FRG - Aspects of Life Flashcards
Economic improvements for Women
1950 marriage/ family laws rewritten to help working mothers
Women’s employment rose through the 44% 1950’s to 50% by 1970
Extensive system of social supports eg day-care allowed women to be mothers and workers
Economic continuation/worsening for women
If women wanted economic security they were expected to marry and not work
Income inequalities- 65-78% of man’s income
Poorly represented in high status occupations eg judges, senior civil servants
5% uni professors
Social Improvements for Women
Basic Law declared that men and women were equal
Gained better access to apprenticeships/ higher education
Divorce rate rose sharply with 1977 ‘no guilt’ divorces
1960’s saw rise of strong force of feminism- called for respect, equal pay, greater welfare.
Social Worsening for Women
The civil code was not amended until 1957 to confirm women as eqaul citizens.
By 1980’s, Women > 45% of uni students
Traditional Marriage was still viewed in high regard
In tax breaks/ benefits 1989 introduced to encourage mothers to stay at home.
Nazi ideals of mothers were hard to shake
Political Improvements for Women
Basic law guaranteed sexual equality
In 1977, Abortion was legalised and funded by state in first stage of pregnancy
In 1977, women were granted equal rights in marriage + could file for divorce without the permission of the husband
Seperate national office for women’s affair created 1980 working towards women’s equality
Growing involvment of Women in politics with the green party
Political worsening for women
In the early 1950’s women, could lose civil service job due to marriage
Abortion laws were more strict in the FRG
Only 4.4% of women were members of a political party
>6% of the bundestag (1972) to 15% (1987)
Guest Workers Numbers
1955 - 100,000 Italians accepted
1964- 1,000,000 Guest workers
Living Standards of Guest Workers
Settled together in poorer urban areas as a result of economic necessity
Inadequate sanitary / heating facilities
89% dissatisfied w/ living conditions in 1970’s
Faced 41% chance of redundancy compared to german citizen of 15%
1974 (oil crisis) Newly arrived families not allowed to work, 1979 this removed
Children of Guest workers
Expected to return to their country at 18 which they knew little about
Crime rates high due to
70% failed to gain Abitur as little provision to cater for them eg language classes, assistance programs
Over 50% unemployed with little access to further education/ apprenticeships
Political Improvements for GW
Legal equality for all citizens
1964 Foreigners Law: minimal standard for social welfare/ accommodation for GW
Gov allocated 50mill DM to extend family accommodation for GW/ family
Political Worsening for GW
Didn’t have the rights associated with permanent residence
Due to the idea of Guest workers being on fixed term contracts, no intent to give them citizenship rights as Basic law said German citizenship based on German blood rather than years of residence
State refused to support children of GFW as not ‘german citizens
Following the 1973 Oil crisis, Further recruitment of GW was banned
1980’s whilst the state increasingly recognised the right of GW to style in FRG w/ families, they also increased restrictions on immigration
Social Worsening for GW
Far RW and others had racist attitudes- accused them of taking jobs away/ being a burden
Blamed for 1973 oil crisis economic downturn
At least 6 bombings on Jewish memorials/ GW accommodation
2 Vietnamese refugees killed
Resentment against growing asylum seekers
Revival of racist violence including Anti-semitic violence 1979-80
Problems in Post-War Education
Many schools had been physically destroyed
Nazism was deeply rooted in the system
Teachers / Resources were Nazi-based
Allies could not agree on a united education system
Civic Education
Made Compulsory in 1950
Nazi-period must be taught from 1962
Recommended visiting concentration camps
1955 Dusseldorf Agreement
1955
Regulated / standardised - Number of Exams, Length of Study, length of holidays + Exam standards
Resolve issues of different education in each state.
Deficiencies Report
1977
German children attended school for a shorter period of time than the rest of Europe
Fewer students went to university
Education spending was a small part of the budget
Regional differences in education quality
Education reforms (1960-)
Ministry of Education and Science (1969)- federal states still held majority of the power.
SPD favoured state control // CDU = Federal
States were slow to open comprehensive schools (favouring Gymnasia)
1972 Abitur Reformed - less subjects
Issues with higher education
1964 - Picht’s article declared education system in crisis, overcrowding / underfunded.
1971 - 7% going to uni
1981 - Only 38% were women
Reforms to higher education
24 new universities opened (1960-70s)
Govt. financial aid to go to uni (1971)
Student numbers - 200,000 (1960) to 1.9 million (1992)
Apprenticeships : Uni = 2:1 (1980)
New influences on culture
Growing US + Western European influence
1950s - adoption of blue jeans, gum chewing + rock’n’roll
Hooligans - anti-social youth behaviour
Youth in FRG
Hooligans = not vast majority
German Youth Ring (1964) = umbrella organisation
1960s - New Left / Student Movement - not majority
Literature
Grass - ‘The Tin Drum’ (1959) - post-WW2 POV asylum
Grass - ‘Flounder’ (1978) - attack on femminism
Boll - Nobel Prize for Literature (1972)
Boll - ‘The Clown’ - Church / CDU denounced
Boll - Sympathetic to Baader-Meinhof Group
Cinema
Attendance - 817million (1956) to 172million (1969)
New Cinema Movement (1960s)
Hertzog - ‘Wrath of God’ (1972) - Treasure quest
Fassbinder - ‘Fear eats the soul’ (1974) - love affair between a 60 year old woman and a migrant worker
Peterson - ‘Das Boot’ (1981) - Submarine condition
Football
Germany won the World Cup in 1954 + 1974
Aided Adenauer’s campaign
