Society in transition Flashcards
How had women been campaigning for women’s rights?
•NUWSS (the suffragists) through political means
•WSPU (the suffragettes) through direct action
Why were politicians at the time reluctant to give women the vote?
• the franchise would completely change, political groups would have to rebrand to appeal to women also
• scared of women challenging the patriarchy and gaining more political power
Why were Liberal politicians at the time reluctant to give women the vote?
• they had imprisoned and force fed suffragettes on their hunger strike during the war through the cat and mouse method
• therefore women wouldn’t vote for liberals if they gained the vote
Why were civilians against women gaining the vote?
• wanted women to return to their traditional roles after the war, liked society the way it had always been
Why were many women against the idea of extending the franchise?
• were used to their traditional roles but wanted more respect for their work in the home
why did politicians change their mind about women getting the vote?
•Fears of how women would vote were starting to vanish
• 1915 new coalition government – easier to achieve agreement
• 1916 David Lloyd George replaced Herbert Asquith as PM –
encouraged The Times to become pro suffrage
• More MPs were committed to the cause and reform was inevitable
• End of WSPU militancy - their pause in campaigning viewed as patriotic and should be rewarded
• Other nations had granted women the vote
Was there a lot of political advancement after women received the vote in 1918?
• 8.5 million women gained the vote but only 17 women were MPS
What were Old Etonians?
A former student of Eton College, a prestigious public school for boys.
•Many dominant positions in society are occupied by Old Etonians
What were death duties?
A tax paid by the inheritors of a property over a certain value.
What does gentry mean?
wealthy and powerful individuals who owned land and had titles such as Duke and Viscount
How did WW1 lead to the decline of the ‘landed elite’?
• the wealthy couldn’t make as much money off their land because those working on it had been sent to war. •Therefore they couldn’t raise rent and afford to keep their country estates
How much land were the gentry forced to sell off between 1918-1920 and 2?( was this amount significant?
• a quarter of the land owned in Britain was sold
• the aristocracy had previously owned 98.5% of agricultural land
What factors led to the emergence of a ‘new upper class’?
•expanded white colour jobs available - 34% growth in commercial and financial jobs in London between 1911 and 1921
What is the National Trust and how did it form the lives of the aristocracy?
• 1937 Country Houses scheme allowed the trust to take ownership of country homes and open them to the public for a certain amount of days per year
• Wealthy families in exchange could live in the estate for two more generations and could avoid paying death duties whilst maintaining their position in society
How did the upper class distinguish themselves from the upper middle class?
• took part in the Season, including events like the debutante ball that the middle class couldn’t access
• old etiquette
What impact did the wartime inflation have on the middle classes?
• middle class savings and incomes stagnated, whilst working class wages rose, threatening middle class positions
How did home ownership distinguish the middle class form the working class?
• 60% of the middle class owned homes compared to 20% of the working class
• the middle class mostly lived in new suburbs such as Metroland, physically separated from the working class in the overpopulated cities
How WW1 affect the working classes?
•Wages fell for the poorest in society and many families had to get by on less than £5 a week
When was paid holiday introduced and how did this affect the working class?
• 1938 Holidays with Pay Act
• In 1935 only 1.5m out of 18.5m workers had paid holiday whereas in March 1938 7.75m workers took paid holiday
How was the class system still present in leisure time?
• the different classes went to different places for example in Newcastle the middle classes went to Tyneside whereas the working class went to Whitby Bay
How did WW1 actually boost the middle class?
• 34% growth in commercial and financial jobs in London between 1911 and 1921
• 700 000 to 1.25 million jobs in science and technology between 1931 and 1951
•170 000 to 1.4 m clerking jobs available for women between 1911 and 1951
How did the 1938 Holidays with Pay Act impact how many working class people went on holiday?
•In 1935 only 1.5m out of 18.5m workers had paid holiday
•By March 1938 7.75m workers took paid holiday
How did the gains post ww1 fail to materialise?
• the state provided a basic safety net for the working class, however many people still lived in slums with poor living conditions
• Housing programmes were introduced in the 1940s - loads of tower blocks were built, but removed people from their local community and were often dangerous to live in
Why was there a lack of working class protest about their living standards?
• Trade Union membership fell by 40% during the 1920-22 recession and failed to recover in the aftermath of the General Strike - not representing the working class
• After the war, class barriers lowered and some of the working class began to prosper - had more self assurance
What was the impact of WW2 on the working class?
• the war effort restored staple industries like coal, steel, textiles that had declined after WW1 - working class then expected these industries to be maintained post war
• working class universally supported Labour post war to represent their interests
• working class started standing up to deference
• expected a reward through welfare state after the war
How did British society become multi racial at the start of the 20th century?
•1945 - whites made up 99.8% of the population
• 1979 - whites made up 96% of the population
What did the 1920 and 1925 Special Restrictions Act do?
‘coloured seamen’ who did not have proof of British status had to register as ‘aliens’
1938-40 Kindertransport Act
brings European Jewish children to Britain – approx. 10,000 children were allowed to settle with British families
Why did racial discrimination get worse after WW1?
influx of ‘coloured’ seamen after WW1
- were accused of being accused of stealing demobbed servicemen’s jobs, led to race riots in port cities in 1919
How many Jews settled in Britain between 1933 and 1939 and why?
• 300 000
• Trying to escape Nazi persecution
