Impact of Ww2 on Social Attitudes in the Uk

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How much impact did war have on social attitudes, 1939-1950 in Britain? Social attitudes are the general beliefs about society held by the public. The can be affected by religion, social background and moral views. Changing social attitudes were brought about because of the experiences of the Second World War which created a demand for a more equal society. The changes were apparent as a result of evacuation, rationing, women workers and the Beveridge Report. In the 1930’s, before the Second World War, most women were expected to stay at home while their husbands worked to look after the children. However, when war broke out and the men had to go and fight, the women had to do the men’s previous jobs. During the Second World War the number of women workers increased by 50% to almost 7 million. Some joined the Land Army and others worked in the factories producing weapons. As a result, women became more self-confident and they realized that they could be efficient and skilled workers so some social attitudes towards women changed. When, in 1945 the men returned home after the war had ended and took back their previous jobs, 75% of the women workers returned home. Most men continued their pre-war attitude that women should maintain their traditional role by staying at home and looking after the children. In 1947 when women were asked whether married women should return home, 58% said that women should return to their domestic duties. Overall, there were short term changes in social attitudes towards women workers but there was little lasting change. Rationing was introduced in 1939 to make sure that everyone had the same amount of food and that the rich could not buy all of it, leaving the working classes to starve. It was seen as a necessary and fair precaution to stop Britain being starved out by the Germans. Rationing changed many social attitudes because

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