Chapter 1.3- Social Developments Flashcards
Outline what happened to education 1951-64
The Butler Act 1944 - tripartite system developed dividing secondary education into grammar, technical and modern (80% modern, 5% technical, 15-20% grammar)
-free secondary education for all pupils
-Raise the school leaving age
-Distinguished primary from secondary school
-6,000 new schools and 11 universities
-New comprehensive schools (e.g. Islington)
Outline criticisms of educations 1855-64
-Wasn’t fully successful as there were financial difficulties and restraints under Churchill which meant to most schools were either grammar schools/modern so two tier system
-Those attending modern schools were seen as failures
Outline housing 1951-64
-1951 conservatives promised to build 300,000 houses per annum to exceed Labour (284,230 highest in a 1947)
-Macmillan appointed as minister of housing and his ‘national housing crusade’ saw him encourage councils to allow private contractors to build homes abolishing labour taxes on land development.
-327,000 on 1953 and 354,000 1954
-Homeownership increased due to access to cheap mortgages
-People in council houses + renters outnumbered private homes
Outline how unemployment rose within 1951-64
-1955 unemployment as 200,000
-Had decreased as overseas trade brought high levels of earnings and investment. Paired with rising demands at home this ensured plentiful employment
-1960 5 million were employe in service industries
Outline criticisms of unemployment 1951-64
-In 1963 unemployment was 878,000 as stop-go economics had failed
-Peter Thorneycraft believe in monetarism to limit wage increases and cut money supply. Other ministers like Iain McLeod strongly opposed the policy as would lead to increased unemployment.
Outline Immigration 1951-64
-After 1951 immigration increased due to the wind rush generation
-Economy picked up so more workers neeeded
-250,000 arrived from West Indies
-1958 210,000 commonwealth immigrants
-People feared this would cause racial violence
Outline key events of immigration 1851-64
-end of August 1958 racial riots fin Notting Hill
-Rivers of Blood Enoch Powell in 1968 warned against continued immigration
-British Nationality Act 1948 granted citizenship to all members of the commonwealth
What laws were passed in relation to immigration 1951-64
-1962 Commonwealrh Immigrants Act to control immigration
-Labour against this due to legislation against countries with close relations with Britain
What racial violence happened 1951-64
-Bristol bus boycott where 4 west indian men set up a case against the bus company to prove the colour bar was in bias and prevented POC from being employed
-The Notting Hill Riots 1958 : End of August outbreaks of serious violence in area with large Caribbean population. Mostly white violence against West Indians but sometimes vice versa. Police had little experience on how to deal with race riots.
-Leader of British racism, Oswald Mosley tried to use the issue by standing as the Union movement candidate in the 1959 Kensington North (including Notting Hill) on a platform of repatriation
Outline the youth culture 1951-64
-Began in 1951
-The baby boom increased the number of youth
-Rising standards of living gave youth more money and independence
-Development of new media and tech such as records, radio, magazines and TV spread to youth culture
-Sub-cultures created such as Mods, Rockers and Teddy Boys
Outline key events of youth culture 1951-64
-The term ‘teenager’ was created
-Rise of rock and roll
-Mods and rockers clashed violently in Clacton, Margate and Brighton May 1964
Outline rising standards 1951-64
-In 1951 the infrastructure in Britain was run down and needed modernising. There was need for restoration of war damage and decay of the housing stock.
-Majority if people living in slums were cleared so communities were broken up
-Homeownership increased helped by easy access to cheap mortgages however people living in council houses and rented accommodation were still the majority in Britain in the 1950s
-From 1952 most economic indicators pointed up (men’s weekly wages went from £8.30 in 1951 to £15.35 in 1961) and massive increase in private savings and rationing ended in 1954
-Pre-war slums were cleared and new towns were built (e.g. Harlow in Essex and Kirkby-on-Merseyside)
-New towns planned by Labour in 1940s (e,g, Crawley, corby and Stevenage) grew rapidly
Outline affluence and consumerism 1951-64
-Increase of ownership of goods like TVs, fridges, washing machines and furniture
-People would buy the items using hire purchases (puts down deposit and pays in monthly instalments + interest)
-32% increase in households owning TVs and estimated 50% of the population watched TV in the evening
-Car ownership increased by 25% between 1957-59, creating greater demand for more road to be built which lead to the novelty of motorways.
-Car travel changed the idea of holidays and they began to push out house building further outside towns and cities
Outline women’s role in society 1951-64
-Seen as housewives and expected to be responsible for the house and children, but couldn’t manage money, the mortgage or legal documents.
-Prepared for married life at schools, mostly didn’t go to university or work after marriage.
-New tech improved life (e.g. washing machines and freezers)
Outline key events for the role of women 1951-64
1952 - Equal pay for female teachers required by law
1954 - Equal pay for women in the civil service
1958 - Birth control first offered (only to married women)
