Social Change

Question 1

Describe the social changes to women from 1918-39

Answer 1

• Book written called ‘Holy Deadlock’ pointed out the flaws in divorce law that only allowed divorce if there was adultery or violence
• 1937 - Matrimonial Causes Act - Allowed divorce if your partner deserted you for 3 years - lobbied from the book writer (Herbert)
• 1921 First Birth Control Clinic (faced opposition but this saw other clinics being set up across the country)
• Church of England allowed married members to use birth control methods in 1930
• 1933 Hungry England Enquiry - Found that women often starve themselves to provide food for their children and husbands - many had to live below the poverty line

Question 2

Describe the social changes (or lack of) for women in the period 1939-60

Answer 2

• Found that 40% of housewives in the 50s felt content with their lives - potentially due to consumer society (more choices than they’d ever had)
• Ads were often catered to women - presented with new technologies to run the kitchen etc
• Despite this, 50% of women were bored and lonely

Question 3

Describe the social changes (or lack of) for women in the period 1960-79

Answer 3

• 60s - Women’s Liberation movement was made - concerned with issues such as birth control, domestic violence etc
  (can be seen as potentially a creation due to the Dagenham Sewing Machinists Strike of 1968)
• 1961 Contraceptive Pill introduced - Only allowed to be prescribed to married women
• 60s saw a change in roles of men and women at home - shared housework more equally
• 1970s - Women activists set up refuges and centres for victims of domestic violence and their children
• 1974 - National Women’s Aid Federation was established
• 1976 - Domestic Violence and Matrimonial Proceedings Act - Provided courts with the power to impose injunctions on those who had assaulted their spouses
• 1973 - Rape Crisis Centre was opened - Revealed experiences of sexual violence and the failures of the legal system
• 1975 - MP managed to reduce the limit of abortions to 20 weeks - Hated by National Abortion Campaign (sparked because of this)