Recent Times (c.1900 - present) Flashcards
1
Q
How has the standard of living changed since 1900, and what are 4 proofs of this?
A
- It has improved
- People are better housed, fed and clothed
- The welfare state keeps the most vulnerable people safe
- Absolute poverty has declined
- In the 1960s there were many changes in social attitudes
2
Q
List 5 reasons why the crime rate seems to have increased from 1900 up until the late 1990s.
A
- It has increased on its own
- It also appears to rapidly have increased as more people are willing to report crimes
- The police are more sympathetic, making it more likely for violent crimes and sexual offences to be reported
- By the 1950s more households had telephones, making it easier to report crime
- A lot of crimes used to be dealt with ‘informally’/off the record, but are now recorded consistently
3
Q
Describe acts on homosexuality, whether they’re a change or not, and an explanation why.
A
- 1967 Sexual Offences Act: decriminalised homosexuality for men over 21
- 2005 Criminal Justice Act: more severe sentences handed out for hate crimes
- Change
- A ‘sexual revolution’ took place in the 1960s; people had more liberal attitudes towards sex
4
Q
Describe acts on racial crimes, whether they’re a change or not, and an explanation why.
A
- 1968 Race Relations Act: criminalised refusing jobs, housing or public services due to ethnic background
- 2006 Race and Religious Hatred Act: criminalised spreading racial/religious hatred
- Change
- In the 1950s people from Commonwealth countries moved to Britain to work, and laws were needed for them to be treated fairly
5
Q
Describe acts on domestic violence, whether they’re a change or not, and an explanation why.
A
- 1976 Domestic Violence Act: victims of a violent partner could ask for an injunction (forbids an action/behaviour)
- 1991: rape within marriage recognised as a crime
- 2014: controlling/ coercive behaviour in a relationship was seen as a crime
- Change
- In the 1800s violence inside a marriage was seen as a private issue
- In the 1900s women had more rights and laws were passed to stop violence and intimidation in a marriage
- Even after that women were still expected to satisfy their husbands’ sexual demands
- 2 women in England and Wales are killed weekly by a current or previous partner
6
Q
Describe acts on abortion, whether they’re a change or not, and an explanation why.
A
- 1967 Abortion Act: legalised an abortion if: the child would have severe disabilities, or 2 independent doctors had agreed that the mother was at risk of serious mental/physical harm
- 1968: legal limit for abortion was 28 weeks as babies born before this could not survive
- Change
- Initially abortion was illegal except for few, strict medical reasons
- Women who wanted an abortion had to resort to dangerous ‘backstreet abortions’, or trying to abort the baby themselves
- Abortion was legalised due to health concerns and changing social attitudes
7
Q
Describe acts on driving offences, whether they’re a change or not, and an explanation why.
A
- 1925 Criminal Justice Act: made it illegal to drive a car while drunk
- 1967 Road Safety Act: set a maximum limit for the amount of alcohol a person could have in their bloodstream and drive
- Stopping dangerous driving: change
- Car theft: continuity in a new form
- By the 1930s cars were widespread and cheap, but very dangerous- drivers didn’t even need a licence
- 7343 people were killed on roads in 1934
- After 1935, tests, road tax, MOT and car insurance were required
8
Q
Describe acts on smuggling and drug offences, whether they’re a change or not, and an explanation why.
A
- 2015 Modern Slavery Act: allowed restrictions to be placed on those convicted (or waiting to be convicted) of modern slavery offences and other measures were introduced to stop modern slavery
- Smuggling and people trafficking: continuity
- In the 1800s poor girls were sold into prostitution
- Some immigrants pay to be smuggled into the country
- 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act: criminalised taking or supplying certain drugs
- Drug offences: change
- Better transport has made smuggling harder to prevent (millions travel by air, sea and land)
- The demand for illegal drugs has risen over the past 40 years
9
Q
Describe acts on terrorism, whether they’re a change or not, and an explanation why.
A
- 2000 Terrorism Act: first of a series of acts aimed at terrorism in general rather than that in Northern Ireland
- Continuity in a new form
- The Gunpowder Plot was also a plan to use violence, fear and intimidation to publicise a political cause
- In the 1970s and 80s the IRA used violence to campaign for Irish Nationalism
- Lately Al-Qaeda and Isis use terror in Europe
- Terrorists also use the internet to spread their message
10
Q
What type of crime is the biggest example of continuity but in a different form? Give 3 examples.
A
- Cybercrime
- Fraud, theft and extortion are all old crimes, but can now be done digitally
11
Q
What are 2 examples of social crimes in the 20th and 21st centuries?
A
- Drink driving and speeding were initially not taken seriously, even as late as the 1970s
- However government advertising campaigns have caused peoples’ attitudes to change
- Copyright theft has become extremely widespread in the 21st century as on the internet people have access to a huge selection of media quickly and easily
12
Q
When did Conscientious Objectors (COs) first appear and why?
A
- At the start of WW1 the government relied on volunteers to fight, and over 1 million signed up
- In March 1916 the Military Service Act introduced wide-scale conscription for the first time in Britain, as casualties were mounting as the war went on
- At first unmarried men between 18 and 41 had to go, then married men too (May 1916), and after that up to age 51 (1918)
- This meant that people who did not believe in this war (or war in general) did not get a choice
- Usually this was due to the commandment ‘Thou shalt not kill’ in the Bible, but could also be as they felt the war was a fight between Europe’s ruling classes or strongly believed in individual liberty
- Out of the 2.5 million men conscripted, around 16,000 refused to fight as COs
13
Q
How could COs object to join the armed forces? What 2 types of COs were there?
A
- COs could appear before a tribunal (a special court) for a certificate of exemption
- Tribunals were usually extremely biased as they were made up of retired soldiers, used emotional manipulation, and greatly varied from area to area
- Absolutists (over 6000): refused to support the war even indirectly, as it meant the conflict could continue
- Alternativists: would support the war effort without joining the military or using a weapon (e.g. stretcher bearers, ambulance drivers)
14
Q
How were COs treated in WW1?
A
- COs were treated harshly by the government as they didn’t want pacifist ideas to spread
- Some absolutists were imprisoned to do hard labour for a long sentence, and 73 died as a result
- After the war COs couldn’t vote until 1926
- The press presented them as cowardly and unpatriotic
- Members of the public often had serving/dead family members, and felt that COs were unfairly shirking their responsibilities
- COs were sent hate mail and white feathers
15
Q
How were COs treated in WW2?
A
- The government tried to give alternative work such as farming or working in munitions factories
- Prison was used as a last resort
- Forcing COs to fight was hypocritical in WW2 as people were fighting against Hitler, a tyrant
- However COs were verbally and even physically attacked, and sacked
