Britain 23- Social and cultural developments Flashcards
(27 cards)
what impact did the festival of britian have?
many people felt they were on the edge of a new modern world, a world of technological and social progress
what different factors contributed to the changes in social attitudes during the 1950s?
-growing affluence + consumerism
-exposure to new ideas via television + cinema
why was there a desperate need for housing development?
to replace war damage and deal with the decay of the housing stock that had been neglected for the previous decade
what improvements to housing occurred during 1950s?
-pre-war slums cleared
-new towns built like Harlow and Kirkby
-new towns planned by Labour in 1940s like Stevenage rapidly expanding
what impact did slum clearances have on society?
established traditional communites were broken up and in many cases town centres found themselves seperated by a belt of dereliction and neglect (intensified by private car ownership)
how much had mens wages increased during 1951-1961?
1951-61, mens weekly wages increased from £8.30 to £15.35
experiences of farmers during 1950s?
did very well economically, encouraged by continuation of generous state subsidies
when did food rationing end?
1954
how was home ownership changed during 1950s?
increased as easier to access to cheap mortgages but no. of people living in council houses and rented accomodations still significantly outnumbered private owners
which consumer goods increased in ownership during 1950s and how?
televisions, washing machines, new furniture + refrigerators bought on hire purchase
what was a visible sign of affluence associated with tv?
increase in commercial broadcasting, especially after the ITV launched age of commercial broadcasting in 1955
how did leisure activities improve during 1950s?
-boom in car ownership changing ideas of holidays + leisure
-holiday camps reached peak popularity in 1950s, with 60,000 people each week with Butlins
-foreign holidays only accessible to 2% of population
what event caused a great spur in the purchase of tv sets?
the queen’s coronation 1953
what did television and radio licenses increase from and to 1951-55?
1951- 764,000
1955- 4 mill
what new shows began showing on tv by later 1950s?
US style game shows and coronation street
why did youth culture change so much?
-increasingly more time + money
-labour saving devices meant girls no longer had to help their mothers around the house
-dressed differently to parents + listened to diff music
how did youth culture change during the 1950s?
-had money to buy records + fashion
-magazines + TV programmes aimed specifically at this group
-changes in tech like transistor radio helped spread culture
who were the “Teddy boys”?
-most obvious example of youth sub- culture
-wore long coats, narrow trousers + winklepicker shoes
-associated with juvenile delinquency
when did rock and roll reach Britain and how?
1955 with aritists like Elvis Presley
what was the ‘British new wave’?
where writers and filmmakers would challenge attitudes to the class system
what was the establishment?
term for the informal networks that connected social and political elites. (privileged people who ‘knew the people who mattered’
how was britain in 1951 different from Britain in mid 1950S?
1951:
-deferential and conformist
-ingrained respect for authority
-recognise class distinctions through fashion or way of speaking
mid 1950s:
-loss of deference
-w-c families= greater degree of wealth + started to get attributes of m-c respectability
how did television and cinema challenge old class expectations?
increasingly aired satirical entertainment which ridiculed ideas about social class and made fun of authority figures
what impact did the suez crisis have on views of authority?
undermined status of politicians as exposed blatant lying +manipulation by govt
