Social developments Flashcards
What did people who went to the 1951 festival of britain feel?
That they were on the edge of a new modern world, a world
What was the state of Britain’s infrastructure in 1951?
It was run down and badly needed to be modernised. Housing developments were needed to replace war damage. Pre war slums were cleared and new towns built like Harlow in Essex
What happened to men’s weekly wages from 1951 to 1961?
They went from £8.30 to £15.35
What happened to home ownership?
Home ownership increased, helped by easy access to cheap mortgages. People living in council houses and rented accomodation did still substantially outnumber private homeowners in the 50s
What was the most obvious sign of the new affluence?
The surge in ownership of consumer goods like TVs, washing machines, refrigerators and furniture bought on hire purchase
What did affluence enble?
New leisure opportunities
What percent of the population watched television in the evening?
50%
How much did car ownership increase by between 1957 and 1959?
25%
What did the boom in car ownership mean?
There was greater demand for new roads to be built, including the novelty of motorways. It changed ideas about holiday and leisure and commuting by car pushed housing developments further out of towns. Construction of the motorway system eg the Preston Bypass began in 1958
Between 1957 and 1963 how many miles of new or upgraded main road were completed?
1200
How many people holidayed each week with Butlins in the 1950s?
60,000
Why did people going on holidays increase?
People had both time off work and could afford to go away on holiday.
What percent of people could afford to go abroad on holiday?
Less than 2%
What was British society like in 1951?
It was a deferential and conformist society with an ingrained respect for authority. Class loyalties were strong
In the 1951 election how did people vote?
65% of working class voters voted for the Labour party and 80% of middle class voters voted for the Conservative party
What was happening in British society by the end of the 1950s?
The old social restrictions had begun to break down and deference was lost. The suez crisis of 1956 exposed blatant lying and manipulation by the government. The rise of the CND from 1958 encouraged challenges to authority. The press coverage of the Profumo affair showed this decline in deference, previous tactics used by governments to prevent the publication of sensitive information no longer worked. Britain became more individualist and less conformist as a society
What was the satire boom?
By 1960 there was a satire boom. This showed the loss of deference. In 1962, the ground breaking TV show ‘That was the week that was’ launched, it was famous for satirising and lampooning public figure
What did critics of the establishment believe?
That Britain was being held back by its ruling elite who blocked talent from outside the establishment and tried to hide their mistakes. The Conservative governments of 1951 to 1964 seemed dominated by the establishment. They believed Britain was a class riddled society with entrenched attitudes and a lack of social mobility. They wanted leaders who had earned their positions through their personal merit and who better understood the modern, technical age they were living in.
What did Macmillan’s government include?
A duke, the heir to a barony, a marquess and three earls
What were the angry young men?
A group of young writers in the late 50s who led the way in using the arts to attack the behaviour and attitudes of the established upper and upper-middle classes. The first attack was a controversial play called Look back in anger by John Osborne. Although, the attacks led to some changes in social attitudes, the class system was definitely not broken
In the 1950s what was the average age a woman would marry?
21
In 1951 how many women went to work?
I in 5
What was the aim of the family allowance?
It was paid to women and supposed to ensure women didn’t need to work, the welfare state was based on the nuclear family and full employment for men
Did trade unions support working women?
No they thought this would lower wages
