Changing Attitudes to Class (1951-64)

Question 1

What does Rowe argue?

Answer 1

Society in Britain in 1951 was:

1. Deferential
2. Conformist
3. Ingrained respect to authority
4. Class was more distinct through speech, clothing
5. Class loyalties apparent in parties.

Question 2

How did Attitudes change?

Answer 2

Gradual breakdown of old social restrictions and loss of deference.

Question 3

How did the Suez Crisis of 1957 change attitudes of Gov?

Answer 3

Exposed blatant lying and manipulation by the government.

Question 4

What did the rise of CND(1958 began) (anti-nuclear movement) do?

Answer 4

Encouraged tendency to challenge authority.

Question 5

What did new trends in culture and media do?

Answer 5

Opened the way for a more individualist and less conformist society, less willing to follow the lead set by Britain’s Establishment (importance of background and connections)

Question 6

What is Natural Progression ad how does this relate to PM?

Answer 6

Natural Progression is private boarding schools + prestigious colleges at Oxbridge (Most PMS’s fit this

Question 7

What were Labours thoughts on class?

Answer 7

Attlee wanted to abolish private schools along with the House of Lords

Question 8

What did Moderates believe?

Answer 8

Believed in opening up route to top levels of society to make it a meritocracy (especially reforming education system)

Question 9

What were the Middle Class discontent with?

Answer 9

The Establishment, despite being from the same background and education.

Question 10

What was the significance of the Satire Boom of the 60s?

Answer 10

Dramatic deference of authority

Question 11

What did the Profumo affair symbolise?

Answer 11

1. Shifting attitudes towards class and privilege
2. Britain was becoming less deferential, less class ridden society.
3. Revleaved Britains changing society

Question 12

What was the Profumo Affair?

Answer 12

A politcal scandal that brought down a cabinet minister John Profumo, Minister for War + rocked the Macmillan Government

Question 13

How did the press respond to this?

Answer 13

More intrusive, wanted to go after every detail

Previous tactics of gov to prevent publication of sensitive or embarrassing information no longer worked.

Question 14

What did the sartical British Magazine compare Macmillans Britain to?

Answer 14

Book compared Macmillans Britian to the fall of the Roman Empire

Question 15

What quotation displays the idea of Macmillans Britain

Answer 15

“Hostility and contempt towards the Government in the hearts and minds of the people”

Question 16

What was the significance of the Conservatives following Attlees Welfare State?

Answer 16

The Conservatives acknowledged the well being of the whole population was a matter of national concern.

Question 17

What was the result of Growing affluence in Britain in the 1950s?

Answer 17

Spread of wealth + higher living standards=blurring of class divions.

Question 18

What did Social Historian Arthur Marwick say about classes?

Answer 18

Classes no belong to ‘the same category as the facts of Geo, demography and economics

Question 19

What did historian Arthur Marwick point out?

Answer 19

Class had no real meaning.

Question 20

Who did Marwick ignore and what did he point out?

Answer 20

Marwick ignored Karl Marx definition of classes and highlight that classes ‘evolve and chance as circumstances change;