no Flashcards
Laws that created a more Permissive Society
Family Planning Act- Made pill available on the NHS
Abortion Act- legalised abortions and provided them through the NHS. Introduced by David Steel (40 back street deaths in 1966)
Sexual Offences Act- decriminalised homosexual acts in private. stop being gay as an illness = could be punishable
Theatres Act- abolished censorship in the theatre
Divorce Reform Act- allowed couples to divorce after being separated for 2 years and if only one wanted divorce
Why Liberal Laws were not evidence of a more liberal society
demand for Laws came from people but not MPS
result of long campaigns (homosexuality laws wanted to be changed since 1890)
majority of laws went against British public
majority passed duets the impartial consequences of current legislation rather than moral issues (limit abortion deaths)
evidence for a more sexual society
Pill introduced in 1961. In 1967 one million women were on the pill. Condoms became thiner and more available (boots in 1966)
1959 Obscene of Publications Act and 1968 Theatres Act allowed more sexual content to be published in Britain
The Joy of Sex book was sexually explicit and illustrated sex as a pleasure
4 myst popular film in 1974 was a porno shown in theatres
only 1% continued to wait till marriage to have sex
Evidence against a more sexual society
sexual textbooks/ pamphlets had already been in circulation proper 60s (Love Without Fear)
The Sexual Behaviour of Young People suggest that the ‘sexual revolution’ was exaggerated
only 17% of girls and 33% of boys had sex before marriage
evidence for a changing attitudes to homosexuality
Trial of Lord Montagu and Wlldeblod - state should not be able to regulate what consenting adults do in private - Sunday Times “ the law is not in accord with a large mass of public opinion”
British Branch of the Gay Liberation Front- set up in 1971
number of men made “camp” bahevour acceptable on TV eg Larry Grayson and his catchphrases “what a gay day”
Popstars Elton John, David Bowie came out as Bisexual
evidence against the changing attitudes in homosexuality
1963 poll revealed that 93% thought that homosexuality was an illness
number of men arrested for “public indecency” trebled between 1967 and 1972
Sex and Marriage in young people - most common reaction to homosexuality was “revulsion” - 1/4 of participants
opposition to permissive society
Mary Whitehouse
Clean up Tv potion in 1964 gained 500,000 signatures
1977 launched a legal battle against magazine Gay News for publishing a poem- won her case
campaigned against pornography
Nationwide Festival of Light 1971
promoted Christian morality
supported by famous figures like Cliff Richard
inspired over 70 other regional rallies
crowds of 100,000
popular culture - cinema popularity
*talkies increased popularity, most popular medium in interwar years. number of cinemas
1914-3000
1930-5000
*admission had peaked in 1946- 1.64 billion
1950 - average person when 28 times a year (more than another country)
BUT
attendance gel until late 80s -half of all cinemas close 1955-1963. Due to television
cinema- audience
young urban working class, often female
north want on average twice as much as people in south
cheap tickets on Saturday mornings for Kids
cinema- content
content controlled by BBFC (British board of film censors)- conservative upper middle class men, concerned about the impact on “impressionable” audiences
1959 Obscenities Act and 1968 Theatres at loosened censorship
by 70s more violent sexual films like a clockwork orange and Emmanuelle
popular culture- music
beetles comerclaied music - made £100 million through merchandise
1962 single “love me do’ led to “beatlemania”
1964 ‘British Invasion’ launched- British music globally influential and respected, benefitted Britain through exports
70s
different genres, escapists
‘glam rock’ - David Bowie - more fluid attitudes to sexuality and gender
sex pistols - promoted rebellion and anarchy, reflected dire economic situation and frustration with politicians and establishment
effects of music
there was no uniform teen culture
young peoples experience varied according to class , age and gender and location
eg ; London only middle class youth could visit new disco clubs but working class continued to meet in same halls as their parents
gave young people new voices and styles, different to parents
television
1955-40%
1960- 80% ownership
1969-95%
sales spurred by coronation
popular use of leisure time
elderly people would watch 16 hours a week
men + women spent 23% of their leisure time (twice as much as Belgium and Italy)
1967- colour TB
1.7% in 1970
70% of people had colour sets by 1979
impact of television
blurred class divisions- watched similar programs and satire (that was the week that was had 12 million viewers)- questioned and mocked the establishment
police shows, when there was suspicious about corruption, help raise publish image 1977- 755 thought police were honest
BUT
BBC again tried to influence public taste to more ‘intelligent content’ but shows like coronation street still most popular
growth of consumer society
incomes
1950-70
home ownership increased from 29% to over 505
Car ownership from 16% to 52%
Harold Macmillan “most of you people had never had it so good”
1965- necessities of food and clothing took only 30% of consumer spending , rest spent on home, entertainment and motoring
real disposable income rose 22% in 60s and 30% in 70s
every person had 10 job vacancies available
