3. social developments Flashcards
what evidence is there for rising living standards?
housing development; slums replaced and new towns built
- trad communities broken up, rise in private car ownership
mens wages going up, massive increases in private savings, food rationing ended 1954, farmers doing well economically
homeownership increased - easy access to cheap mortgages (but still outnumbered by those living in council houses)
signs of affluence in terms of consumerism?
surge in ownership of consumer goods e.g. televisions, washing machines, refrigerators + new furniture bought on hire purchase
what new leisure opportunities were enabled by such affluence?
television: between 1957 and 1959 number of households owning tv rose 32% - by 1960 50% watched tv in evenings
people had more time to develop hobbies, e.g. diy + gardening
evidence for a boom in car ownership + its effects
car ownership rose by 25% between 1957-59, created greater demand for roads to be built
car travel changed ideas of holiday and leisure and commuting by car began to push housing developments further outside cities and towns
how did holidays change in the 1950s?
holidays reached peak popularity, 60,000 holidayed each week w/ butlins - disposable income + enough time off work
though.. luxury enjoyed by less than 2% population
how did attitudes towards class and the establishment change during the 50s?
in 51, ingrained sense of respect for authority - class loyalties (e.g. w/ labour or tories) strong
by late 50s, hints at changes in attitude
- suez exposed lying and manip of govt
- rise of cnd encouraged tenency to challenge authority
britain becoming more individualistic?
how did the profumo affair show a decline in deference
previous tactics used by govts to prevent the publication of sensitive/embarrassing info no longer worked
satire boom
boom in satire, satirising and mocking public figures + politicians
e.g. 1961 - Private Eye magazine, 1962 - That Was The Week That Was, bbc tv
how did tory govt seem to be dominated by elite establishment?
macs govt included a duke, heir to barony, marquess, earls x3, Sir Alec Douglas Home was previous earl
what did critics of the establishment argue
e.g. C. P. Snow argued britains social attitudes entrenched, needed leaders who earned positions through merit, not outdated ignorant rich snobs
e.g. ‘angry young men’
to what extent was the class system challenged?
while there was a rise in opposition to establishment, class system still far from broken, class loyalties still strong
what was the expectation of women in the 1950s?
seen as primarily housewives, ideal woman = wife and mother. average marriage age = 21, 75% all women married. only 1/5 women worked in 1951
did women have financial autonomy?
limited independence: family allowance paid to women supposed to ensure didnt have to work + welfare state was based on nuclear family + full employment for men. mortgages and bank accounts were in mens names, women financially dependent on husbands.
women in the workplace
by 1964 number of women working had risen, but still uncommon for married women to go out to work
trade unions didnt support women working as believed would lower wages
many believed working mother damaging for children
equal pay for teachers introduced 1952, civil servants 1954
impact of labout saving devices on womens lives
improved: between 57 and 59 number of households w/ wahsing machine rose by 54% - ‘the liberator’ - more spare time
