Class and social values Flashcards
(37 cards)
How was Britians class/social hierarchy split up?
Into four main social classes/groups that decided a persons status/place in society.
Who were the industrial working classes?
People who worked as manual labourers/skilled craftsmen in factores, mines, docks and/or railways.
in tight knit communities.
had specialised skills and aspired to join middle classes.
who were the lower middle classes?
workers in semi- skilled clerical jobs/ small business owners who tended to their own homes.
who were the middle classes
professionals (doctors/lawyers/bankers/civil servants) who did highly specialized tasks.
who were the upper classes?
family with old money, land, titles, inherited wealth.
. represented in house of lords
. supporters of tories.
. upper class army officers in ww1.
what was the tendency for how upper classes should be treated?
ppl in positions of power/upper class were respected/trusted to lead the countries insitutions.
. they were meant to be treated with deference by those in lower social order.
. however impact of both wars, led to social changes.
how did the first world war lead to a decline in deference?
the high death toll (700,000) men from britian, shook the confidence the working class had in the upper class that led them
also life in trenches led to more working class and middle class intermingeling
this led to a decline in deference in which upper/middle classes were heald… and declined further throughout twentieth century.
how did ww1 lead to decline in upper classes?
death toll amonst britians upper classes was rlly high
many families were corced to pay death dutities for those payed
this lead to a decline in aristrocacy as elder sons often had to sell land/stately home to pay these off.
before 1914, less than 10% of working class owned it– risen to 33% in 1930.
. upper class couldnt afford to keep their big homes (sold to national trust, or became skls/hotels).
how did ww1 lead to a greater equality?
led to a more democratic society.
1918 representation of the people act meant that ppl in work could improve their living standards in interward years.
many ppl felt more equal as prices fell faster than wages, and they could have a more affluent way of living compared to their parents.
how was housing an indication of improcing living standards?
there was a growth in the the construction of houses for owner- occupiers.
. the number of owner occupiers rose from 750,000 in early 1920s to 3,250,000 by 1938.
also in suburbs there was increased car ownership!
why did the british government fear open revolt in parts of the country (clyeside) in 1919?
because of long term economic factors, but also how attitudes of working class to others changed.
in 1926, during general strikes, a newpaper that tended to represent the views of middle classes, actually attacked strikers saying it was unpatriortic.
. middle class volunteered to break the strike.
what was happening with strikes after ww1?
However strikes/class conflicts like in 1926 were acc rare and in decline, and tories enjoyed the widespread working/middle class support they got in elections.
how were trade unions affected by great depression?
the experience of the great depression undermined working class solidatiry as union membership rapidly declined due to unemployment and while some regions like south wales were affected there was a growth in new jobs.
unions in rich areas were more likely to strike in solidatarity with poorer workers.
what was the impact on class of ww2?
during ww2 ppl wanted a more equal britian after the war.
. they thought that war would make britian a classless society.
. the experience of evacuation abd rationing that all social classes had to do established a sense of unitity and kind of reduced class barriers.
however little change acc happened during the war and distinctions did also remain.
. richer kids were evacuated to more affluent rural homes.
what were post war attitudes
the 1945 general election at the end of ww2 saw parties campaiging for greater state intervention.
nationalisation and welfare state by labour massively changed peoples lives.
however ideas on class did not change too much.
britians class sytem/deference still remained intact as some ppl thought that elite private skls should be abolished but abour was not gonna do this.
bigger changes were still to come throught the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s.
What did the period 1950’s-1960’s see?
An increase in affluence, consumer choice.
Rising living standards and authority/deference changing.
Ideas on abortion, marriage, class, everything changed.
This period had reforms of law and there was a more liveral society.
Many people enjoyed this new prosperity, but some did not like the social change, and growth of materialism and consumerism.
How was there a decline in deference during the 50’s/60s?
Rationing ended in 1954, and consumer credit relaxation led to working class enjoying new prosperity.
ideas about social class/mobility were challenged and people started to question the system.
tv and cinema exposed audiences to satiracal entertianment ridiculing social class.
What was the satire boom of the late 50’s/early 60’s and how did this show a decline in deference (include Aftermyth of the war, That was the week that was, beyond the fringe)
There was a popular stage show in 1960 called beyond the fringe, and it attracted controversy for making fun of britians army/upper class.
there was a sketch called the aftermyth of the war, which scorned britians war effort.
tv programe THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS, combined satiracal humour with interviews of politicians.
clear change in public attitudes to authority (making fun of authroity)
What was the British New Wave + Saturday night, Sunday morning?
britians change of attidues towards class system was called this.
Lots of new novels about working class ppl.
in saturday night sunday morning (the novel 1958, film 1960P there was a young working class man ARTHUR SEATON, who enjoys new consumerism, but is an angry working class man who hates his authority
shows how working class ideas of aurhotiry/respect were in decline.
Why were sex scandals rising, and what happened at Cliveden?
in 1963, there was lots of sex scandals. resulted because the new growth of satire, which means more coverage but also more acceptance.
. Cliveden was a wealthy family estate, with known figures, and rumours (from magazines like private eye), said how sex parties occured here.
What was the Profumo affair?
It was alleged that MINISTER OF WAR, John Profumo was sharing a 19 year old partner, christine keeler, with a soviet attache.
There was no evidence, that profumo had given any state evidence to keeler, or that keeler had an affair with the soviet attache- still blackmail evidence.
, Before profumo scandal, the sex lives of royal family/politicians was ignored by press. but in 1963, the profumo scandal was featured on front pages of daily express, daily mail, mirror.
What was the impact/effect of the profumo affair?
People were shocked by the sexual activity.
Profumo had to resign, and some people also thought it was the reason of the defeat of government
The scadal was significant in decline of deference in british society- as people were shocked that this was happening and people were lying.
loss of respect.
What was the liberal society?
During mid-1960’s, newspaper journalists argued that a sexual revolution had occured.
. the gov had to also make law more liberal for homosexuality/abortion (but did not transfer immediately to public attitudes.
What were attitudes to sex in 1950, and was this reflective in actions or more in how they spoke about it?
In 1950;s the view that state had role in regulating sexual behaviour accepted.
. However by 1949, less than 1/10 of population had any sex education.
. Popular view was that british were reserved, but this is not true.
. cases of venereal disease were high
. from 1930’s onwards, growing demand for books about sex (3 million copies of love without fear, about sex, sold in 1964)
showed, how britian did not rlly experience a huge sexual revolution, but their behaviour had steadily been changing through century.
. What actually changed was how more open they were to discussing sex.
