1939-64- Society And Econ Flashcards
(119 cards)
1
Q
5 social evils
A
Want
Squalor
Idleness
Ignorance
Disease
2
Q
Reforms against want
A
1946 nat insurance act
Nat assistance boards
Familu allowance act
3
Q
1946 nat insurance act
A
Covered all widows orphans,
Everyone sickness and unemp benefits
Inc operation nhs
Griffins- ni-the best and cheapest insurance policy offered to british people or any people anywehere
Pensions younger women 60 men 65
4
Q
1946 nat insurance act limitation
A
Compulsory contributions
Pension not enough below poverty line
Not in line with inflation
Welfare benefits in 1948 19% of industrial wage rate
But did takee away fear and provided safety net, finally 50y after rowntree investigation into cuases of poverty unemp sickness ect
5
Q
Nat assistance boards
A
If not in work, can help
Means tested but better
Money from central lgov
Local authorities provide homes for handicapped and old people
6
Q
Family allowance act
A
Small amound money paid to families with at elast 2 children
Not means tested
7
Q
Squalor sitch
A
700,000 housiing shortage
1/3 hosues need repair or renovaton
8
Q
Reforms to help with squalor
A
1949 housing act
New houses act 1946
9
Q
1949 houses act
A
200,000 houses per year
1:4 private to council houses
Prefabs people became attached to
10
Q
1949 housing act limitations
A
Didnt build as many as plannd
Squaters criis ensued
Macmillan pledged 300,000
Waiting lists for council homes
11
Q
New homes act
A
1946
Gave public power to decide where new houses/towns built
Cope with london overspill- stevenage
But lots of concrete
12
Q
Idleness reforms
A
1944 white paper
Nationalisation
13
Q
1944 white paper
A
Accpet need for full employment at 3%
1946 unemp stood at 2.5%
14
Q
Nationalisation debate
A
Coal steel iron ships railway and beo nationalised
But industry in decline so should be left to fail?
15
Q
Ignorance refomrs
A
Butler education act 1944
16
Q
Butler education act 1944
A
Reinforced class boundries through tripartaite system with middle classes tutors to get in
Also big class sizes and minimal motivation for those in secondary modern
17
Q
Disease reform
A
Formation nhs 1946 formally 1948
18
Q
Formation nhs
A
Unversal access- for all
Free at point of use
Comprehensive covered all ailments
Funded by ni payments
19
Q
Limitations to formatoin nhs
A
Gps speerate pay package as didnt want to be treated as civil servant
Backlog esp bad teeth
Middle classes use
Prescription usage x2.5- charges in 1951
Ni only 9% nhs funding 1949
Hospitals out of date
20
Q
Britain never had it so good 1950s/60s
A
Living conditions/econ
Society
Women
21
Q
Britain never had it so good 1950s/60s - yes living conditions
A
1954 income tax cut increasing disposable income
1951-64 real wages grew by almost 30%
Macmillan national housing crusade suprassing goal of 300,000 houses in 1953- abolished labour tax no land devlopment mainly chepaer
22
Q
Britain never had it so good 1950s/60s no - living conditions econ
A
Unemp start to rise 1960 early
Macmillian and douglas home both refused to devalue the pound and instead borrowed £714mill from imf
Stop-go econ policu led to investors leaving as could not determine value of popund
Japab and usa boomed
Poor quality housing
Hospitals and technical schools not built in sufficient numbers considering age of afflunece
23
Q
Britain never had it so good 1950s/60s- society- yes
A
Class divisions eroded- jeans and t shirt
Young working class men increased vacancies for professional admin- white collar- narrowed boundries for middle class
Butler education act grammar shcools
Domestic servants fell
More affordable luxuries tv- 0.25 to 65% pop owning
Growth supermarkets 50 to 572 1950-61- spagetti pizza, aubergine new
1955- itv started with advertss
24
Q
Britain never had it so good- no social tensions
A
Increased consumer spending and increased demand for foriegn goods led to upset balance of payments
1948 commonwealth no isa- young men notingham and nottinghill (1958 6 day riot)
Immigrants full civil rights- nhs benefus
Lots discrimination, lack assimilation myth of return
Increased unemp blamed on imigrants
Anti establihsment with cnd
Mods and rockers in magrate and brighten
Youth antiestbalihment with teddy boys, okrea, vietnam
Working class plays an media- look back in anger, a tadte of honey, the entertained
25
Britain never had it so good 1950s/60s - women- yes
Women working outside homei increased to 42%
Atlee appealed to women to work during econ crisis of 1947- 8 mill women by end of youear
Clearical sector increased- more possible jobs
Cconsumer products labour saving devisces ie washingg machiens
1963 contraceptive pill
Mid 1950s brith rate much lower than in previous decades, 4y rather than 15y in preganancy and early infancy (before return to work)
26
Britain never had it so good 1950s/60s - women no
Working mother frowned upon
Only equal pay in teaching and civil service so dependebt on men
Taught domestic science at school
1950 survey foudn 50% women bored of life- thus housewies register so could meet
Few women with degrees
27
Areas nationalised
Boe
Air transport
Minibg
Public transport
Electricity
Gas
Iron and steel
28
Boe nationalised
1946
Day to day by staff
Chancellor monetary policy ie interest rates
29
Electricity nationalised
1948 energy boards
Consistent proces and votlage
30
Cnd support
1/3 suported
Anti establishement
12,000 partyake in illegal protest
31
Ww2- food and rationing
Ministry of food 1940 lord woolton- sucessful manchester businessman gained respect for his system of rationinnsg
Loss of merchant shipping through u boat meant decrease food supply
Food rat8ioning 1940, almost all cnosumer goods either rration or in short supply 1942
Some thoght demoralisting- black market
Rationing cont until 1954
No waste campaigns
Did for war- allotmants and encourage dig up gardens
32
Ww2- organisations of llab
Ernest bevin- miniisiter of lab oversaw allocation of lab
Over 1 mill unemp 1940- bevin back to work
Young men bevin bboys to the mines
Women work in munitions and shipbulidng
4.5 mill enter
Bevin close attention to morale- music while you work bbc, lunctime netertainment, went to visit
Divert lab from consuner goods to staple and heavy industry- exaccerbate british decline
Grew trust for lab
33
War production
Aircraft production- lord beaverbrook- propriety daily express
Coal incustry main source fyule and power yet output disproportionately low- unmechanised, no lab saving devices
Greater use science to increase efficiency
34
Impact of blitz
1940-41
Anderson shelter producion 1938
Evacuation= children and some young nmothers to countryside
Gas masks
Air radi
Blackouts
School meals and milik keep health
Radar- detect plans so aor raid strike
Hitler failed to dampen mroale- increase unity
Queen mother after rbuckingham palace hit- can now look the east end of london in the eye
35
Emergency powers act 1939 and 40
Gave gov ability to bring into force regulations any aspect of lide defence of realm
1940 more effectrive wartime finance and direction of lab- greater centralisation of ogov
Ministries set up such as food, aircraft pridction, econ welfare
Cabinet comm coordinate industry- ministry of production, treasury financy
Conscription 18-41 , latr 51 in miilitary or industry
More interventionist
36
Why bop problem 1945-50
Invisible exports down- eless loans
Resources scarce
37
How la adapt bop
Cribbs oversaw
Resiouurce sdiverted to export to overcome demand
Marshallaaid 1948- spent capital
38
What did britain have to do as a result of debt
Shift towards what demand eprts- consumer goods export but not domestic
39
Sucess 1945-50 birtian econ
Exports increased 80% 46-50
40
Situation early 50s
Golden age or new elixabegan age
Austerity to affluence
Murfey econ recover due to internat conditions rrather than policies of con gov
Con inherited a defiict 1951
Unemp 1.6% fll 3%
Gdp higher than interwar
Leaidng companies royal dutch, shell rolls royse
Wages increase by 27% real wages 1951-6
Length of working week fell
Home ownership increase- cheap mortage and abolish lab land tax 1957 saw 300,000 new homes built
1955 itv launched commercial broadcasting
Butler cant expand welfare state and defence spending- state subsidies, finally food ration lifted 1954
41
Stop go policies
Gov hoped to avoid extremes of inflation and deflation by a series of adjustments - utilising reactionary fiscal and monetary polic
Butler chancellor raised interest rates 2-5% 1951-52
1955 boom- income tax cut 6d
1955-56 macmillan and butler increase hire purchase rates
1960 selwyn lloyd- 10% added purchase tax, increased import duties
Pay pauss introduced- no increase wages gov emp for 12 months
National incomes comm set up 1961-62 by gov- banks and tu to discuss prodiction targets, wages and cnetral planneing but unions eventually boycottted
42
Pros of stop go
Avoided extremes of inflation and delfation
And avoided extremes of bop inbalance
Kept unemployment low- under 3% full emp- avoid depress as 1930
People improve living standards
Luxuries from imports when import controls removed
43
Cons stop go
Utilised for political gain- manufature boom before elction 1955- cut income tax 6d
Deficit at end 48 mill more 64-51
Inflation still high wages demands
Reactionary and unplanned- chancellor thornycroft bumbble from one disastoer to another
Political crisis- thronycroft proposed cuts 163mill, macmills felt too deep resigned
1957 crisis
44
1957 crisis
Wages running far ahead of production
Run on the pound fear pound devaliue against ollar
Thonrneycroft monatrosm- other cabinet ministers esp macloed opposed as would lead to unemployment and cutback in houseing
Macnillian overruled and opted expanisonary econ policu in 1958
45
How sucessful was birtish econ 1945-64
Domestic good, international not,
St good, lt not
46
Unemp- 1945-64
About 1.6%, ful emp by bevin definition which was 3%
But unflation increasing nroe demand consumer goods and imports
47
Wage levels- 1945-64
Real wages rose - 27% real wages
Disposable ncome fall with stop go policies
Demand for imports and goods increase inflation and wodrsen defiict
48
Inflation- 1945-64
Never rose too high, wages still demand mroe
49
Productivity pros 1945-64
Superpits ni mining- modern safer tech
Nationalisation 20% industry 10% workforce- imporvements in gas and electriicty
Chemicals and car industry rose
Managerial techniques copied usa
1950 proress electronics, tevs and computers
Nuclear power develop electicity- calder hall first for commercial use
50
Productivity cons 1945-64
Nationalism costly in coal railways- with little imporvements
Con gov reversed nat of iron steel road transport- but cal maintained as too controversiql
Supposedly dyiing idnustries
51
Intgernat position 1945-64
Still growing gdp increase 2.7%, exports rise 4.1%
Yet compmared to west ger which has double growth or jpn 3x growth, 4x exports
52
New tech pros- 1945–64
Britain can make it- -vandalism a
Crippps main sponsor- exhibition as quesion of ational pride
Flounted best consumer goods- home and garden,hjewellry fashion
Advances in tech and science
Over 1.4mill visited inc 7000 traders from 67 countries- exports over 225mill
53
New tech cons 1945-64
Lt decline old industry
India tecxtiles,
Far east shipping 1956 14% world totla
Little investment due to cost of nuclear programme
Jpn outperform britisan in camera and electrical tech and motorcrylce production
54
Transport pros- 1945-64
Motorways constructed by 1964- 40 0 miles built
Road haulage denat- 29,000 lorries operating
Air tranpostr improved with jet engine -for commercial purposes late 194r0s
Motocracre imporvemnt design need for road imporvements
55
Transport cons - 1945-64
Costly
Accelerated declien in railway- beechings axe large amounts of trade diverted form train to lorries
56
The period 1939-64 saw little rel social change in britain
Loa yes more continuity than change
Wokring class
Youth
Women
Immigration)
57
Little social change= working class no
Growing affluence
Increase consumer goods - 85% pop own tv in 1964 domp 0.25% in 1945
Butlins in birghton and blackpool- more disposabel inocme
Increased whitye ocllar jobs clerical for wokring class- higher paid and blurred lines
Greater opp- butler education act 1944- tripartite system- social mobility on skill not bakcground
Fashion tshirt and bkue jeans clasless
58
Little social chane- y- wokring class
Butler education act not lead increased social mobility as middle class tutors rather expensive private school= working class resiatnt to difflife
Underfudned seocnfary modern and technical schools- students emerge without adequate qualifications to imporve job prospects
Already 1930s hire pruchase schemes- washing amchines and fitted kitchens- evolutionary not revoliutionary
Nterwar housing reform- greenwood 1930 and wheattley 1924= lg homes for heros= built without garage and high rise- assume no car
59
Little social change- no youth
Marwicj
Development teen culture due to increasing affluence as easry to find job
1mill per week kbuy latest records
Drainpipe ytorusers and minskirt- generational gap promiscousi
Rebellious mods and rockerts margate and brighton
Teddy boys subversive hairtyles- moral panick
American ifnluences- james dean aspirational ro vain and unrealistic
60
Youth0 yes little social change
Sandbrook- most not rebellious
Sensationalised moral panic by media
19mill potter around garden, 2 mill in persuit of fish boys ion saturay
Golden age of icnema arguably 1930s- 1938 1 bn ticket sbought, 80% unemp glasgow once per week
Generatioal gap smaller- cardigans and dresses
Sexual promiscuity- av amrriag feel to 23
61
Women- signif change
Greater sexual freeodm with conrtaceptive pill 1961-
Time woman preganant or infancy 15 *late 19th century) to 4y in 1954- but before epill
Greater employment in new industry - chenical car consumer goods
Marriage bar removed teaching, boe, civil service
Equal pay movement of 1950s led tu and womens organisation
62
Women little change
No equal pay until 1972 euqal pay act
Marriage bar not all industry 1973 foriegn office
Previaling attitutes cont barrier- working mothers
Domestic science at school
Contraceptive pill- side effects and other methods contraception already exist
63
Immigration signif change
Increase rapidly, windrush generation from commonwealth- civil rights
30,000 each year in 1950s, increaed to 60,000 1960s
New foods from immigrants
Tension and hostility race riots- notting hhill
Young men seenas threates
Myth of return not happen as families moved over
64
Immmigration minimal change
Always existed towards irish- no dogsn no irish no balcks on boarding houses
Churchill keel england white- plan deport immigrants
65
1946 coal production
25% pre war llevel
66
Lack of wilingness work with tu
1956 unions excluded from monopoolies and restrictive practices act- unions excluded from it slegislation
Crosladn described gov policy to the unions as ‘deferential […] the desire not to offend positively ostentatious’
But by 1958 tu on 850 gov comm even ones dedicated econ planning
67
Some positives in econ- diff opp
First licences for oil and gas drilling in north sea issued in 1963
Service sector increased its scale by 30% with 5m new jobs
68
How much gov spent on defence
Cold war
7.7% gdp
69
Poor use of money
Britian not use marshall plan effectievlyy
Ger rebuilt vw plant wolfsburg and fr electrified its railways
Gb steam engines used semaphore and porr tracks
70
Exampkel of poor quality british goods
Austen mini would leak- should be sold with wellington boots according to one journalist
71
Nedc stands for
National economic development council
72
Nic
National incomes commission
Reccomnations ignored by chancellor selwyn lloyd when imposed a credit squeeze and wage pause in 1961
73
Home ownership grew
326,000 new mortgages in 1960 alone
74
Tv ownership grew
300k to 13m
75
Housing shortages still
1.8m still lived in poverty or slums in 1960
76
Theatre
Satire grew
The entertainer- characterise tories
That was the week that was- rep the first time politicians questioned so reigourisly libe
77
Poor appt of home
Wislon - ‘scion of an effete establishment’
Marr- ‘extraordinary social narrowness’
78
St ecoomic problems in 60s
1963 rail strike
1961 pay pause under selwyn lloyd
Failure join eec due to special relationship with america
Slower growth to other countries
79
moral panic with increasing affluence
Hoggarts - the uses of literacy 1957- argues the negative effects of consumerism in undermining the british working cllass values and culture
Good sign for increasing affluence
80
Radical film
A taste of honey
Illustrates previously marginalised social groups
Protaganost pregant by nigerian sailor and befriends gay man
81
Less interference in private life
Wolfenden report 1957
82
Stat predominantly male immigranst
75% at start
83
More women working
1939-49 800,000 more in paid employment
84
Attitudes to married women working
1943 58%, 11% by 1965 disagree with married women working
85
Few women in high professions
1965 only 5% lawyers were women and only 5% hoc
86
Girls education
Domestic science
1959 crowther report confirmed that womens education biased towards domestic life
1963 newsom report said girls education should follow ‘broad themes of home making’ and schools provide a flat for girls to practise skills
87
Av age women married
1960s 22
2/3 births were to women under age 25
88
Britsih debt by 1945
Worlds largest debtor 3.5bn to other countries
89
Lab gov sucess econ 1945-51
Full employment maintained
Secure marshall aid- britain largest recipient
But lack lt planning hampered- failure eec, expenses korean warr
90
Taxes under lab
45% av, 90% richest
91
Broader impact ww2
Poudn devalued by 30T%
Lost 25% nat wealth
92
1960s was cultural rev
Marwick
93
Blair on 1960s
Era of ‘freedom without responsibility
A group of young people who were brought up without parental discipline
Suppoort role of mother disintergrate
94
Conventions fading
Booker- frenetic decade- conventiosn of dress lang and behavour seemd to be dissolbing like snow
95
Chatterly lover trial signif
In s wales female library assistants given permission to refuse to handle the book
Less than 1% identified chatterly trial as the most important event of the decade
96
Not revolution in sixties
Sandbrook
Started earlier with discussions of teenage afflunece and amerian influence starting as early as 1920s and 1930s
97
Traditional activities
More people attended church than went to football matches
98
Social classes still existed
Opinion polls found early 60s over 90% stated class structure still exist
99
Womens natural role jobs agreed with
Sandbrook
100
Still some domestic servants in 1960s
Estimated 600 working butelrs in 1960
101
Audience for queens coronation
20-27 mill people
102
Increasng role of women needed
Young thatcher wrote an article calleed ‘wake up, women!’ In sunday graphic
Equal chance of competing for rthe leading cabinet posts
103
Impact of ww2on civilians
Luftwaffe destoryed thousands of homes
60,000 civilians killed
300,000 men died in acction
104
Treasury doing badly post war
Treasury borrowed 30 bn from americans under lend lease programme
Owed rest of empire 3bn
By end 1945 had run up balance of payments deficit of 1bn
105
Mid 1950s change
Palpable sens of optimimin the air sandbrook
106
Very marginal votes between two parties
Between 1950-1970 average con vote 46% ad lab 45.7%
107
Middle class suppory for con
Throughout the fifties backed tories by ratio almost 4:1
108
Lower inflation sucessful
1959 inflation actually reached its lowest level since the war, less sthan 1%
109
Low growth
1958 econ grew by only 0.4%
110
Tax cuts signif
1959 expansionary policy
360 mill giveaway
More than 1955 butler
111
Sucess of stop go politcially
Summer 1958 gov opinion poll bgan to imporve gallup- voters were imrpessed with the consumer boom, low interest rates, macmillan personality, storng stand against militant tu tgwu
112
Ideal home exhibition
1956 more than mill people crowdied into olympia in hammersmith for ideal home eexhibition
113
Electricity in homes stat
1956 86%
114
Relaxing of hire purchase controls
1954- rush for affluence
115
Already growing affluence
jb priestly 3 englands, new england affluene anticipated in 1950s
116
Husband still more powerful
thout to control family puse strings
Some working class housewives in n eng and scot still asked their husbands permission before epsending money on themselves
Sandbrook
117
Increase ownershiop consumer gods
Wasing machine 54%, refridgerators 58%
118
Household items imporve womens lives
Hotpoint machine washing machine called the ‘liberator’ to appeal exhausted housewife
119
Moral panic elsewhere
Early fifties comics campaign council and national union of teachers waged an implacable campaign against american ‘horror comics’- tales of grave robbers, monsters and flesh eaters
Led to children and young persons (harmful publications act) 1955 effectively prohibiting the sale of offending american imports
