Living Standards (1851-1914)

Question 1

Overall did the W/C see improvement in living standards?

Answer 1

=> Limited / Not really.

Question 2

For W/C: What % had working class wages increased by in 1850-75?

Answer 2

=> 50%

Question 3

For W/C: What did the increase in real wages allow for?

Answer 3

=> Greater disposable income (also decline in bread prices, travel costs for imports halved).
=> Greater access to meat (tinned and refrigerated at low prices) and healthier protein-rich food.
=> 1/2 day of work and bank holidays after 1871 -> Could make use of leisure of music halls and football.
=> Soap, cigarettes, sugar.

Question 4

For W/C: Did death rates decline? What were they subject to?

Answer 4

=> Yes they did.
=> Subject to regional differences indicating problems in regional areas.

Question 5

For W/C: What was the decline in poorly paid agricultural work? What did this allow for?

Answer 5

=> From 1.4m (1850) -> 0.97m (1911)
=> Enabled some stability in rural areas, wages were stable and better living conditions, so increase living standards.

Question 6

Against W/C: How much did the national wealth increase by in comparison?

Answer 6

=> Quadrupled V doubling of W/C.

Question 7

Against W/C: Explain unemployment figures?

Answer 7

=> No figures kept by the government so this is unclear.
=> Unemployed do not benefit from rising real wages - they earn nothing.

Question 8

Against W/C: Caution on poor law?

Answer 8

=> Though decline from 1m to 800,000.
=> Caution as data was incomplete - did not claim the indoor relief as they hated it and the stigma around it.

Question 9

Against W/C: Issues with housing?

Answer 9

=> Housing costs did not fall, rent cost 1/4 - 1/2 of wages.
=> Often very poor and overcrowded.

Question 10

Against W/C: Poverty in York and UK?

Answer 10

=> 30%.

Question 11

Against W/C: Unequality between skilled and unskilled?

Answer 11

=> Skilled workers experienced far less unemployment and better wages.

Question 12

Against W/C: Infant Mortality rate?

Answer 12

=> Infant mortality worsened: 1890: 154/1000.

Question 13

Living standards for women? Overall?

Answer 13

=> Emerging/ limited, societal restrictions.

Question 14

For Women: Increase in better professions?

Answer 14

=> SLOW growth, but still:
=> Occupations such as females, nurses, administration.
=> 184,000 -> 562,000 by 1900.

Question 15

Against women: Limits of ‘better profession.’

Answer 15

=> Only 25 female doctors.
=> Men could be paid 2x.

Question 16

Against women: Attitudes of the time? Female dependence?

Answer 16

=> Separate private and public sphere. Women expected to stay in private, meant to be based around the family.
=> Few opportunities to ultimately work, dependent on men, thus lower living standards. - Only 10% of married women worked.
=> Trade unions saw it as cheap wages that would undermine the ‘family wage.’

Question 17

Against women: Biggest employers for women at this time?

Answer 17

=> Poorly paid and insecure domestic: Increased to 1.81m (1911).
=> Textiles and poorly paid sweated clothing trades.

Question 18

Against women: Other forms of employment?

Answer 18

=> Penny capitalism: Such as washing and sewing. -> Men often took family income for own needs first.

Question 19

Against women: Education?

Answer 19

=> Still not really accessible - 1871 - 27% of brides could not even sign their name on the wedding registers.

Question 20

Overall for aristocracy?

Answer 20

=> Slight decline as hit agriculture hard, as well as wealth decline, but still very wealthy so no real impact.

Question 21

For Aristocracy: Industry potential?

Answer 21

=> Land used for this was still valuable.
=> Lord Londonderry and Marquis of Bute had huge reserves of coal. (Marquis was the richest man in the world in 1848)
=> Duke of Devonshire - Industrial development of land accumulated wealth.

Question 22

Against aristocracy: Agriculture and land?

Answer 22

=> Landed wealth declined in this period, decline in farming and agriculture.
=> Wealth based on arable farming declined hugely - agriculture share of national income halved in 1881 from 1851. - Poor harvests of 1870s, cheap foreign imported cereals (transport costs had halved).

Question 23

Overall for M/Cs?

Answer 23

=> The real winners, sure increase in living standards.

Question 24

For M/Cs: Industry?

Answer 24

=> Opportunities in industry, foreign trade, finances.

Question 25

For M/Cs: Lifestyle evidence?

Answer 25

=> M/Cs suburbs were built with large houses, servants, paying for school and university fees. Holidays. Declining birth rates increased disposable income.

Question 26

For M/Cs: Income tax evidence?

Answer 26

=> Payments doubled to 900,000, demonstrates growth of increasingly wealthy M/Cs.