theme 4 - changing living standards Flashcards
unemployment in the interwar period
1920: 1 million
distributed unevenly - affecting those in heavy industry and poorer areas much more
- 1932: 11% unemployment in the southeast, 40% in South Wales
impact of interwar economic crisis
high unemployment, particularly in areas of heavy industry
hunger - unemployment benefits weren’t sufficient
- more working-class women went hungry
- deficiency diseases
consumer boom in the 30s
those in light industry experienced somewhat of a consumer boom as the production of household appliances grew
- vacuum cleaner sees increased from 200,000 (1930) to 400,000 (1938)
improvement of living standards in the 30s
consumer boom characterised by success of light industries
emergence of teenage culture
wider variety of food + food prices fell
improvement in housing
improvement of housing in the 30s
people moved to suburbs
- 1.1 council houses built in interwar period, 90% on new estates
owner-occupiers increased from 10% of population (1914) to 32% (1938)
houses became more affordable
- decent new houses cost £450 in London and as low as £250 outside London
- older houses cost around £125
the effects of rationing
equalised society
1940: Ministry of Food established
health improved for many as they Ministry of Food supplemented food with vitamins and minerals
working conditions during WW2
TUs managed to negotiate good wages and working conditions
- average pay increased but what they could buy was restricted by rationing
how did WW2 affect housing?
bombing destroyed 2 mill houses, mostly in cities
- allowed town planners and architects to rebuild and modernise
followed recommendations of the Tudor-Walters report
- produced houses with bathrooms, kitchens, and modern appliances
why was there austerity in the period 1945-51?
rationing continued as Britain struggled to recover from the war
- 1946: bread rationing reintroduced
- clothes rationed until 1949
housing in the post-war period (1945-51)
issues of homelessness and destruction of homes, which was tackled through prefabricated housing and blocks of flats
prefabricated housing
1944 Housing and Temporary Accommodation Act resulted in prefabs (e.g Excalibur State)
problems with cold and damp, but owners were satisfied
blocks of flats
created as a solution to the loss of many working-class houses in inner-city areas
1949: Lansbury Estate
1951: Lawn Flats
1946 New Towns Act
created 14 new towns across Britain to relieve overcrowding in working-class areas within cities
creation of new towns represented increase in living standards for the working class - the first time many had lived on suburban estates
growth of consumer spending
spending on consumer goods increased from £1 mill (1957) to £1.5 mill (1960) due to increase in wages
labour-saving devices
- number of houses with washing machine increased from 17% (1955) to 60% (1966)
- changed women’s role in the home
1954: relaxation of credit allowed working-class families to buy consumer goods
new towns (1951-79)
new towns created as a result of 1946 Act
- e.g Milton Keynes
- families from inner-city could move to new towns due to increased affluence
architects criticised new towns for being artificial and lifeless but those who moved had positive experiences
- central heating, hot water, gardens, access to amenities
what opposition was there to the affluent society?
consumerism led to superficiality
‘Americanisation’ of British culture
- American brands such as Ford dominated the market
poverty during 1951-79
1967: 7.5 million people lived beneath the poverty line and had to endure poor living conditions
elderly were most vulnerable
- 1965: 1.5 mill lived alone on small pensions
poor housing in 60s
1966: housing charity Shelter established to help 12,000 homeless people
1963: Manchester had 80,000 clue houses without heating, water, or inside toilets + were often overcrowded
high-rise flats
high-rise flats in the 60s
created to replace terraced housing in inner-city areas
damp and cold
1968: explosion at Ronan Point
- killed 3 people
- result of poor construction
