Standards of living in Britain 1918-1979 Flashcards
What happened to living standards across the 1920s
In general they went down due to the recession and the following depression years
What are the 4 areas which impact the quality of life between 1918 and 1939
- Real Income
- Health and Diet
- Regional Variations
- Consumption
What was the nature of changing living standards across the 1920s
Enjoyed a short boom after WW1 but unemployment never fell below 1 million in the interwar years
Depression was largely regional
What was the impact of rationing on standards of living
The vast majority of the population was given access to the same types of food
Accompanied by the make-do-and-mend attitude
Though living standards decline health improved as the government gave out vitamins to supplement the poor diet
What was the impact of war on jobs
Large number of new jobs created during the war and offered good standards of pay and working conditions
Average pay increased but couldn’t be used due to rationing
Any strikes meant government met demands instantly
What was the impact on housing
Immediate effect of mass bombing was 40,000 dead and 2 million homes destroyed
Long-term it allowed for architects to rebuild the city with more modern layouts and town plans
Followed the Tudor-Walter report which emphasised space efficiency and the importance of electrified homes
What was people’s quality of life like throughout 1939 until 1951
Overall it decreased with few exceptions
What remained during the years after WW2
Rationing and austerity with the make-do-and-mend-attitude continued and even worsened with it arguably being the key reason for labours downfall
What did the term admass stand for
It was a term invented in the 50’s and 60’s to criticise the consumerism and mass advertising and the Americanisation of British culture
