Blood Brothers Social Context Flashcards
Mr Lyons talks about the “shrinking pound” and the rising “price of oil”. What were these consequences of?
An economic recession in the late 1960s to early 1970s. The economy went into decline and people were earning and spending less money.
Which industries were badly affected by the economic recession? Who were employed by these industries?
Traditional industries like shipbuilding and coal mining. Whole communities of working class men were often employed by these companies and they relied on these jobs for their livelihood.
What did Margaret Thatcher do?
She closed down a lot of these ‘Traditional Industries’ as she didn’t believe they were profitable. This meant lots of working class people lost their jobs.
Where did the working class often live? What were the conditions like?
Council houses. Usually small and overcrowded, often with no heating, no indoor toilets and no gardens. Constructed with cheap materials like concrete as they were built after the WW2 to quickly replace housing that had been bombed.
Where did the middle-class often live? What were the conditions like?
Wealthy/affluent areas. The housing was larger and better quality, a lot more open space, generally nicer.
What did the city council in Liverpool do in the 1960s? What was the opinion on this?
Tried to relieve the city’s overcrowding problem by moving some of the tenants to Skelmersdale which was a New Town in the countryside which was already home to a lot of middle class people. Some people were happy about moving (like Mrs Johnstone was as she thinks living conditions will be better there) but other residents didn’t like the fact that communities were being broken up and they were reluctant to leave where they grew up.
What is a New Town?
An existing town that the government redeveloped to provide more housing for the nearby cities.
What were houses like in Skelmersdale?
They were newly built so they were cleaner, safer and more modern, they weren’t falling apart like the council housing in the city. They also had a lot more open space and were larger due to the towns being well-planned.
Did the division between the classes disappear in New Towns?
No, the division was still apparent. Housing for the working class was often grouped together in large council estates attached to the existing town. For example, Mickey lives on ‘The estate’ and Edward lives in ‘that big house on the hill’.
Russell uses the character Mickey and Edward social class to show ______________________.
That a person’s social class can determine the course of their life.
What opportunities did the middle-class get in the late 20th century and how does this link to the play?
Often received better education. Lived in areas with good schools and some went to private schools. This then gave them the opportunity to go to university and get jobs that were well-paid and provided financial security.
Edward goes to a private boarding school, is expected to go on to Oxbridge, does very well at school and goes to uni which then leads on to him getting a high-status job as a councillor.
What opportunities did the working class get in the late 20th century and how does this link to the play?
Schooling was poor, often couldn't afford to go to uni and had to get a job ASAP so they could earn money and support their family instead. This meant a lot of working class people were stuck in low-paid jobs and had nowhere to go during the recession as they had no qualifications. Mickey goes to a state school which is poor and gets a job as soon as he leaves school instead of uni. His job is very basic, boring and low-paid and when he loses it, he falls back on crime as he has no qualifications to do anything else.
What does Mickey shout when he finds out Edward is his brother that reflects the important role of class and background in the twins’ lives?
“I could have been him!”
What is Russell suggesting about nature and nurture in the quote “I could have been him!”
Nurture plays a more important role than the genetics in shaping a person and their life.
During the recession, which class was most affected and how?
The working class - it caused widespread unemployment and many people had to live off state benefits. They struggled to afford basic things like clothing and food. This therefore increased the crime rates and depression among the working class. The middle class were mostly unaffected as their jobs were higher status and didn't rely on the traditional industries which were failing during the recession.
