The transformation of British life, 1950-2000: a social history

Abstract

During the second half of the 20th century, life in Britain was transformed by radical changes in standards of living, affecting housing, food and transport, as well as by major shifts in social, cultural and moral values. This study examines the diverse developments which so altered the country and its people. Based on extensive research and written in an accessible style, the text examines the remarkable extent to which a marked decline of popular support for orthodox institutions such as the monarcy, religion, marriage and trade unions resulted in a far more flexible and diverse society - a society in which women, the young and members of ethnic minorities played increasingly important roles. It also stresses the extent to which British society has been influenced by foreign developments. Separate chapters on the impact of American culture and European institutions, as well as modern architecture and planning, all explore the ways in which British life has been profoundly affected by factors which are not normally considered by social historians. This book should be of use to undergraduates reading modern British history, as well as students of modern British culture and society.