Seeking a Role: The United Kingdom 1951-1970 (New Oxford History of England)

In this, the first of two self-standing volumes bringing The New Oxford History of England up to the present, Brian Harrison begins in 1951 with much of the empire intact and with Britain enjoying high prestige in Europe. The United Kingdom could still then claim to be a great power, whose welfare state exemplified compromise between Soviet planning and the USA's free market. When the volume ends in 1970, no such claims carried conviction. The empire had gone, central planning was in trouble, and even the British political system had become controversial. In an unusually wide-ranging, yet impressively detailed volume, Harrison approaches the period from unfamiliar directions. He explains how British politicians in the 1950s and 1960s responded to this transition by pursuing successive roles for Britain: worldwide as champion of freedom, and in Europe as exemplar of parliamentary government, the multi-racial society, and economic planning. His main focus, though, rests not on the politicians but on the decisions the British people made largely for themselves: on their environment, social structure and attitudes, race relations, family patterns, economic framework, and cultural opportunities. By 1970 the consumer society had supplanted postwar austerity, the socialist vision was fading, and "the sixties" (the theme of his penultimate chapter) had introduced new and even exotic themes and values. Having lost an empire, Britain was still resourcefully seeking a role: it had yet to find it. Contents......Page 8 List of Plates......Page 11 List of Illustrations......Page 13 Abbreviations......Page 14 Introduction......Page 16 The United Kingdom and the World......Page 24 The Face of the Country......Page 35 The Social Structure......Page 39 Family and Welfare......Page 51 Industry and Commerce......Page 62 Intellect and Culture......Page 71 Politics and Government......Page 82 A Backward and Forward Look......Page 90 Dimensions of Internationalism......Page 93 Worldwide Migrations......Page 102 The ‘Cold War’......Page 110 Empire to Commonwealth......Page 124 An Empire in Europe?......Page 137 Environmentalism Aroused......Page 146 Transport Revolutions......Page 159 Urban Utopia Postponed......Page 169 A Kaleidoscope of Regions......Page 187 4. THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE......Page 199 Monarchy Moves with the Times......Page 201 Upper-Class Resilience......Page 206 Middle-Class Evangelism......Page 222 Working-Class Eclipse?......Page 232 Minorities Old and New......Page 240 Sexuality in Question......Page 257 Women’s Two Roles......Page 272 A New Map of Youth......Page 278 A Welfare Consensus......Page 287 National Health Triumphant?......Page 295 Life and Death......Page 305 The End of the Family?......Page 317 Consensus Corporatism......Page 324 From Manufacturing to Services......Page 334 A New Life at Work......Page 344 Managed Consumerism......Page 353 Christians in Difficulty......Page 362 High Hopes for the Schools......Page 371 University Bonanza......Page 380 Aesthetic Cornucopia......Page 393 Recreation Diversified......Page 406 8. POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT......Page 426 A Flexible Executive......Page 428 A Prestigious Parliament......Page 440 Pluralistic Centralism......Page 445 Conservatives in the Middle......Page 458 Labour Facing Two Ways......Page 465 Public Opinion Anatomized......Page 483 The Sixties Begin......Page 495 Youth in Vogue......Page 507 A Disconcerting Sincerity......Page 514 Politicians under Fire......Page 521 Puritanism Repudiated?......Page 529 The Sixties End?......Page 540 10. RETROSPECT......Page 555 Chronology......Page 570 Bibliography......Page 602 A......Page 624 B......Page 626 C......Page 629 D......Page 635 E......Page 637 F......Page 639 G......Page 641 H......Page 643 I......Page 646 J......Page 647 L......Page 648 M......Page 651 N......Page 655 O......Page 657 P......Page 658 R......Page 662 S......Page 664 T......Page 671 U......Page 674 V......Page 677 W......Page 678 Z......Page 681 An impressively detailed but also unusually wide-ranging analysis of post-war Britain in the 1950's and 60's, covering everything from international relations to family life, the countryside to manufacturing, religion to race, cultural life to political structures. - ;In this, the first of two self-standing volumes bringing The New Oxford History of England up to the present, Brian Harrison begins in 1951 with much of the empire intact and with Britain enjoying high prestige in Europe. The United Kingdom could still then claim to be a great power, whose welfare state exemplified compromise betwe This Is A Detailed And Wide-ranging Analysis Of Post-war Britain In The 1950s And 60s. It Covers Everything From International Relations To Family Life, The Countryside To Manufacturing, Religion To Race, And Cultural Life To Political Structures. The United Kingdom In 1951 -- The United Kingdom And The World -- The Face Of The Country -- The Social Structure -- Family Welfare -- Industry And Commerce -- Intellect And Culture -- Politics And Government -- 'the Sixties.' Brian Harrison. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [579]-600) And Index.