Lesson 13

A Sixties Social Revolution? British Society, 1959-1975

The impact of reduced

censorship and liberal social
reform
LO: To measure the impact of
liberalisation of laws
 Recap - Talking Points
“The youth protests of the 1960s demonstrated
that a new spirit of confrontation and violence
had entered society.”

Do you agree or disagree?

What effect do you think the media had on

radicalism?

“Is it right to break the law to ‘protect the

world’?”
 Rock and Roll

Celebrity / Drugs

Vietnam and Devaluation

Race / Immigration

Industrial relations

1970: Wilson v Heath

Northern Ireland

Harold, Ted and Jim, 1964 - 1979

The events of 1964 to 1979 are chronicled in Harold, Ted and Jim: When the
Modern Failed which describes the British desire for technology and advancement
that was bogged down in a Wilson government beset with industrial conflict and
decline.
 Political Overview

Harold Wilson

The Economy

Education

Social Reform

Consumer Culture

Harold, Ted and Jim, 1964 - 1979

The events of 1964 to 1979 are chronicled in Harold, Ted and Jim: When the
Modern Failed which describes the British desire for technology and advancement
that was bogged down in a Wilson government beset with industrial conflict and
decline.
Lindsay Anderson began his film career as a critic, passionately attacking British cinema
of the 30s and 40s for being middle class and middle-brow. Believing film should be more
socially and morally aware he began to make short documentary films focusing on aspects
of British life which he felt were being neglected. Anderson soon became a leading light
in the British New Wave movement making authentic films about the lives of ordinary
working class people. During this time he would produce the gritty classic This Sporting
Life and the film with which he is now synonymous, If... The latter was a scathing attack
on the constraints imposed by class and the hypocrisy of British institutions – it became
iconic for a generation of disaffected youth.
 Activity 2

Key Profile: Roy Jenkins

Born/Died When Gaitskell's arch-rival, Harold Wilson,
took office in 1964, Lord Jenkins was rapidly
Education promoted. From being in charge of aviation, a
potential political hot potato, he made a name
Party for himself as a radical home secretary.
Abortion and homosexuality were legalised,
For divorce was made easier, and theatre
censorship was abolished.
He saw himself as a libertarian, a defender
of individual rights against the state but, for
Against decades to come, he would be blamed by
right-wingers for society's many problems.

He became Chancellor of the Exchequer

following the devaluation of sterling and
Murder (Abolition of the Death Penalty) Act 1965 James Callaghan's resignation in 1967.
Sexual Offences Act 1967 He was an austere, some would say over-
Abortion Act 1967 prudent, Chancellor who tried to turn around
Divorce Reform Act 1969 Britain's sickly economy and refused to make
big tax cuts.
 Challenge your thinking
Consider the following contradictions
1. Labour-saving devices in the home freed women from the drudgery of the kitchen, but
also reinforced the female role as housewife.
2. Increased education and access to higher education encouraged women to develop higher
expectations, but made slow and difficult progress along career paths increasingly
frustrating.
3. The increased availability of jobs gave women greater independence, but added to their
sense of guilt at leaving their families to work.
4. Changes in fashion, hair and makeup appeared liberating but in many cases merely
reinforced female stereotypes.
5. Greater control over family planning liberated women from the burden of pregnancy but
also reinforced their position as “sex-objects”.
6. Changes in attitudes to marriage, for example easier divorce, combined freedom with a
greater sense of insecurity.

Discuss these statements in pairs, decide which of the two contradictory

statements was likely to affect women more. As a result of these changes
were women likely to be more or less fulfilled?
 Activity 4

Create a large spider diagram using the different headings

from the textbook to show the factors which may have
contributed to a liberal or “permissive” society. You should
aim to analyse each of the factors and include key details
as well as an explanation of the contribution of each.
 Censorship Other factors
Cinema

Literature
Influence
of media Influence of
Theatre contraceptive
pill

TV “There is the need for the State

to do less to restrict personal
freedom. There is the need for
Drug
the state to create a climate of culture etc
opinion which is favourable to
gaiety, tolerance and beauty,
and unfavourable to restriction,
Education and to petty minded disapproval, to
hypocrisy, and to a dreary, ugly Abortion
work pattern of life”.

Roy Jenkins 1959

Abolition
Feminism of the
death
Divorce penalty
Housewives? Female
insecurity
Challenges to traditional Homosexuality New Liberalising
role of women laws
 Conclusions:
How far was there a “permissive”
society in sixties Britain?

Read the excerpt about Timothy Leary.

Is this evidence that a “permissive”
society existed?
Examination Practice
Pick out phrases in both sources
which provide a contrast of
views. Don’t forget that ‘how
far’ also requires you to look at
the similarities (if any).

For “to what extent” you need

to make a two-column table with
examples on both sides. Decide
where to cite evidence from the
sources and in what order you
will make you points. Point out
differences in provenance, tone
and language. Your argument
should be balanced and lead to a
supported conclusion.
Pick out phrases in both sources
which provide a contrast of
views. Don’t forget that ‘how
far’ also requires you to look at
the similarities (if any).

For “to what extent” you need

to make a two-column table with
examples on both sides. Decide
where to cite evidence from the
sources and in what order you
will make you points. Point out
differences in provenance, tone
and language. Your argument
should be balanced and lead to a
supported conclusion.
Mark Scheme
Question 1
Level Four: 10-12 Marks
“Responses will show secure and developed
understanding of the extent of difference
between the two sources and will use this in
conjunction with own knowledge to
demonstrate good understanding of the issue
in context…”
Example
“Sources A and B differ fundamentally in their
perception of the impact of the 1960s on young
people. Source A suggests the 60s were a
‘defining decade’ and implies a sense of
hedonism, where all things were possible for all
young people. It does not discriminate. In
essence, society was on the verge of a
revolution. Source B differs sharply. It
intimates that it was only a small “bunch of
crackpots” not society in general that was
seeking to overthrow the system. Whereas
Source A is written in a positive, almost
uncritical fashion, Source B is slightly
reactionary and dismissive of the claims of
Source A…”
Question 2
Level Five: 22-24 Marks
“Answers will be well-focused and closely argued.
The arguments will be supported by precisely
selected evidence from the sources and own
knowledge, incorporating well developed
understanding of historical interpretations and
debate.”
Example
“Source C highlights the fact that the 1960s did
see ‘an extraordinary challenge to accepted ways of
life’, yet at the same time there was continuity with
the past. Source A supports the former view that
the 1960s was a brave new world. The Home
Secretary Roy Jenkins even said that the
permissive society was essentially the ‘civilised
society’. Source B supports the latter view and
suggests the 1960s was subject to a great deal of
myth-making and in fact most of the public were
relatively untouched by the antics of a “few
crackpots”. Source C attempts to offer a balance
between change and continuity and confirms Source
B’s contention that the role of the media played a
powerful role in hyping up the decade…