Twentieth-Century Britain
Economic, Social & Cultural Change
By Paul Johnson
July 1994
Pearson Education / Longman
ISBN: 0582228174
528 pages
$67.50 Paper Original
Social conditions and expectations have significantly improved for the majority of British citizens since 1900; similarly, economic performance today compares favorably with our past (though less so with our European competitors). Yet we are burdened with a sense of failure and uncertainty, convinced that society has become more violent and less cohesive, that the economic situation has deteriorated, and that the quality of national life is in decline.
What justification is there for this pervasive view? An impressive team of contributors (assembled in association with the Economic History Society) examines the historical record to provide objective answers in this vigorous and searching introduction - designed for students, teachers and general readers - to the economic, social and cultural development of Britain this century.
Contents
1. Introduction: Britain
2. Britain in the world economy
3. Regions and industries in Britain
4. Edwardian Britain: Empire, Income and Political discontent
5. Poverty and Social Reforms
6. The Social, Economic and Political status of women
7. Sport and recreation
8. Nationality and Ethnicity
9. The First World War and its aftermath
10. The Onset of Depression
11. Recovery from Depression
12. Unemployment and the Dole in war Britain
13. Attitudes to War
14. The New Consumerism
15. Cinema and Broadcasting
16. The War economy
17. Austerity and Boom
18. The Golden Age, 1955-1973
19. Crisis and turn around? 1973-1993
20. Postwar welfare
21. Education and Social Mobility
22. Women since 1945
23. Immigration and Race relations in Postwar Britain
24. Religion and Secularization
25. Pressure groups and popular Campaigns
26. Youth Culture
27. The Role of the State in Twentieth Century Britain.
Features
• Highly-structured text, divided into three broad sections, covering
1900-1914, 1914-1939, and 1930-1990.
• The text examines the key elements of economic, social and cultural
change during each period. Provides students with a clear understanding of
key areas including the decline of the British economy, the development of
social policy, the changing status of women, the new consumerism, cinema and
broadcasting, youth culture and the role of the state in twentieth-century
Britain.
• Well -developed pedagogy - includes case studies for class discussion,
illustrations, tables and diagrams and bibliographical notes.
• Contributors include Paul Johnson, Maurice Kirby, Clive H. Lee, Peter
Wardley, E.P Hennock, Pat Thane, Tony Mason, David Feldman, John Lawrence,
Dudley Baines, Bernard Harris, Martin Ceadel, Sue Bowden, Andrew Davies, Peter
Howlett, Catherine R. Schenk, Leslie Hannah, Rodney Lowe, Michael Sanderson,
Tony Kushner, John Wolffe, Paul Byrne and John Street.
Review
`This is a book worth the attention of those who teach and study modern British
history at undergraduate level and for A level.'