Major and society Flashcards
Britain at start of 90s v end of 90s regarding social liberalism
At starts largely socially conservative but by end had become much more socially liberal
Government and homosexuality
Negative under Thatcher, first AIDS case referred to as ‘gay plague’
Govt. did set up prevention campaign ‘88, needle exchanges and leaflets handed out
Diana shook hangs w/ AIDS patient, challenging stigmas
‘Loony left’ accused of promoting homosexuality
Section 28 passed banning promotion in local authorities
What groups emerged challenging government on homosexuality?
Outrage! formed ‘90, threatening to ‘out’ gay MPs
Stonewall took test cases to ECHR to challenge unequal age of consent for gay ppl, claimed it an infringement on their human rights, lowered from 21 to 19 in ‘94
Marriage + families
Divorce rates at record high + children to unmarried parents 12% early 80s to 30% early 90s
Lilley (Sec of state) sang song at Tory Party conference ‘ladies get pregnant just to jump the housing queue’
In response, Child Support Agency est. ‘93 ensuring parents paid maintenance for their children
Issue of under-age sex
Campaign led by Victoria Gillick against availability of contraceptive advice to underage girls w/out parents consent
Initially high court ruled in favour but overruled by Lords ‘85
Mary Whitehouse
Back again, ‘video nasty’ campaign influenced passing of Recording Act ‘94 ensuring films had classifications on them
Major’s view on society
Not a traditional Tory, wanted classless society so mood in nation to challenge traditional structures of authority
Why were the Royal’s increasingly facing scrutiny?
Ppl expected a certain standard from them
3/4 Queen’s kids marriages ended in divorce and cases of affairs
Public opposition to funding restoration of Windsor Castle after fire in ‘92, resulting in Queen shortening Civil List and paying tax on her private income
Anti-establishemnt and art
Young British Artists (inc. Emin, Hirst + Lucas) set out to challenge traditional art, used different materials + processes not usually associated w/ art e.g animals
Youth culture and anti-establishment
^ in acid house music arrived from US
‘88 + ‘89 nicknamed ‘second summer of love’ due to no of raves and free parties
^ use of MDMA caused moral panic so Justice and Public Order Act passed ‘94 allowing police to break up these raves
Anti-establishment and environment
Protests against road developments inc. M3 extension + M11 link-road
Brough together a wide-range of ppl who used variety of direct action methods to delay or block process e.g chain themselves to trees
Third wave feminism
Broader than financial and legal equalities, wanted to break down female stereotypes
Pop culture and women
Riot Grrrl movement- bands like Bikini Kill were punk + sang about feminist issues
‘Girl Power’ led by Spice Girls mid 90s
Buffy Vampire Slayer + ‘ladette’ culture shown by Zoe Ball, women talk about alcohol, sex etc.
Women and politics
Thatcher showed women could achieve highly but did nothing to promote feminism, only 1 female in cabinet
Betty Boothroyd became first female speaker of house ‘92
Labour had female-only shortlists- divisive issue, no. of female MPs rose to 120
Women and workplace
By ‘93, 68% women employed, gender pay gap improved but women still earned 80% of men
‘Poverty trap’ made it less profitable for women to work than receive benefits but still many working women in cities
Women now tax separately from husbands + rape within marriage now illegal ‘94
