3. Social developments Flashcards
1
Q
Civilised Society =
A
clean environment where the states give people freedom and happiness— freedom of choice (lifestyle and career), tolerant, promote happiness (priority)
2
Q
Roy Jenkins as Home secretary
A
1965-67
* considered most influencial poletician to never be PM.
* encouraged backbenchers to propose priv members bills e.g. capital punishment.
* gave bills enough time in parliment for them to be passed.
3
Q
Jenkins key quotes
A
“Private conduct should remain private”
“The government must be absolutely sure before removing someone’s liberty”
4
Q
Private members bill
A
- legislation passed through are gov bills.
- provision for backbench MP’s to propose legislation through private members bills
- 1960’s saw backbench MP’s bring forward a number of reforms through
- successful = Jenkins, as Home Secretary, was sympathetic and so enabled enough parliamentary time to be available for the reforms to be passed.
5
Q
Free votes
A
= individual MPs can vote according to their own consciences rather than following official party line.
* laws that are considered moral questions are passed through like this.
* enaled eaiser to approve
6
Q
End of capital punishment
A
- Anti-hanging campaige boosted from Ruth Ellis case - young mother convicted murder of abusive bf 1955.
- 1957 - tories reduced no. of offences carrying the sentance
- Sydney Silverman, Labout backbencher pushed further
- 1965 on a free vote = abolished for 5 year trial period “The Murder Act”
- 1969 made permanent.
- BUT = didn’‘t reduce no. violent crimes like supporters had hoped.
7
Q
Other prison reformed by Jenkins
A
- refused to authroise beatings of prisoners - ceased after 1967.
- brought in ‘majority’ verdicts for juriers rather than unamity - helped convict more.
8
Q
Divorce reform
A
- pre 60s = needed evidence of adultery - rich used PI’s etc., but overall impossible to prove.
- Reform = allowed for no fault divorce 1969, following ‘irretrievable breakdown’.
- Allowed to divore if:
a) live apart 2 years and both agreed
b) lives apart for 5 and one wanted
= Divorce Reform Act
9
Q
Divorce reform - effects
A
- 1950 = less than 2/1000
- mid 70s = nearly 10/1000.
can be party explained by female inderpendence, but act aided it. - Not all MPs in favour
10
Q
Abortion reform
A
- Pre act = private clinic w/ fees or backstreet.
- 100k-200k illegal preformed each year
- 35k admitted to hospitals w/ complications
- 1958-60 = 82 died
- Thalidomide pursuade opinions
= permitted termination up to 28 weeks, under medical supervision and 2 doctors consent.
= only justification needed ‘mental suffering’
= Abortion Act
11
Q
Abortion reform effects
A
1968 = 4/100 live births (35K)
1975 = 17.6/100 (141K)
12
Q
Opposition to abortion reform
A
Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child set up 1966 to oppose any liberalisation of the law
- feared any extension of abortion beyond strict medical grounds would lead to abortion on demand.
13
Q
MP who led abortion reform campaigne?
A
David Steel
* supported by Labour gov + no. of Conservatives.
14
Q
Homosexual relations
A
- before - imprisoned up to 2 years for engaing in such acts.
- Conservatives - rejected Wolfenden rec of decriminalising it.
- Leo Abse - backbencher took up the cause.
- 1967 Sexual offences Act
- both consenting partners
- over 21
- in private
15
Q
Homosexual relations act effects
A
- welcomed by men who were previously afraid e.g. leading double lives.
- althought ‘in private’ interpreted as no one in same building, so not complete end of percuction of homesexual practices.
16
Q
reduction in censorship
A
- large change in social attitudes
- Fuelled by ‘swinging sixties’ and ‘youth rebellion’
- Lady Chatterley’s Lover—explicit sexual novel written 1928, not allowed to be published because of its contents- Penguin Books were finally given permission in 1960 after a trial in court
- Theatres Act 1868- ended theatre censorship and gave great literacy freedoms to the performing arts
- Before plays had to be passed by the government
17
Q
Open university
A
- attempted to offer high-quality degree-level learning in arts and sciences to people who never had the opportunity.
- march ‘63 = Labour party study group proposed experiment on radio and Tv “UNIVERSITY of the AIR”
- Wilson apointed Jennie Lee to see project through.
- Sept 1969 HQ established
17
Q
Education
Comprehensive schools
A
- Viewed TRIPARTITE system (secondary sector into three types of school: grammar schools, technical schools, and modern schools) = unfair
- Local Education Authorities LEA established comprehensive schools - same opportunities, not selective.
- 1964 1/10 in them, 10x as many than ‘51.
- Tony Crosland became minister of Education, issued Circular 10/65 requesting LEA’s to convert them to comprehensive.
- 1970 - only 8 failed to do so, 1145 comp schools, 1/3 students educated in comp
17
Q
Expansion of higher education
A
- Created Department of Technology
- replaced Colleges of Tachnology w/ Polytechnics - focus on applied edcuation
- 9 colleges of advanced tch became full unis
- by 1968, 30 Polytechnics + 56 unis.
- opened high education to families who never attended, although middle class still dominated.
18
Q
Open uni effects
A
- became rapid success.
- used innovated forms of distance learning.
- attracted mature, woman and disadvantaged.
- by 1980 = had 70k students and awarened more degrees that Oxbridge.
19
Q
Mass media
A
- TV ownership grew = 1971 91% owned.
- BB2 introduced + widespread use of colour images
- commercial + pirate radio grew in popularity.
- youth able to listen to diff music on diff radios.
- Lanch of The SUN, reflected more permissive age.
20
Q
Leisure activities
A
- growth of TVS = live entertainment suffered e.e. theatre and sport.
- increased car ownership = more freedom e.g. caravanning, golf
- commercial air travel grew, but still reserved for middle class. total holidays ‘51 = 27 mil, ‘71 = 41 million
21
Q
Scientific devs
A
- 60s billed as age for science.
- 1969 US landed on the moon.
- 1965 Post Office Tower opened to improve telecommunications, ‘futeristic’
- consumer gadets e.g. household appliences
22
Q
permissive society
A
- term used by critics, refers to effects of liberalising legislation, sexual liberation and growth of mass media.
- believed represented moral decline.
- came from conservative sections of society e.g. catholic church
- associated w/ drug taking, 1967 - possession of cannibas and cocaine illegal.
- IN REALITY = many young people married and their first sexual partner.
23
Role of Mary Whitehouse
* Concerned by permessive society changes.
* moral campaigner
* 'tide of immorality and indecency'
* partly directed at BBC
* lots of support from 'Clean Up TV' campaign in 1964.
* set up National Viewers and Listening Association 1965 - soon had 100k members
* failed to have impact on programme shown
24
# permissive society
Wooten report
1986
suggested legalising 'soft drugs' but rejected by Callaghan who wanted to 'call a halt to the rising tide of permissiveness'
25
Dangerous Drug Act 1967
* unlawful to posses coke and cannibas
* 1970 = max sentence for supplying drugs increased to 14 years.
26
Youth culture
* more eductation, lesuire time + influence from mass media
* music and fashion largly defined
* fashion = woman wearing trousers, men wearing bright fabics
* more acessesable music through radios
* strong link to 1965 anti-Vietnam war protests, 1968 Battle of Grosvenor, 200 protesters arrested.
27
Anti-Vietnam war riots
* upset at Britains support for US's war
* 17 march 1968 - demonstration in London.
* 28 march 1968 - Battle of Grosvenor, violent protest 200 arrested.
* oct 1968 - 30k took part, retired peacfully.
28
opposition to Vietnam war:
* 1965= teachings on Vietnam at Oxford university and the London School of Economic (academic protests)
* 1966= VSC (Vietnam Solidarity Campaign set up)
* Wilson’s gov, who had come to power with a “youthful” image, seemed out
of touch w/ modern youth movement
Satire movement + new permissive society, continued to erode respect for the
establishment, while anti-war ‘flower- power’ songs became popular
29
# immigration
1st race relations act
1965
* forbade discrimination in public places 'on the grounds of colour, race or ethnior national origins'
* descrimination in housing and employment excluded.
* complained reffered to Race relations Board
30
Race relations Board
* set up to consider discrimination complaints + take part in publicity, research, finance etc.
* but couldnt compare witnesses to attend hearings
* 1st year, handled 982 cases, 734 dissmissed through lack of evidence.
31
Why was the Commonwealth Immigration Act passed?
Feb 1968 - alarm over sudden influx of Kenyan Asians, to limit right of return to Britain for non-white Commonwealth citizens. = prohibited immigrants from settling in Britain unless they had previous family connections
32
What prompted Powell to make his controversial speech?
the furore over arrival of Kenyan Asians
33
When was 'rivers of blood' speech?
April 1968
34
Concequences of Enoch Powells speech?
* condenmed by liberal Establishment
* Health sacked him from shadow cabinet + neevr spoke again.
* Public response to sacking = strikes by dockers + meat porters in London + protest march to Downing street.
* Gallup Poll - 75% agreed w him
35
Contents of Rivers of Blood speech?
inflammatory speech, sentimental imperialist, concerned social tensions as a result of immigration seen in America would occur in Britain.
his views on immigration:
* People not consulted about immigration
* Towns being ‘transformed’
* Unparalleled scale (50,000/year)
* 'dependents’—can’t support themselves
* Predicts clashes between whites and non-whites
36
2nd Race Relations Act
1968
* banned racial discrimination in housing, employment, insurance and other servies.
* board = given stronger powers.
* still loopholes = employers could discriminate against 'non-whites' in iterests of racial balance + complaints against policie excluded from law.
37
Race relations board after 2nd race act
* given stronger powers
* upheld only 10% of 1241 complaints recieved about discriminatory employment
* no. of complaints remained low bc victums had little faith in getting effective redress.
38
Notting Hill carnival
became an annual event from 1964
39
Positive immigration aspects
* asain cornershops and takeaways introduced new food stuff
* youth culture influenced by ethnic communities.
* music styles - Caribbean such as 'ska'.
* Maharaja Mahesh Yogi - meditation, yoga, 'love and peace' as well as soft drugs.
40
# progress towards female equality
60s progress for feminism
* Married Women's Property Act 1964= allowed women to keep half the many they saved from house keeping
* Matrimonial Homes Act 1967= recognised that men and women had equal rights of occupation in the family home
* Matrimonial Property Act 1970= A wife’s work was an equal contribution to making a home so should be taken into account when dividing up property in a divorce
* Guardianship of Children Act 1973, gave mothers equal rights to fathers in bringing up children
*
41
# progress towards female equality
where did the second wave of feminsim start?
Betty Friedman - 'The Feminist Mistique' published 1963 = argued woman were unfufilled with these restrictive lives.
42
# progress towards female equality
Start of 60s, woman situation
* young education, carried domestic slant, often left school at min age and married young.
* many jobs avalible were in clerical and service sector w/ no prospects + little pay.
* working mothers portrayed as selfish and unnatural
* childminders rare, nursery for wealthy only
43
# progress towards female equality
NHS (family service) Act of 1967
allowed national authorities to provide contraceptives and advice for first time.
44
# progress towards female equality
Published books and articles which inspired attitudes
* The Longest Revolution 1966 by Juillette Mitchell
* The Female Eunuch 1970 by Germaine Greer
* 'woman lib' groups more
45
# progress towards female equality
Women's National Co-Ordination Committee
* result of 1969 rally
* 1st conference, 4 demands put foward = equal pay, free contraception and abortion on request, equal education and job ops, free 24 hour childcare.
