Chapter 3

Question 1

What period saw significant social change in Britain?

Answer 1

The period 1951-64 saw much social change.

Question 2

What event reflected the desire for a modern future after WWII?

Answer 2

The Festival of Britain in 1951.

Question 3

What contributed to rising living standards post-WWII?

Answer 3

Increasing productivity and full employment led to higher wages.

Question 4

What was the average weekly wage for men in 1951 and 1961?

Answer 4

Men’s average weekly wage went up from £8.30 in 1951 to £15.35 in 1961.

Question 5

How did access to credit impact consumer goods?

Answer 5

Access to credit through hire purchase enabled more people to access new consumer goods.

Question 6

What housing improvements occurred during this period?

Answer 6

Slums were cleared, new towns were built, and Macmillan’s house-building programme created affordable houses.

Question 7

What ended in 1954 that affected food prices?

Answer 7

Food rationing finally came to an end in 1954.

Question 8

What was the impact of affluence on consumerism?

Answer 8

A more affluent society led to increased consumerism.

Question 9

What household goods became more accessible due to rising affluence?

Answer 9

More people were able to buy washing machines, televisions, and fridges.

Question 10

How did household gadgets affect women’s lives?

Answer 10

Household gadgets assisted with washing, shopping, and cooking, making women’s lives easier.

Question 11

What leisure activity became popular due to television?

Answer 11

Watching television became a leisure activity.

Question 12

What change occurred in advertising after 1955?

Answer 12

Advertising became more prevalent after ITV was launched in 1955.

Question 13

What types of television programmes became popular?

Answer 13

Programmes about DIY and gardening became popular.

Question 14

What infrastructure improvement began in 1958?

Answer 14

The building of motorways began in 1958 with the Preston bypass.

Question 15

What was the popularity of holiday camps in the 1950s?

Answer 15

On average, 60,000 people holidayed each week at Butlins.

Question 16

What percentage did car ownership rise between 1957 and 1959?

Answer 16

Car ownership rose by 25% between 1957 and 1959.

Question 17

What new opportunities arose from increased car ownership?

Answer 17

Access to cars opened up new leisure, work, and holiday opportunities.

Question 18

What characterized the class system at the beginning of this period?

Answer 18

There was a strong class system and limited social mobility.

Question 19

What sectors did ‘the Establishment’ dominate?

Answer 19

Politics, business, law, media, the Church, and the army.

Question 20

What event shook trust in politicians during this period?

Answer 20

The discovery that the government had lied during the Suez crisis.

Question 21

What debates encouraged challenges to established ideas?

Answer 21

Debates over issues like nuclear disarmament encouraged challenges.

Question 22

What affair tainted the reputation of ‘the Establishment’?

Answer 22

The Profumo affair tainted their reputation.

Question 23

What was the satire boom?

Answer 23

The satire boom included shows like Beyond The Fringe, Private Eye, and That Was The Week That Was, which lampooned leading figures in society.

Question 24

What did academic studies argue about Britain’s class-ridden society?

Answer 24

Studies by Hoggart (1957), Sampson (1961), and Snow (1959) argued that Britain’s class-ridden society and lack of social mobility blocked talent, leading to mistakes in foreign and economic policy.

Question 25

Who were the ‘angry young men’?

Answer 25

‘Angry young men’ included writers like John Osborne, John Braine, Alan Sillitoe, and Stan Barstow, who attacked established attitudes and sought to portray contemporary life more accurately.

Question 26

What was the position of women in the 1950s?

Answer 26

Many women returned to traditional homemaker roles after World War II, with 75% married by an average age of 21.

Question 27

What dominated the lives of women at home in the 1950s?

Answer 27

Women’s lives were dominated by looking after children, cleaning, cooking, shopping, and laundry.

Question 28

How did household appliances impact women’s lives?

Answer 28

Between 1957 and 1959, the number of households with washing machines rose by 54% and fridges by 58%, making tasks quicker but leaving women feeling unfulfilled.

Question 29

What discouraged women from working in the 1950s?

Answer 29

Women were often deterred from working after marriage and childbirth due to beliefs about the negative impact on child development.

Question 30

What financial support did the government provide to mothers?

Answer 30

The government paid Family Allowance to mothers for any children after their first to encourage them to stay at home.

Question 31

How did trade unions view women working?

Answer 31

Trade unions discouraged women from working, fearing it would decrease wages for men.

Question 32

What benefits did some middle-class women receive in the workplace?

Answer 32

Middle-class women benefited from equal pay introduced for teachers in 1952 and in the civil service in 1954.

Question 33

What encouraged immigration to Britain in the 1950s?

Answer 33

The booming economy and shortages in transport and nursing jobs encouraged immigration from the New Commonwealth, including the West Indies, India, and Pakistan.

Question 34

What was the significance of the Empire Windrush?

Answer 34

The Empire Windrush symbolized immigration, carrying 492 immigrants from Jamaica to London in May 1948.

Question 35

How many Commonwealth immigrants settled in Britain by 1958?

Answer 35

By 1958, approximately 21,000 Commonwealth immigrants had settled in Britain, with 75% being men supporting families back home.

Question 36

What was the trend in British emigration during the 1950s and 1960s?

Answer 36

In the 1950s, approximately 1.32 million Britons migrated abroad, increasing to 1.92 million in the 1960s.

Question 37

What social tensions arose from immigration?

Answer 37

While immigration had economic benefits, it led to increased social tension and incidents of racial violence, such as the race riots in Nottingham and Notting Hill in 1958.

Question 38

What was the government’s response to immigration concerns?

Answer 38

In response to growing disquiet over immigration, the government passed the Commonwealth Immigrants Act in 1962, limiting the number of immigrants allowed to come to Britain.