Chapter 3: Social developments Flashcards
In what ways did living standards rise for normal people from 1951 ?
- mens weekly wages rose (£8.50 in 1951 to £15.35 ten years later)
- home ownership increased - more access to cheap mortgages (BUT renting and council houses still outnumbered private accom)
In what ways did consumerism increase from 1951?
- consumer goods - TV, washing machines, furniture brought via hire purchase
- leisure activities - TV ownership rose by** 32%** and car ownership rose by** 25%** (between 1957 and 1959), motorway building began begain in 1958 (Preston Bypass), 1955 commercial TV introduced ,** 60,000 people holidayed in Butins** each week
hire purchase - paying a deposit, then paying the rest of the cost in monthly installments
What was the satire boom - give three examples of shows/magazines involved?
critical of the establishment - focused on on political critique and challenging accepted ways and hierachies
* beyond the fringe - stage show
* Private eye - satirical news magazine
* That was the week that was (BBC TV show) - satiried public figures
Who were the “angry young men”?
group of writers who critisised the actions of the middle and upper classes - rebelled against traditional theatre and writing
* Look back in anger - themes of misogyny - bleak and intense writing - very controversial
What was the average age of marriage in 1951?
What % of women were married?
21 - 75% of women were married
What proportion of women went to work in 1951?
1 in 5
What were public attitudes towards women from 1951 to 1964?
Generally minimal change in views
* Family allowance - paid to women to ensure they didn’t need to work
* trade unions didn’t support women working - thought it would lower wages
In what jobs did women receive equal pay?
teachers and civil servants
How many common wealth immigrants had settled in Britain by 1958?
about 210,000 - largest number came from the west indies
What was the public attitude towards increased immigration?
What was the government attitude to immigration
very mixed but racist tension is still common - results in violence and conflict
- government view immigration as economically beneficial (immigrants would fill low wage jobs) - hoped social tension would reduce - this didn’t happen…
What were the 1958 Notting hill riots?
- Notting Hill has a large caribbean population - many commonwealth immigrants are attacked by gangs of white youths - racially motivated
What was the 1962 Commonwealth immigrants act and why was it passed?
a response to the increasing racial violence
- regulated the number of commonwealth citizens settling in Britain and allowed deportation of immigrants convicted of criminal offences - strongly opposed by labour but they didn’t repeal it after the 1964 election
Why was there change to youth culture during the 1950’s ?
Give examples of the changes
young people have more leisure time and disposable income - end of national servive and development of time saving technologies
- money to buy records and fashion
- magazines and TV shows specifically for this group
Who were the Teddy Boys?
- interested in rock and roll, visited dance halls, cinemas and coffee bars
- caused a moral panic (highly exagerated by media) - associated with rising crime and delinquency
Who were the Rockers?
Who were the Mods?
What was the Battle of brighton ?
- Rockers - interested in rock and roll (Elvis), leather, american films
- Mods - rode scooters, liked pop music, italian dress style
- Battle of brighton - highly exagerated battle between mods and rockers - moral panic mostly came from the older generations
