4.1 - Living standards Flashcards
(60 cards)
1
Q
What did gov hope for post-WW1 and what happened shortly after?
A
- Hope: consumer boom - revive struggling econ
- Initial assumption: end of shortages + rationing end + other controls = success
- Firms recalibrated prices 9peace), rising prices, little production regulation
- LS rise as demobbed soldiers return to work + families have money to spend
- Britain had ONLY 2 year boom
2
Q
What did the post-WW1 boom fail to do?
A
- generate high employment levels for demobilised men
- caused econ crisis + decline in LS
- GD of 30s exacerbated (but regional differences impacted)
3
Q
What did the short lived boom result in?
A
- 1920 end: 1 million unemployed (1/3 = ex-servicemen)
- Beggars with medals often appeared
- Unemployment = LS cut but not uniform
- Areas with new industries = less severe unemployment
- 1932: about 12% in elec appliance manufacture unemployed VS 70% in shipbuilding
- Young women maintained employment (teachers, nurses) therefore many resented being able to buy ‘fripperies’ at Woolworth’s counter whilst men unemployed
4
Q
How did regional differences play into the economic hardship of the 20s and 30s
A
- Heavy industry decline (ship building, coal, cotton, iron): hit LS hard in concentrated areas
- LS disparity of poor / wealthy areas widened
- 1932 (height of GD): London + SE = 11% unemployment rates vs almost 40% in Wales
- Areas (eg: S Wales coal fields + shipbuilding regions: Clyde & Tyne + previously busy ports like Liverpool) slumped
5
Q
What was a persistent factor for many unemployed families in depressed areas
A
- Hunger
- 1933 survey: unemployment benefits insufficient for minimum diet recommended by MoH
- Only using 30s that true sci understanding of impact of nutrition shortages + understanding of causes of deficiency diseases (eg: rickets)
- Depressed areas: meat + fresh veg rare
6
Q
What was the disparity based on gender for hunger during the GD?
A
- WC women > men when food insufficient
- Mothers ensured children + men (breadwinners) ate first
- Women’s health = disproportionate impact
- Staples (eg: bread, margarine, tea) made most meals
- Little money for other things therefore homes, clothes, possessions more worn, shabby + irreplaceable if lost / damaged
7
Q
What did the impact of the ‘tick’ have on WC families?
A
- Managed to make ends meet using ‘tick’ from local greengrocers
- poorer areas: local pawnbroker allowed money borrowing
8
Q
Still, what was the holistic view of the GD?
A
- Pure poverty, hunger, hardship for all not true: some areas saw rise in LS
- After 1933: light industries (eg: household appliance production) are in SE
- Prosperous areas = consumer boom
9
Q
to what extent did migration for work occur during GD?
A
- 1931 census: movement to London (pop = 8Mn)
- No great wholesale migration to work areas
- BECAUSE: uncertainties as far less mobile era therefore many reluctant to move away from families when job not guaranteed
10
Q
What happened as the economy recovered from depression?
A
- LS improved for all in work
- Still pockets of depressed areas
11
Q
What did the consumer boom entail?
A
- Household elec appliances (washing machines, vacuums, etc…) often purchased on credit by MC families
- 1930: 200,000 vacuum cleaner sales / year
- 1938: 400,000 “
- 300% increase in elec cooker sale from 1930-5
12
Q
Why did the consumer boom of the 30s occur?
A
- More homes electrified + new suburban housing estates
- Home electrification greatly improved LS
- before consumer boom of 50s: growing market for consumer goods
- Supplied by chains (eg: M7S, Sainsbury’s) + advertising and PR industries helped build consumer demand
13
Q
How can the beginnings of teenage culture be seen in the 30s?
A
- Young ppl spending money on clothes, records + dancing, day trips
14
Q
What were the changes in food during the 30s?
A
- Wider variety: imported fresh fruit = improved diets (some believe harmful to children)
- STILL most fruit in tins + evaporated milk
- Prices for basic foodstuff (tea, sugar, veg, milk) fell
- Even for less affluent
- Late 20s: 20,000 fish and chips shops in Britain - fish = 2p + chips = 1p (affordable treat)
15
Q
What were the changes in housing in the 30s?
A
- Overcrowded inner-city terraces -> suburban council houses
- 90% of 1.1Mn council houses built in interwar years on new estates
- Owner-occupiers increased (1914: 10% owned homes but 1938: 32%)
- DUE TO: gov policy
- Decent houses in London = 450 GBP
- Outside London small bungalow = 250 GBP
- Older homes = 125 GBP in less affluent regions
- Less than cost of new small car
16
Q
What happened in the late 30s?
A
- Gov spending increase = prep country for war + economy recovery
17
Q
What aspects of life did gov intervene in during WW2 and what did this result in?
A
- Food supply
- Clothing
- Other essential items
- Pressure on LS due to rationing as resources diverted to army
- Period of austerity in immediate post war years
18
Q
Yet what were some positive outcomes of wartime?
A
- Better employment prospects + pay
19
Q
What other aspect of the war drastically impacted LS ?
A
- Bombing of cities
- Many homes destroyed
20
Q
What was the effect of rationing on LS?
A
- Ensured most of population had same limited access to food irregardless of money
21
Q
What was the Ministry of Food and what did it do?
A
- 1940: Creation of Ministry of Food had 50,000 administrators - almost all foodstuffs (meet, fish, dairy, luxuries: coffee, chocolate) allocated by ration cards
22
Q
How did rationing work?
A
- Every ration book holder allocated points / month to spend on what wanted
- Gave degree of choice
- Other essential items (soap, clothing, paper, fuel, kitchen utensils) controlled by rationing units war end
23
Q
What accompanied the restriction in food availability to help public attitudes?
A
- Gov public info campaigns: emphasised thriftiness + ‘make do and mend’ mentality
- Ideas of how to make food go further + healthiest & most nutritious food available
24
Q
What were substitutes for normal foodstuffs generally like and an example?
A
- Unpleasant, unappetising
- National loaf: grey-looking bread that helped white flour shortage
- Widely agreed unpleasant: 1/7 consumers preferred to normal bread
25
What was the impact of restaurants being subjected to rationing in 1942?
- Prevented resentment from WC households who saw wealthier families subvert restrictions and eating well
- Restricted in how much could serve + very limited amount of meat / fish available
26
What was the overall impact on health from rationing
- Whilst felt that LS declined during war for many actually improved, specifically lower classes
- Health improved because food supplemented with vitamins and minerals
- Lower classes gained better access to food
- Level of infant mortality fell during war years
27
What were the increases in new jobs and what did they lead to during the war?
- Civilian munitions workers = good pay standards + working conditions thanks to TU negotiations
- Avg pay for workers increased during war despite only using money as much as rations allowed
28
What was established to give women munitions workers greater freedom?
- Creches established in factories of many essential war industries
- Nov 1941: first set up but in 6 months: 667 creches either open / being set up
28
What was the impact of mass bombing on housing?
- 40,000 deaths
- Destruction of 2Mn town & city homes
- Rural countryside not directly affect
- Gave town planners & architects opportunity to rebuild and modernise (eg: Coventry city centre)
- Following pre-war Taylor-walters report which specified min. space + room numbers & restricted to 12 houses/ acre
- Moved to homes with bathrooms, kitchens, modern appliances + gardens to cultivate
28
What happened to rationing after end of WW2?
- Some rationing remainedL LAP gov forced bread ration 1946-8 (Daily mail: most hated measure ever)
- Other non-foodstuffs: clothing (1949) + wood
29
What was the change in furniture production post WW2?
- 1942-52 = utility furniture: designed use as little wood as possible
- restricted to newly married couples + those 'bombed out' in war
30
Why did the LAP gov have to continue some rationing?
- Britain bankrupt by WW2
- 55% of food imported but did not have foreign currency reserves to pay for all imports needed
- 1945: Lend-lease agreement - USA ended Britain's wartime financial life
31
What did the continue in rationing result in and what did this combine with?
- Difficulty to raise LS
- overseas commitments (feeding part of Germany under UK control + fighting in Greece + re-establishment of British control in asian countries (Malaya)) = home spending impacted
32
How did Britain's defence commitments grow in the 50s?
- Korean War: diverted resources from civilian econ to rearmament (1950: 23% of GDP = defence spending)
33
What was the impact of the 1946-7 winter
- Extreme heavy snow = expose extent of Britain's post-war econ fragility
- Significantly impacted LS
- Dec 1946 - March 1947: country partly paralysed by snow & ice
- Normally not problem but depleted coal stocks from war = shortages
- Families who relied on coal to heat homes used elec fires (increased strain on national grid)
- Elec supply to industry + home cut by minister for fuel and power to 19 hours/ day
- Cold homes factory closures, unemployment & gov feared run out of food
- 1/4 of all british sheep lost, root veg frozen to ground + food reserves declined to extent that Aus + Canadian citizens posted food parcels to British families
33
What did LAP gov believe would result in LS rising and what did they do?
- Planned economy
- 1950 manifesto accepted food + other essential items shortages as inevitability
- Meanwhile CP campaigned to end rationing ASAP
- Reduced labour's majority therefore seriously misread public mood & contributed to 1951 electoral defeat
33
How was the issue of homelessness dealt with quickly post-war?
- Destruction of homes in war = pre-fabricated homes (quickly + cheaply assembled)
- Catford (SE London): Excalibur estate (1945-6)
- product of 1944 housing and temporary housing accommodation act
- Pre-fabricated homes: small 2 bedroom bungalows designed max 10 years with wooden walls + flat roofs
- Problems with damp and cold but many recorded immense satisfaction and happiness
34
What was a different kind of prefab homes?
- Airey houses: made of pre-cast concrete frames
- persistent cold + damp problems
34
What was an easy solution to the large losses of WC inner-city houses?
- Flat blocks
- 1951: Lawn flats (harlow, essex) - first gen of 'point' blocks (all accessible from central landing + lift)
- Given official approval by festival of Britain
- seen as attractive, modern, scientific solution
34
What was another housing development with close connections to the festival?
- Labsbury estate (poplar, E London) heavily bombed
- Planned 1943, work began 1949
- Designed so neighbourhoods within had close access to amenities (schools, shops, social clubs)
- Chrisp street inc in festival of Britain (indoor market)
35
What was the festival of britain
- 1951: celebrated centenary of great exhibition
- Boost exports + showcase British manufacturing and sci after post-war austerity
- Hope raise moral over 3 years of taking place
- Focal pointL London's South bank (former warehouse district with modern new riverside embankment and gardens)
- Showcase future of housing as modern new towns built while victorian slums cleared
36
What was the New towns act of 1946?
- Created 14 new towns in Britain
- Designed relieve overcrowded WC districts of big cities (London, Birmingham, etc...)
- New towns (eg: stevenage, telford, Cumbernauld) used modern architecture and town planning
- Reped increase in LS for many WC families who previously lived in slums as first time on suburban estate
37
What did the post-war period from the 50s onwards see and thanks to what?
Improved housing conditions + full employment possible reality = development of consumer society
38
What did the post-war decades see in terms of LS?
- Longest sustained improvement in British history
- AKA 'affluent society': people achieved LS forebears could not have imagined as spending power rose
- Despite inflation reaching double digits overall LS improved
39
What were the key factors in the rapid growth of LS?
- Global econ boom in post war era
- Britain's welfares state ensured basic LS for most of population
- Relatively low energy prices until early 70s
- LAP + CP commitment to full employment
- Strong TU able negotiate high wages for members
- Increasing availability of consumer credit
- Rises in avg wages since 1945
40
What did Harold Macmillan's 'never had it so good' statement reflect form 1957?
- Decade before: food shortages
- Late 50s: econ recovery
- Mixed economy (welfare state, NHS, free edu, booming priv industry) successfully provided most of population's material needs + luxuries
- Still exceptions to picture of overall growth and still some problems for society
41
What were the changes that occurred in consumer spending from 1951 onwards?
- 1957: spent just over 1Bn GBP on consumer goods rising to 1.5Bn by 1960
- rate of consumption of luxuries dramatically increased in short time frame
- 1959: wages double what were in 1950 = more spending power
42
What was money spent on often from the 50s onwards?
- Labour-saving devices in home (vacuum cleaners, washing machines, fridges)
- Ownership dramatically increased: 1955 only 17% of homes had washing machine but 11 years risen to 60%
43
What was the impact of the growth of labour saving devices for women?
- Consumption growth took much of drudgery out of women's household chore = changed role (work done in week done in hours now)
- Married women in adverts and TV shows as 'housewives' in charge of kitchen with help of modern consumer products
- Advertisers + manufacturers appealed to women who often managed household budget
44
What did the relaxation of consumer credit from 1954 do?
- Allowed WC families buy consumer goods eg:
- Household furnishings, TVs, fitted kitchens, cars
- Borrowing to afford luxuries increased rapidly (demand for TV sets rose by 10%) in 1955
- Shopkeepers selling elec announced delays of up to 3 months while new stock ordered
45
what was the perception of buying on credit during the interwar years?
- Less morally acceptable, particularly for WC
- 'respectable' people liven within means and didn't borrow
- 50s: invasion of idea and respectability often through purchasing desirable, new products
46
How much did consumer choice change in the 70s?
- Econ shocks of 70s barely slowed consumer spending / expansion of consumer choice
- British tastes for foreign food + drink grew rapidly due to cheaper travel + access to overseas holidays + rapid growth of supermarket chains with low-cost food & choice
47
What happened to the number of towns in the 60s?
- More towns created = success of 1946 NTA
- 1961-4: Runcorn, Redditch, Washignton, Livingston all became new towns along with Milton Keynes in 1967
- Inner city families could move due to increased affluence as prices stable whilst real wages rose by 130% in 1955-69
- Architects & critics tended view new towns as artificial and lifeless but not experience of most
- Central heating, hot water, garden, green spaces, shop + amenities access = life in these towns attractive
48
What is the concept of admass?
- JB priestly: new society in which mass consumption + advertising = superficiality
- Reped anxieties about growth of new consumer society
- American brands dominating market (eg: ford, hoover, Heinz) led to fears of 'americanisation' of british culture
49
What study was conducted to see consumption behaviour?
- 1953 habits of teenage girls: clothing preferences + hair arrangements of American actresses impacted spending habits of girls all over (from little town in Durham to central London)
50
To what extent did poverty remain in Britain during the growth of the consumer society?
- Still pocket of deep deprivation despite improvement in life quality for millions
- 1966: housing charity shelter founded help 12,000 homeless people nationwide and tens of thousands in temporary accommodation
51
What was life like for those in poverty during the consumer boom?
- Unable enjoy consumerism instead forced struggle to survive
-1967: 7.5Mn people still lived under poverty line often in cold, damp, dirty homes
- 1963: Manchester still had 80,000 slum houses without running water, heating, inside toilets
- Most of them overcrowded, depriving residents of privacy
52
Who were the most vulnerable in communities with poverty?
- Elderly
- 1965: 1.5Mn elderly people lived alone, many on small pensions
- Quality of life often poor due to dirty, insanitary living conditions, poor diet, loneliness
- Plight rarely discussed in national/ local newspapers which focused on attracting young audiences with disposable incomes
53
What were high rise flats?
- 60s: new 'system-built' high-rise flats created replace terraced housing in inner-city areas
- 2 architects: Jack Lynn and Ivor Smith described as 'streets in the skies'
54
What were the flaws of high rise flats?
- Cold, damp affected thousands
- 1968: explosion at roan point flats London killed 3 with national attention
- When investigators examined building for gas leak: found builders used old newspapers instead of concrete in certain parts and some places structurally unsafe
- Other projects left families stranded in cold, draughty concrete flats one states that suffered rising crime levels
