Changing quality of life (1918-79)

Question 1

What contributed to well-being and quality of life?

Answer 1

Clean water, sanitation, diet, housing, healthcare, work-life balance, social interaction, impact of relative poverty on happiness, and income.

Question 2

What were the 3 main reasons for The Changing Quality of Life, 1918-1979?

Answer 2

1. The impact of Boom, Crisis, and Recovery
2. WW2 and austerity
3. The growth of the consumer society, 1951-1979

Question 3

How did the war affect the diet of the working-class?

Answer 3

It improved the diet of the working class: Rationing levelled out the food consumption between the classes (working-class enjoying a better diet), the Government food price controls meant that more goods became affordable, wages doubled during the war, and ration coupons could be exchanged for food in shops and for meals at a “British Restaurant”.

Question 4

How did the government encourage austerity among the people?

Answer 4

The Ministry of Food encouraged the conversion of parks and gardens into allotments for growing vegetables. It provided recipes with vegetables, like Carrot Tart with a Lemon Glaze. They also used poster’, for example ‘Dig for victory’.

Question 5

How did the British people respond to the demands of war?

Question 6

How was morale boosted during the war?

Answer 6

The gov formed the Council for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts in 1940. It financially supported theatre groups and musical tours of the country. They also funded the film industry, creating films like In Which we Serve (1942). Cinemas were initially closed for a month but protests quickly reopened them.

Question 8

To what extent did the quality of life depend on rationing during and following WW2?

Answer 8

In 1946, approximately a quarter of all consumer expenditure was controlled by rationing, which rises to 30% in 1948, before falling to 12% in 1949. Although bread was not rationed during the war, this was introduced between 1946 and 1948. Rationing was abandoned in 1954.

Question 9

7 reasons the ‘Affluent Society’ grows in Britain:

Answer 9

1. Global economic boom in the post-war era
2. Britain’s welfare state ensures a basic standard of living
3. Relatively low energy prices until the 1970s.
4. Commitment by Labour and Conservatives to full employment (part of the post-war consensus)
5. Strong trade unions are able to negotiate large wage increases.
6. Increasing availability of consumer credit
7. Rise in average wage since 1945.

Question 10

When does quality of life seem to improve in Britain?

Answer 10

1951

Question 11

In which 5 areas do living standards change from 1951-1979?

Answer 11

1. Income
2. Consumerism and the consumer society
3. The demand for wants and needs
4. Shops and Supermarkets
5. Consumer Credit

Question 12

What was Retail Price Maintenance?

Answer 12

An agreement between producers and vendors (sellers) to set a minimum price for products.

Question 13

Define ‘total war’.

Question 14

Define austerity.

Question 15

Overall, the economy was in _________ ________ between 1951 and 1979.

Answer 15

terminal decline

Question 16

List 5 reasons for economic decline:

Answer 16

1. Unemployment- increases as the period goes on
2. Inflation, later stagflation - Inflation up to 30% by late 1970s
3. Slow growth – falling behind European nations (2.3% compared to Germany’s 5.1% and Italy’s 5.6%)
4. Union disputes – strikes, strikes, strikes.
5. Debt from the Second World War and Labour’s nationalisation and welfare state.

Question 17

Name three sectors of British cinema that were being influenced

Answer 17

1. The demographic of audience’s
2. The content of films
3. Americanisation

Question 18

Why did radio have a wider impact than cinema?

Answer 18

There were two radio services established by the BBC: the National Programme and the Regional Programme. Both were aimed at the wider public and didn’t have the usual divisions that characterised post-war radio. 90% of households had a radio.

Question 19

How did radios broaden the horizons of the working-classes?

Answer 19

Radio broadcasting introduced links between nations and communities. They tended to leave the radio on in the backroad all day so they took in a lot of information.

Question 20

What was pirate radio?

Answer 20

A broadcasting station that airs without a valid licence from outside of Britain on the coast (Luxembourg etc.) on a boat.

Question 21

Explain the differences between radio 1,2, 3, and 4.

Answer 21

Radio 1- Younger audience
Radio 2- Light dramas/entertainment like comedies and soaps
Radio 3- Considered highbrow, classified music and ‘complex’ culture
Radio 4- A lot of news and lectures (classified as middle brow)

Question 22

Which dances led to the emergence of the teenager and informal behaviour?

Answer 22

Dances like the fox trot in WW1 and others after WW1 like the lindy hop.

Question 23

How did the increase in Rock n’ rolls in 1950 impact teenagers?

Answer 23

There were more respectable songs to appeal to for teen girls than Elvis Presley (seen as sexual) and Cliff Richard.

Question 24

How did artists like the Beatles and the Rolling Stone impact the 1960’s?

Answer 24

Beatlemania- the first British band to break into American charts and the first boy band. The Beatles lead to the commercialisation of music. Mc Jagger of the Rolling Stones is seen as a sex appeal. Both are tied in Black culture/ music, becoming more acceptable. They influence fashion and music for this period.

Question 25

What specific styles of music impacted women empowerment in the 1970’s?

Answer 25

Anarchistic punk (females as lead singers) and glam rock/metal.

Question 26

T.V. only became a mass medium after ___.
Sales of T.V licences didn’t grow until the Queen’s coronation- ____.

Answer 26

1. WW2
2. 1953

Question 27

How did T.V impact British behaviour?

Answer 27

• Blurred class divisions- now anyone could watch similar programmes.
• Cinema attendance fell.
• T.V affected the home dynamic- les quality time. However, it does form an important part of people’s conversation the next day at school, work, etc.
• Authorities were worried about the impact of gory war images once colour T.V’s were introduced (specifical the tragedies in the Vietnam war).

Question 28

In 1955 BBC monopoly ended when __ companies were allowed to begin broadcasting funded by advertising.
The BBC is funded by license fees and all other T.V stations are funded by _______.

Answer 28

1. 14
2. adverts

Question 29

What is social realism?

Answer 29

An artistic style that portrays the lives of ordinary people.

Question 30

What did the rise of satire after WW1 challenge?

Answer 30

Social superiors as they began to be mocked.

Question 31

How did the popularity of police dramas affect the public’s view on the police?

Answer 31

Suspicions were raised about corrupting in the police at this time but shows like these depicted the police as hard but honest men. A poll in 1975 revealed that 75% of British people thought the police were honest- influenced by the show’s popularity.

Question 32

When did the word ‘teenager’ begin to be used regularly in Britain?

Answer 32

1945

Question 33

Name 4 reasons leisure time increased

Answer 33

• Rising incomes and reduced working hours
• The 1871 Bank Holiday Act
• Improvements in health, communications, and technology.
• Trade unions fought for paid holiday- 1938 Holidays with Paid Act

Question 34

Why did the middle class try to promote leisure activities?

Answer 34

To combat the working-classes propensity for drinking or gambling in their free time.

Question 35

What was the working classes free time centred on?

Answer 35

The music hall, football, seaside trips, and the pub.

Question 36

How did the rise of televised sport impact spectatorship?

Answer 36

It caused a decline in ticket sales- the 1948-49 season had a peak of 41.2 million in 194-49 to 29.6 million in 1969-70.

Question 37

Why was there an increase in Hooliganism? What effect did this have?

Answer 37

Young people could now afford matches and most older, married men staid home so the youth didn’t have adults or work colleagues restraining them from being out of control. This caused a decline in ticket sales and many clubs building steel cage fences to keep fans of the pitch.

Question 38

How did the Professional Football Association scrapping the caps in 1960 impact spectatorship?

Answer 38

The top teams and athletes gained the bulk of the new money, ending amateurism. The tickets became more expensive so less working-class fans attending live matches.

Question 39

Why were British people able to spend more time on holiday after the First World War?

Answer 39

Holiday increased between 1938 and 1979 for full-time manual workers. The government had to increase workers rights continuty to join NATO.

Question 40

What changes were there in terms of leisure and tourism?

Answer 40

In 1937, only 1/3 of Britons took a holiday of a week or more away from home. Holidays with pay were introduced and the domestic holiday industry grew- sea sides.

Question 41

What continuities were there in terms of leisure and tourism?

Answer 41

Before 1938, leisure had been a sign of the upper-class. Holidays were allowed, but were unpaid. Similarly, the holiday locations in the UK were class-based. The upper-class visited Tynemouth while the working-class went to Whitley Bay. The upper-class visited Bournemouth not Margate.

Question 42

What impact did Butlins have upon British holidays?

Answer 42

The launch of Butlins in Skegness in 1937 witnessed a major shift in British holidays. By 1939, there were 200 camps which catered for 30,000 visitors per week. It was affordable for those on less than £4 per week. Working class mostly attended.

Question 43

Who benefited most from the increased leisure time?

Answer 43

The working class seeing as the richer already had holiday’s.

Question 44

What impact did car and caravan ownership have?

Answer 44

There was a distinct rise in caravanning after the Second World War, which opened up areas like Devon and Cornwall. By the end of the 1970s, over half the British population had been on caravan holidays.

Question 45

Was there an increase in foreign travel, if so why?

Answer 45

Yes, only 2 million went on holidays abroad in 1951, but this rose to 7 million by 1979. By 1979, there were 15 million people on international flights from the UK each year. This increase was due to cheap package holidays from companies like Thomas Cook and the end of currency restrictions.

Question 46

What impact did foreign travel/ holidays have?

Answer 46

The experience of foreign travel had other benefits. It may explain the British “yes” vote to stay in the European Economic Community in 1975. It also changed British culinary tastes.

Question 47

What were the most popular foreign resort destinations?

Answer 47

Benidorm and Torremolinos

Question 48

How did car ownership change? What was the impact?

Answer 48

Car ownership rose following the trend of owning other consumer durables, gaining popularity between the middle-class during the interwar period and exploding into a mass market in the 50s. The rise of car ownership had a large impact on British citizens- this affected leisure pursuits (day travel), consumer habits, self-perception, work, and where they live. There was a growth in supermarkets, multistorey carparks and roads were being built/ fixed due to ribbon development.

Question 49

How did plane travel change? What was the impact?

Answer 49

WW1 meant rapid improvements in aircraft designs but it was unprofitable at first. By 1918, flight became commercially viable but remained expensive throughout interwar years. British airways was set up in 1935, but also had to be rescued by state financial assistance. It later merged with imperial airways in 1939, becoming the BOAC. It was nationalised under Thatcher government in 1946 and privatised in 1987. This led to improvements in design, safety, and economy led to a rapid growth in air transport after WW2. This was a key reason why many Britons travelled to Greek and Spain from 1960’s onwards.

Question 50

How did train travel change? What was the impact?

Answer 50

In WW1, the state took control of railway operation from 120 different companies. The Railway Act forced all rail companies to merge to just 4: Great Western Railway; London, Midland and Scottish Railway; London and North Eastern Railway. The railway lines were nationalise (The beech cuts). The growth of railways encouraged ribbon development before the impact of cars and buses. Nationalisation of the rails made it cheaper and more efficient as its not run for profit, particularly North London. Rural communities were cut due to the beech cuts in railways which led to further car ownership also.

Question 51

How did bus travel change? What was the impact?

Answer 51

Buses increased in popularity for the working class and replaced railways and trams. By replacing railways and trams by buses and cars meant a shift in settlement, therefore houses and factories began to stretch along roads (ribbon development). There was a rise in the suburbs.

Question 52

How did bike travel change? What was the impact?

Answer 52

Motorists, as well as working citizens, started to commute on bike (since it was more popular) and benefited from the improvements. As a result, bicycle sales increased from 6 to 10 million.