3. Society in transition 1918-79
❖ Class and social values
❖The changing role and status of women
❖ Race and immigration
Class and social values
Class, social change and the impact of wars 1918-51
Social class largely determines a person’s status and place in society. The British class
system was organised into 4 main groups: Industrial working classes, Lower middle classes,
middle classes and upper classes.
The upper class
They are distinguished by their dress, education and land ownership. Their hobbies were
hunting, shooting etc. Horse-racing was a must for the upper classes.
➔ WW1 contributed to the decline of the elite in 2 key ways: it took a heavy toll on their
lives. Around 20% of Old Etonians (former student of Eton college) died in the war as
they were expected to be in the front because they were officers. Secondly, the cost of
the war led to the increase in income tax and death duties (tax paid by inheritors of
property over a certain value). Death duties increased overtime which made the estates
harder to pay for. These changes led to the gentry (wealthy and most powerful)
selling off almost a quarter of all land in England between 1918 and 1920.
➔ The upper class lost their grip on political power. The rise of Labour led to the decline
of elite-power in the House of Commons. Wealthy landowners used to make up 40% of
MPs, then 5% by 1945
➔ The 1937 Country Houses Scheme allowed families to live in their homes rent-free if
they transferred ownership to the National Trust and open the house to the public for
60 days a year. Many wanted to preserve the landed elite and did this, the country
house was a goal for most rich Britons.
The middle class
They had great wealth and leisures. The divide between middle and upper class was based on
land ownership. Their leisures also distinguishes them.
➔ Lower middle class worked hard to not be the working class, not only in jobs but their
leisure pursuits
➔ Wartime inflation feared middle-class savings and income. They unfairly blamed
trade-union for pushing up wages and prices.
➔ However, the war led to an increase in middle-class employment and the expansion of
clerking jobs for women
, ➔ Home-ownership became a defining characteristic of middle-class status. 60% of
the middle-class were home-owners.
➔ The middle class had membership of certain clubs and societies, like local golf
club etc
The working class
WW2 led to a greater change than the first.
➔ The working class was varied with skilled workers in construction, unskilled labourers
and criminal underclass. Full employment during both wars helped them to be
respectable working class
➔ The trade union movement suffered from the effects of the slump after WW1, but those
in work enjoyed rising wages and lower working hours
➔ Rationing helped promote working-class health and life-expectancy rose
➔ Although the state provided a basic safety net, many continued to live in squalid
housing with poor diets. There were no mass protests about the inequality of wealth in
Britain
The impact of WW1
Even though class was still determined by status, there were changes which were impacted
by WW1.
Decline in deference
Life in the trenches resulted in working and middle class men interacting with each other
which led to a decline in deference
Decline in the upper classes
Many of the upper class died in the war and the families were forced to pay death duties for
those killed. Elder sons often had to sell their land or homes to pay these. Many aristocrats
couldn’t maintain their grand homes so they were sold to the National Trust.
Greater equality
The experience of war resulted in a more democratic society. People in work could improve
their living standards and the depression prices fell faster than waged which led to many people
feeling more equal
WW2 saw greater changes.
The impact of WW2
Mass Observation reported that working-class had the desire of a more equal Britain
after the war
➔ Evacuation, the experience of being homeless through bombing, hardships of rationing
cause all people to co-operate and interact more
, ➔ However, Mass Observation suggests that very little social change happened during
the war and class distinctions remained
Post-war attitudes
The General election at the end of WW2 saw both parties campaigning for greater state
intervention, suggesting that attitudes towards the role of the government have changed.
However, ideas about social class seemed to not have shifted
→ Britain’s class system and privilege remained largely untouched.
The bigger changes were from a more liberal society in the 50s, 60s and 70s.
The emergence of the ‘liberal society’ and it’s opponents 1951-79
Liberal values= people with the liberal values embrace greater choice and freedom to sexuality
etc
Decline of deference
An end to rationing enabled working-class households to enjoy a level of prosperity they
dreamed of. It also meant that traditional ideas about community, social class and
mobility became challenged.
→ Television and cinema exposed audiences to ‘satirical’ entertainment which ridiculed
ideas of social class
The ‘satire boom’
This is one example of a decline in deference. In 1960, a rebellious stage show ‘Beyond the
Fringe’ attracted controversy for making fun at Britain’s establishment.
→ ‘That was the week that was’ was the first time that the British public saw political figures on
TV being questioning rigorously
‘British New Wave’
This was a generation of writers and filmmakers which articulated Britain’s changing
attitudes towards the class system.
→ There were novels about working-class people coming to terms with the end of the old
working-class and the birth of a new prosperity
Sex scandals
There was an unprecedented sex scandal that engulfed the British establishment and
shocked everyone.
Profumo Scandal:
Rumours began of sex parties at Cliveden, a home owned by the wealthy Astor family. It was
rumoured that John Profumo was sharing a 19 year old sex partner, Keeler, with a soviet
diplomat. This was featured in the headlines but Britain’s powerful press barons ignored the
rumours. People were shocked, especially after Profumo strongly denied such a thing but later
admitted to it.
❖ Class and social values
❖The changing role and status of women
❖ Race and immigration
Class and social values
Class, social change and the impact of wars 1918-51
Social class largely determines a person’s status and place in society. The British class
system was organised into 4 main groups: Industrial working classes, Lower middle classes,
middle classes and upper classes.
The upper class
They are distinguished by their dress, education and land ownership. Their hobbies were
hunting, shooting etc. Horse-racing was a must for the upper classes.
➔ WW1 contributed to the decline of the elite in 2 key ways: it took a heavy toll on their
lives. Around 20% of Old Etonians (former student of Eton college) died in the war as
they were expected to be in the front because they were officers. Secondly, the cost of
the war led to the increase in income tax and death duties (tax paid by inheritors of
property over a certain value). Death duties increased overtime which made the estates
harder to pay for. These changes led to the gentry (wealthy and most powerful)
selling off almost a quarter of all land in England between 1918 and 1920.
➔ The upper class lost their grip on political power. The rise of Labour led to the decline
of elite-power in the House of Commons. Wealthy landowners used to make up 40% of
MPs, then 5% by 1945
➔ The 1937 Country Houses Scheme allowed families to live in their homes rent-free if
they transferred ownership to the National Trust and open the house to the public for
60 days a year. Many wanted to preserve the landed elite and did this, the country
house was a goal for most rich Britons.
The middle class
They had great wealth and leisures. The divide between middle and upper class was based on
land ownership. Their leisures also distinguishes them.
➔ Lower middle class worked hard to not be the working class, not only in jobs but their
leisure pursuits
➔ Wartime inflation feared middle-class savings and income. They unfairly blamed
trade-union for pushing up wages and prices.
➔ However, the war led to an increase in middle-class employment and the expansion of
clerking jobs for women
, ➔ Home-ownership became a defining characteristic of middle-class status. 60% of
the middle-class were home-owners.
➔ The middle class had membership of certain clubs and societies, like local golf
club etc
The working class
WW2 led to a greater change than the first.
➔ The working class was varied with skilled workers in construction, unskilled labourers
and criminal underclass. Full employment during both wars helped them to be
respectable working class
➔ The trade union movement suffered from the effects of the slump after WW1, but those
in work enjoyed rising wages and lower working hours
➔ Rationing helped promote working-class health and life-expectancy rose
➔ Although the state provided a basic safety net, many continued to live in squalid
housing with poor diets. There were no mass protests about the inequality of wealth in
Britain
The impact of WW1
Even though class was still determined by status, there were changes which were impacted
by WW1.
Decline in deference
Life in the trenches resulted in working and middle class men interacting with each other
which led to a decline in deference
Decline in the upper classes
Many of the upper class died in the war and the families were forced to pay death duties for
those killed. Elder sons often had to sell their land or homes to pay these. Many aristocrats
couldn’t maintain their grand homes so they were sold to the National Trust.
Greater equality
The experience of war resulted in a more democratic society. People in work could improve
their living standards and the depression prices fell faster than waged which led to many people
feeling more equal
WW2 saw greater changes.
The impact of WW2
Mass Observation reported that working-class had the desire of a more equal Britain
after the war
➔ Evacuation, the experience of being homeless through bombing, hardships of rationing
cause all people to co-operate and interact more
, ➔ However, Mass Observation suggests that very little social change happened during
the war and class distinctions remained
Post-war attitudes
The General election at the end of WW2 saw both parties campaigning for greater state
intervention, suggesting that attitudes towards the role of the government have changed.
However, ideas about social class seemed to not have shifted
→ Britain’s class system and privilege remained largely untouched.
The bigger changes were from a more liberal society in the 50s, 60s and 70s.
The emergence of the ‘liberal society’ and it’s opponents 1951-79
Liberal values= people with the liberal values embrace greater choice and freedom to sexuality
etc
Decline of deference
An end to rationing enabled working-class households to enjoy a level of prosperity they
dreamed of. It also meant that traditional ideas about community, social class and
mobility became challenged.
→ Television and cinema exposed audiences to ‘satirical’ entertainment which ridiculed
ideas of social class
The ‘satire boom’
This is one example of a decline in deference. In 1960, a rebellious stage show ‘Beyond the
Fringe’ attracted controversy for making fun at Britain’s establishment.
→ ‘That was the week that was’ was the first time that the British public saw political figures on
TV being questioning rigorously
‘British New Wave’
This was a generation of writers and filmmakers which articulated Britain’s changing
attitudes towards the class system.
→ There were novels about working-class people coming to terms with the end of the old
working-class and the birth of a new prosperity
Sex scandals
There was an unprecedented sex scandal that engulfed the British establishment and
shocked everyone.
Profumo Scandal:
Rumours began of sex parties at Cliveden, a home owned by the wealthy Astor family. It was
rumoured that John Profumo was sharing a 19 year old sex partner, Keeler, with a soviet
diplomat. This was featured in the headlines but Britain’s powerful press barons ignored the
rumours. People were shocked, especially after Profumo strongly denied such a thing but later
admitted to it.
