trousers, and Edwardian style
What was the concern over the Teddy Boys?
They were linked to juvenile delinquency and rising crime
Who were the Rockers?
A youth subculture known for their leather clothes and heavy motorcycles
Who were the Mods?
A youth subculture known for their smart suits, scooters, and ‘sophisticated’ pop music
There was rivalry between the Rockers and the Mods, which led to…
incidents like the riots in Clacton, Margate and Brighton, which created moral panic
Social development led to more liberal…
social attitudes
The new social attitudes were reflected in…
popular media and culture
What was Sapphire and when was it released?
A film from 1959, depicting violence, sex and racial tension
What was Victim and when was it released?
A film from 1961, depicting homosexuality
Why did these changing attitudes cause some tension?
There was some backlash against this new media as it was seen as immoral.
Who was the most famous campaigner against the shift in social attitudes?
Mary Whitehouse, who began her ‘moral crusade’ in 1963
When did Mary Whitehouse set up the Clean Up TV Campaign?
1964
When did Mary Whitehouse set up the National Viewers’ and Listeners’ Association?
1965
When was the Censorship Reform?
1955
What did the Censorship Reform of 1955 do?
It allowed previously banned content, such as sex, violence, drugs and adultery
What was the shift in post-war culture?
People felt more united and wanted to enjoy themselves and celebrate, since they were unsure of whether they would live long (Cold War fears)
Since children no longer needed to work, they could…
go on to further education after 15, and attend university
How many teenagers were there in 1959?
5 million
Parents could give pocket money to teenagers, so they bought…
records and fashion, helping to create their own culture
When was Macmillan’s ‘wind of change’ speech?
1960
What did the ‘winds of change’ speech accept?
That the days of the Empire were gone and many colonies wanted to be independent
