theme 3 - class and social values Flashcards
class in 1918
industrial working class
lower middle class
middle class
upper class
people in lower social orders treated those of higher social class with respect
how did WW1 lead to a decline in deference?
high death toll (704,803 men) meant working class lost confidence in upper-class generals that led them
working and middle class men interacted on an equal level when working in the trenches
why did WW1 contribute to decline in the upper class?
disproportionately high death toll in upper class and families had to pay death duties
- some had to sell land in order to pay
some couldn’t afford to maintain grand homes
- sold to National Trust or sold as schools or hotels
how did WW1 lead to greater equality?
pressure for full democracy increased in 1917 when US joined the war
1918 Representation of the People Act - men over 21 and women over 30 (member of local govt register or married to a man that was)
people in work could improve living standards - surplus income meant people could aspire to more affluent lifestyles
class conflict in interwar period
1926 General Strike
- strikers labelled unpatriotic class warriors by The Times
- middle-class volunteers organised to break the strike
class conflict was rare
- strikes declined during mid/late 20s
what was the impact of WW1?
decline in deference
decline in upper class
greater equality
what was the impact of WW2?
people of all social classes were forced to co-operate (evacuation, bombing leading to homelessness, rationing)
didn’t fully diminish class boundaries - evacuation could reinforce class prejudices
post-war attitudes
Labour victory - people didn’t want to return to hardships of 30s, and attitudes towards govt had changes
class system largely intact
why was there a decline in deference in the 50s onwards?
prosperity for working class due to end of rationing
traditional ideas about social mobility were challenged
rise in satirical entertainment
writers and filmmakers questioned class system
tabloid newspapers exposed sex scandals of the ruling class
what was the ‘satire boom’?
ridiculed ideas about social class and represented clear change in public attitudes to authority
1960: stage show ‘Beyond the Fringe’ made fun of government and the upper class
TV programme ‘That Was the Week that Was’ combined satirical humour with interviews of leading politicians
what was ‘British New Wave’?
emergence of media that questioned the class system
1958/60: ‘Saturday Night Sunday Morning’ portrayed working-class man who resented those around him and was desperate to escape his background and enjoy benefits of consumerism
- indicated working-class respect for authority was in decline
what was the Profumo scandal and its impact?
1963: Minister of War John Profumo allegedly shared Christine Keeler with a Soviet attache
front pages of newspapers
significant in the decline of deference - leaders didn’t deserve trust purely by virtue of position
1950s attitudes towards sex
Britain typically perceived as sexually repressed, though this is not necessarily the case
- prostitution flourished in WW2
- 1950s survey revealed 1/5 women born 1894-1904 and 1/2 women born 1924-34 experienced pre-marital sex
1960s attitudes towards sex
1965 ‘The Sexual Behaviour of Young People’ - based on interviews with 2,000 teenagers
- 1 in 3 boys and 1 in 6 girls aged 16-19 had had sex, though most were in relationships
attitudes towards pre-marital sex, homosexuality, contraception etc were similar to in the 50s
how did the media’s approach to sex change?
increased openness talking about sex
tabloid sex scandals captured large audiences
newspaper coverage of scandals such as Profumo and Lady Chatterley polarised public opinion between those shocked by permissive society and these who embraced it
1957 Wolfenden Report
there’d been a decline in morality since the war
laws against prostitution should be harsher
homosexual activity between consenting adults over 21 in private should be decriminalised
1958: Homosexual Law Reform Society founded to lobby govt to implement the report
1967 Sexual Offences Act
implemented Wolfenden Report to permit homosexual acts between consenting adults over 21 in private
1967 Abortion Act
legalised abortion of pregnancy up to 28 weeks
what were public views of homosexuality in the 60s?
interviews with public revealed 85% disapproved of it and believed it should be punished more harshly
Mary Whitehouse
launched campaign group Clean Up TV
believed TV corrupted British youth through depiction of un-Christian ideas (sexuality, drinking, crime, etc)
organisation gained rapid popularity, though her supporters’ views were often less extreme
what was the NVALA?
National Viewers and Listeners Association
co-founded by Whitehouse
members associated permissiveness with emerging ‘socialism’ in Britain and believed Christianity was under threat by consumerism and TV
impact of the NVALA
limited
- gained publicity but little evidence the media ever took it seriously
- Whitehouse may have exaggerated the membership of >100,000
may have impacted legislation
- 1978 Protection of Children Act
what was the Festival of Light?
aimed to prevent sexualisation of TV and promote Christian teachings
organised nationwide events
- 1971: lighting of beacons on hilltops
impact of the Festival of Light?
did little to change the content of TV or alter public attitudes towards sex
overtly evangelical approach alienated people who shared views but didn’t attend church
Lord Longford
funded his own report into pornography and concluded that the 1959 Obscene Publications Act made it easy for porn to be published
called for new censorship against transgressive materials
