The Changing Quality of Life 1918-1979 Flashcards
Impact: Boom, Crisis, Recovery 18-39 & signif. of regional differences
Economic Crisis in 1920s& 1930s
- Growth in unemployment interwar led to cuts in living standards in many areas
- Unemployment never fell below 1M in 30s - but uneven picture
- Less severe in new industries
- 1932 - 12% of electrical appliance workers unemployed, 70% of shipbuilders
Impact: Boom, Crisis, Recovery 18-39 & signif. of regional differences
Migration for Work
- 1931 census - movement of people to London (population rose by 1M in 10 years)
- No great wholesale migration to areas where work could be found
- People far less mobile than today, many relucatnt to move away from family to a new area without a job guaranteed and having to find a place to live without income
Impact: Boom, Crisis, Recovery 18-39 & signif. of regional differences
Significant of Regional Differences 1918-1939
- Decline of heavy industries had huge impact on living standards in areas where they were concentrated
- Decline of traditional industry - disparity between living standards in poorest and wealthiest parts widened
- Great Dep. 1932 - London had 13.2% unemployment, Wales had ~40%
- Prosperity enjoyed by many in new industry was not shared by those in traditional manufacturing
Impact: Boom, Crisis, Recovery 18-39 & signif. of regional differences
Improvements in living standards in the 1930s
- Recovery from GD saw overall improvement for all in work - still some acute poverty in most depressed areas
- LS rose because wages remained stable while prices fell
- 1933 - real wages 10% higher than in 1929
- Growth in service industries such as hotels - 40% increase in workforce during interwar to cater for growing number of holidaymakers
Impact: Boom, Crisis, Recovery 18-39 & signif. of regional differences
The consumer boom
- Household electrical appliances (eg. washing machines, hoovers) often bought on consumer credit - fillled homes of MC in 1930s
- Electricity supplied to more homes - particularly in new suburban estates
- 1930 - 200K hoover sales yearly, 400K by 1938
- 1930-1935 - 300% increase in sale of electric cookers
Impact: Boom, Crisis, Recovery 18-39 & signif. of regional differences
Food
- Wider variety of foodstuffs - eg. fresh fruit from abroad - improved diets
- Prices for basics (eg tea, sugar, milk) fell
- Even for less affluent, quality of affordable food improved
- By late 20s - 20K chippies, with fish at less than 2p and chips at 1p - affordable
Impact: Boom, Crisis, Recovery 18-39 & signif. of regional differences
‘Youth Culture’
Young people spending money on clothes, records, and enjoying themselves at dances and on day trips
Impact: Boom, Crisis, Recovery 18-39 & signif. of regional differences
‘Bright Young Things’
- Nickname given by press to a group of hedonistic young people
- Often associated with aristocracy, theatre, entertainment
- Became famous for parties and outrageous behaviour in the 1920s
The effects of ‘Total War’ and Austerity 1939-1951
Impact of WWII
- Gov intervened directly in supply of food, clothing, and other essentials during war
- Germany’s sinking of British cargo ships & need to diert resources away from civilian economy affected living standards
- Gov intervened to ensure fair distribution
The effects of ‘Total War’ and Austerity 1939-1951
Rationing
- Ensured vast majority of population had same access to food & resources
- Creation of Ministry of Food 1940 - involved 50K administrators
- Ensured many foodstuffs (eg. meat, dairy) were allocated by ration cards - people encouraged to grow fruit & veg, cook in nutritious ways
- Anecdotal and other evidence suggests people were healthier after the war
The effects of ‘Total War’ and Austerity 1939-1951
‘Make do and mend’
- Gov embarked on public info campaign which emphasised thriftiness
- Nothing was to be wasted - eg. cloothes always to be mended before being replaced
The effects of ‘Total War’ and Austerity 1939-1951
Effects of the Blitz
- Severe impact on housing - millions ‘bombed out’ or living in homes unfit for habitation
- Over 2M homes destroyed
- Temporary accommodation usually provided - scene set for severe post-war housing shortage
- Pre-fabricated houses quickly constructed as a stop-gap solution - many families liven in overcrowded conditions
The effects of ‘Total War’ and Austerity 1939-1951
The Age of Austerity 1945-1951
- Little opportunity to improve living standards
- Result of economic difficulties - many manufactured goods needed for export, items such as clothing and furniture remained in short supply at home
The effects of ‘Total War’ and Austerity 1939-1951
Post-war Rationing
- Labour gov forced to introduce bread rationing 1946-1948 - had never been rationed during WWII
- Clothing rationed until 1949
- Utility furniture restricted to newly married couples or those who had been ‘bombed out’
The effects of ‘Total War’ and Austerity 1939-1951
The Winter of 1946-1947
- Extremely harsh - exposed extent of Britain’s post-war economic fragility
- Country was partially paralysed by snow & ice - significant problems for both industry & domestic comfort - coal stocks depleted by war
- Electricity supply to industry and homes cut by Minister for Fuel & Power to 19hrs/day - resulted in factory closures & unemployment
- Gov feared running out of food - 1/4 sheep lost, root vegetables frozen, food reserves declined
- Canadian & Australian families posted food parcels to British families
The effects of ‘Total War’ and Austerity 1939-1951
Festival of Britain
- GB benefited from Marshall Aid & general post-war recovery - conditions began to improve
- Cons. gov elected in 1951 - committed to ending austerity and rationing
- Growing optimist exemplified by 1951 Festival of Britain - showcased Britain’s technical and scientific expertise
The Growth of a Consumer Society 1951-1979
The Affluent Society
- Post-waar decades saw longest sustained improvement in living standards in British history
- Even during 1970s, when inflation reached double figures, overall standard of living improved
- 1957 PM Macmillan: ‘Most of our people have never had it so good’
The Growth of a Consumer Society 1951-1979
Reasons for growth in living standards
- Global economic boom
- Welfare State ensured basic standard of living for most of the population
- Relatively low energy prices until early 1970s
- Commitment by Labour & Cons to full employment
- Stron trade unions - able to negotiate fair wages for their members
- Rise in average wages since 1945
- Increasing availability of customer credit
The Growth of a Consumer Society 1951-1979
Home Ownership
- One of the biggest indicators of growing prosperity was growth in home ownership
- 32% in 1953
- 42% in 1961
- 50% in 1971
The Growth of a Consumer Society 1951-1979
Consumer Spending
- 1957: GB spent £1B on consumer goods (£1.5B by 1960)
- Average wages doubled during 1950s
- Money spent on labour-saving devices in the home (eg. hoovers, fridges)
- 1955: 17% of homes have washing machine, 1966: 60%
The Growth of a Consumer Society 1951-1979
Consumer Credit
- One factor that allowed WC families to buy consumer goods was relaxation of rules surrounding customer credit in 1954
- Now able to pay by schemes of hire-purchase
The Growth of a Consumer Society 1951-1979
Consumer Choice
- Economic problems of 1970s did little to slow consumer spending or expansion of choice
- Through 1970s, British tastes for foreign food and drink grew - due to cheaper travel/overseas holidays, and rapid growth of supermarket chains providing low-cost foods and plentiful choice
The Growth of a Consumer Society 1951-1979
Poverty
- Despite overall prosperity, pockets of deep deprivation remained
- 1966 - housing charity Shelter founded to help the 12K homeless people and tens of thousands in temp accomodation
The Growth of a Consumer Society 1951-1979
The Elderly Poor
- Most vulnerable residents in run-down neighbourhoods were the elderly
- 1965 - 1.5M elderly lived alone, many on small pensions
- In many instances, quality of life was poor due to insanitary living conditions, poor diet, loneliness
The Growth of a Consumer Society 1951-1979
Poor Living Conditions
- 1963 - Manchester still had 80K slum houses without running water, heating, or inside toilets
- Most of these homes were overcrowded - depriving residents of privacy
- 1967 - 7.5M still living beneath poverty line, often in cold, damp, dirty homes
The Growth of a Consumer Society 1951-1979
The Media
- Often concentrated on the affluent
- Some groundbreaking TV programmes which brought the plight of the disadvantaged to a wider audience
- 1966 play about homelessness filmed by Ken Loach - Cathy Come Home
