British Society and Economy in the 1950s

The British Family in the 1950s:

Men went to work and were the ‘breadwinners’ for the family. Most men worked in manufacturing or heavy industry.
Women could do a limited range of jobs but were expected to stop work when they got married. They were expected to do all the household chores.
Children were expected to be respectful towards their elders and were punished if they failed to do so.

The Education System in the 1950s:

The 1944 Education Act introduced the 11+ exam which decided which type of secondary school was ‘most suitable’ for each pupil.

Gender Specific Curriculum - Boys - Woodwork, metalwork

- Girls - Needlework, home economics

After School, boys would find a career and girls would settle to marriage.

Popular Leisure Activities in the 1950s:

More opportunities for leisure due to more free time and more disposable income.
Popular activities include sports, hobbies and crafts.
New technologies became popular such as radios and TVs.
Public viewing - 40 million football match admissions and 1.4 billion cinema admissions in the 1950s.
Holidays - Rise in disposable income made holidays more affordable.

Living and Working Conditions in the 1950s:

Britain enjoyed full employment in the 1950s.
Many people enjoyed the benefits of the new welfare state and the post war economic boom.
There was a huge programme of slum clearance and house building before and after the war which meant many more people had heating, an indoor toilet and hot water.

Women's Work in the 1950s:

Most working class girls left school at 15 with no qualifications. Girls who did stay on to 16 often went to college to study in areas such as secretarial skills, childcare or hairdressing.
Few women went to university.
Employers argued that women with young children would be unwilling to work long hours and would need to take time off work of their children were ill.
There were no laws enforcing equal pay or opportunities for women.

Immigration and the Windrush generation:

There were a range of reasons to help explain immigration from the New Commonwealth in the 1950s:

Britain enjoyed full employment because of the post-war economic boom. In fact, there were not enough British workers to fill all the available positions.
The 1948 British Nationality Act made all people living in the Commonwealth British citizens.
The NHS, textiles firms in northern England and TfL advertised available jobs in the New Commonwealth.
Many saw working in Britain, the ‘mother country’, as an opportunity to earn good wages.
Men that had fought for Britain in WWII had returned to their homes and found them ‘too small’.
Some immigrants were given an interest-free loan from their own government for travel costs.

The SS Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury docks in London on 22 June 1948.
The arrival of these people caused quite a stir, especially in the areas where they settled; this was partly due to their ‘exotic’ accents and music, but largely because of the colour of their skin.

Racism and Riots in the 1950s:

Some trade unions complained about immigrants taking jobs from whites by accepting work at lower wages.
‘Teddy Boy’ gangs aimed to intimidate black men who were ‘taking their women’.
Some politicians argued that, instead of coming to Britain to work, many were coming to Britain simply to receive generous welfare benefits.
‘No coloureds’ and ‘No blacks’ could often be seen on signs for accommodation or in advertisements for job vacancies.

Sensationalised reports in newspapers about their activities and behaviour were not blamed on their social and financial circumstances, but on their race.
The Notting Hill Race Riots occurred over a period of almost two weeks in August and September of 1958.

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Summary of British Society and Economy in the 1950s