Labour's promised land? : culture and society in Labour Britain, 1945-51

The Labour Governments Of 1945-51 Were The High Point Of Labour's Popularity And Enthusiasm For Reform. They Also Established The Framework For The Post-war Political Consensus. This New Collection Of Essays Explores The Cultural Climate Of Labour Britain And The Framework Of Post-war Political Culture And Welfare Policies Which Conditioned That Climate. Labour's Promised Land? Resists The Temptation To View British Culture Of The Period Through Rose-tinted Glasses. The Contributors Critically Assess The Successes And Failures Of The Governments' Policies, And Cover Issues Such As: British Cinema Of The Period, Working-class Consumer Culture, The Founding Of The Nhs, Labour's Attempts To House And Educate The Heroes And Their Families, Post-war Feminist Activity And The Response Of The Right To Their Crushing Defeat. Introduction: Missing The Tide / Victor Kiernan -- Days Of Hope: The Meaning Of 1945 / Jim Fyrth -- 'to Make Men And Women Better Than They Are': Labour And The Building Of Socialism / Steven Fielding -- A Golden Past? The Labour Party And The Working Class In 1945 / Robert Looker -- 'daughter Of The Newer Eve': The Labour Movement And Women / Christine Collette -- Wives And Citizens And Watchdogs Of Equality: Post-war British Feminism / Catherine Blackford -- A 'third Way'?: The Labour Left, Democratic Socialism And The Cold War / Jonathan Wood -- Towards Isolation: The Communist Party And The Labour Government / John Callaghan -- Defeat And Renewal: The Ideology Of The Right / Martin Durham -- The Welfare State: A New Society? / John Callaghan -- An Historic Compromise: Labour And The Foundation Of The National Health Service / Steve Iliffe -- Housing The People / Alison Ravetz Equality Of Opportunity? The Labour Government And The Schools / Douglas Bourn -- The Government, The People And The Festival / Alan Sinfield -- Betrayed Spring: The Labour Government And The British Literary Culture / Andy Croft -- British 'mccarthyism' And The Intellectuals / Steve Parsons -- The Days Of The New Look: Working-class Affluence And The Consumer Culture / Angela Partington -- Adults Learning -- For Leisure, Recreation And Democracy / Roger Fieldhouse -- Art And Architecture For The People? / Nigel Glendinning -- Myths Of Consensus And Fables Of Escape: British Cinema 1945-51 / Andy Medhurst -- Recording A Landscape: Growing Up In Dormanstown / Rosalind Delmar. Edited By Jim Fyrth ; With An Introduction By Victor Kiernan. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes.