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The affluent society: social developments 1951-64 - Coggle Diagram
The affluent society: social developments 1951-64
Affluence and consumerism
ITV launched in 1955.
Car ownership rose by 25% between 1957 and 1959
Growth of consumer goods, TV, washing machines etc.
In the 1960s, 60,000 people holidayed a week at Butlins as people had more disposable income.
Holidays abroad were a luxury enjoyed by less than 2% of the population.
The television was becoming more important than the radio.
The position of women
Only 1 in 5 women went out to work in 1951.
Family allowance was paid to women to ensure they didn't have to work.
The average age of marriage was 21.
Women were financially dependent on men, with bank accounts and mortgages being in mens name.
Women were viewed as housewives and mothers in the 50s.
By 1964 the number of working women had increased but it was still relatively uncommon for married women to work.
People believed it would be damaging for children if mothers worked.
Youth culture
Due to the post-war baby boom there was 5 million teenagers in 1959 in Britain.
The 'Teddy Boys' youth subculture were linked with rising crime.
The rockers were influenced by rock and roll.
Emergence of the 'teenager'.
The mods wore smart suits and preferred pop music
May 1964 Brighton riots - the mods and rockers clashed.
Race and immigration
The new commonwealth increased the number of immigrants which caused both social change and tensions.
By 1958, about 210,00 commonwealth migrants had settled in Britain.
1958, Notting Hill riots - Encouraged by right-wing politician Oswald Mosley, white youths attacked the primarily Afro-Caribbean residents of Notting Hill. The police reasonse reflected wider racial discrimination.
Public attitudes to immigration was mixed .
There wa s also lots of outward migration from Britain . In the 60s nearly 2million Britons migrated to other countries.
Changing social attitudes & tensions
Increased social tensions were reflected in film and TV. E.g. racial violence was the themes of the crime thriller ‘Salphire’.
There was a drive to breakdown censorship and social taboos. E.g. ‘a taste of honey’ which told teh story of a unmarried pregnant young woman with a black man.
However, there was socially conservative backlash to the new ‘immorality’ of society, led by Mary Whitehouse.
Rising living standards
There were massive increases in private savings.
Food rationing ended in 1954.
In 1951 Britain's infrastructure was run-down and there was a desperate need for new housing to replace was damage.
Homeownership increased, helped by cheap mortgages but people living in council houses and rented accomodation still outnumbered homeowners in Britain in the 50s.
Class and the 'establishment'
The rise of the CND (campaign for nuclear disarmament) encouraged the tendency to challenge authority.
The press coverage of the Profumo affair showed the decline in deference.
The 1965 Suez Crisis exposed blatant lying and manipulation by the government.
The conservative governments of the time appeared to be dominated by the 'establishment' with Macmillan's government including a duke and 3 earls.
Critics of the Establishment believed that Britain was being held back by its ruling elite.