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Britain's Social and Cultural Change in the 1960's

Social Change and Movements

During the 1960's, Britain was flooded with a large scale of social change influenced from a verity of sources sociologists argue that this period of time is essential for the development of equality in modern society. As usually the case in social history, these changes were not without movements and suffrage. Through peoples dedication for fighting for equality, it forms social norms that people now view today as normal. For example its natural in todays society to see women as equal to men, however without the progress made in the 60's it is possible that this social change would have never come to pass. This is why it is important for sociologists to view the time of social change to understand modern society.

Influences For Social Change in The 1960's

Influences from the USA

During the 1950's, Britain was subjected to a lot of cultural material from the USA. This was in the sorts of the musical talent of Elvis along side Americas social norms through paper culture such as books etc. This influx of 'propaganda' provided by the USA affected the British lifestyle, some of the material provided by America had underlining factors of activism. It can be said however that during the 1960's the trading of culture between the two super powers was some what reversed. This is because a lot of the paper culture from Britain was now being shared across the USA, this doesn't mean the British norms were not being affected because the news of America still reached the UK. Groups such as the Black Panthers _[1] started to form across the United States. The Panthers were a group created for African-American community in America to keep them safe from police brutality. The group was created by Bobby Seale and Huey Newton after they were inspired by the work of Malcom X before his assignation in 1965. This social group still has an affect in todays society as it provided the flaws with the welfare state and highlighted how the poor were suffering. The Black Panthers' work helped improve and create a better welfare state which catered better for the poor in America. However their influence didn't stop in the USA. Word of the Black Panthers reached the UK which helped British citizens campaign for a better welfare system in their own country. Examples of this affect in the UK are; Radical movements began to emerge during this time period such as the racial adjustment action society. These groups are ever more present in todays society. However at the time they were just beginning to emerge to combat the growing inequality in Britain.

Women's Suffrage and campaigning

Another huge impact on social change during this period was the past with women's suffrage. At the start of the 20th century women campaigned for their right to vote passionately and consistently. It is argued that the main factor that allowed them to obtain the vote was due to their impact in the war effort _[2]. Although their campaigning slowed after they were given the right to vote, it didn't stop completely. This is because there was still a large inequality between men and women in Britain. Feminism began to rise in order to provide change for women that made them equal with men. In 1966 the National Organization for Women was created by 28 women that used political gain in order to get women's rights heard. Through the decade women began to campaign again. This lead to liberating acts for women throughout the 1960's. Firstly, the abortion act was introduced in 1967. This allowed women to legally have abortions. This was a massive social change because before this it was illegal and frowned upon to have an abortion. However the act allowed women who believed they were unready to mother a child or women who had conceived a child due to be being a victim of rape to have an abortion. It made women feel like their life could continue after such a horrible situation. Radical feminism also began to emerge on a large scale in the form of strikes. Women began to strike in order to obtain the same wages as men. It can be said that the wage gap is still an issue in modern society. Another way that radical feminism began to emerge was through disruptive behaviour. In 1970 the Miss World competition was disrupted by radical feminists as they believed the whole principal of the contest was objectifying women's bodies. The actions taken by women in this period allowed them to gain more freedom over their lives and highlight the gross inequality that existed in the different sexes. The social change that began for women in the 1960's is still on going in today's society due to the wage gap and other modern issues.

Subcultures and Moral Panics

During the 1960's consumerism had risen in the UK on a large scale which provided social change in it self. Women were provided with more freedom and help with domestic labour. This being through new hoovers and washing devices to help them. However, in this case the larger social change was for young people. This was because as consumerism had risen, young people had greater access to culture, music and transport. This was helped by mopeds and Vespa's. This allowed young people to avoid their parents and escape the age patriarchy that they would be subjected to. It also provided the family to be more geologically mobile which in it self was a big social change. However, with the greater freedom for the young it allowed for the creation of subcultures in society. Groups of young people that had common interest would often form subcultures. This could be anything from a music type to recreational drug use. When subcultures met each other, it was possible that the norms of the groups would clash and this could create conflict. In the 1960's a major example of this would be the mods and rockers subcultures _[3]. There was this norm at the time that mods and rockers would always fight whenever they were faced with each other. To an extent there was truth in this as in rare occasions fights would break out. The media over reported the issue in the 60's, which forced the police to take action in order to stop potential fights from breaking out. This was because the public wanted action on the issue because the media portrayed the fights as so common. When the police got involved it raised the crime stats which made the issue look worse. This created a spiral of fear and police action. Sociologists highlighted this as a moral panic. This moral panic created a turning point for social change because it legitimised the medias over reporting. Moral panics were then common throughout the time until modern day. With moral panic themes of today like terrorism. This whole situation also created the idea of a delinquent underclass in young people which changed how schooling tackled teaching and created the triage system.

How the 1960's Created Social Change

It can be said that during the 1960's in Britain and the United States, there was a sense of rebellion and the ideal that life couldn't continue the way it was going. This was through the campaigning, media coverage, subcultures, groups, and the idea that the previous norms had been outdated. With the advancements in technology, leisure, style and identity, it became clear that the way of thinking before the decade was unfit to define this one. Therefore social change had to be made in order to fit the new paradigm that was the 1960's. This decade defined what social change is because it highlighted that different groups could impact different aspects of life through fighting for their cause. Women, young people, African Americans all felt oppressed by something. By speaking out and taking action they were able to change laws, the way people see things, general societal norms. A lot of the events in the 1960's shaped todays society. Subcultures exist in modern day in the form of gangs but also in the form of youth centres. The media still causes moral panics about modern issues but with the knowledge of moral panics that we leant from the sixties, we know how to handle them better.

Bibliography

1. The Black Panthers Speak, Foner, Philip Sheldon, 1910, First Da Capo Press edition, 1995, Published Cambridge, Mass.: Da Capo Press, 2002
2. Suffrage days: stories from the women's suffrage movement, Holton, Sandra Stanley, Published London: Routledge, 1996
3. Folk devils and moral panics: the creation of the Mods and Rockers, Cohen, Stanley, 1942, Published London: Routledge, 2011
4. Social change, Pile, Steve, 1961-; Jordan, Tim, 1959-; Open University, Published Oxford: Blackwell, 2002
5. And the crooked places made straight: the struggle for social change in the 1960s, Chalmers, David M. (David Mark), 1927, Published Baltimore; London: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1991