Social Developments in the UK 1964- 1970

Summary

This video explores the social developments in the UK during the Wilson years (1964-1970), highlighting the growth of leisure activities, the impact of increased car ownership, and the rise of television as a cultural unifier. It discusses the shift from live events to home-based entertainment, the liberalization of media content, and the debate over the 'permissive society.' The script also touches on the changing attitudes towards censorship in theater and films, the role of advertising, and the government's conservative response to the growing drug culture.

Takeaways

• 📺 The 1960s saw a significant growth in leisure activities, with more people having free time, especially on weekends, and television becoming a central part of home entertainment.
• 🚗 The affordability of cars increased greatly, leading to a decrease in public transport use and a rise in activities such as caravanning and golf, as well as the development of out-of-town shopping centers.
• 🏠 DIY, gardening, cooking, knitting, and needlework became popular leisure activities that people could enjoy at home while watching the increasingly accessible television.
• 🎭 Live events like theater and sports matches saw a decline in attendance as leisure activities became more home-based.
• 🌐 The growth of the advertising industry transformed shopping into a leisure activity, with brands becoming household names through television advertisements.
• ✈️ More people were going on holidays in the 1960s, both domestically and abroad, with the emergence of budget airlines like Britannia Airways catering to this demand.
• 🍷 The decade witnessed the rise of trendy bars and restaurants serving foreign cuisines, reflecting the influence of middle-class tastes and international travel.
• 📽️ TV replaced cinema as the primary source of entertainment, with Hugh Green's modernization efforts at the BBC leading to more informal and entertaining content.
• 🔍 The creation of BBC Two in 1964 allowed for more educational programming, while BBC One focused on entertainment, and color broadcasting began.
• 🚫 The 1960s experienced a shift in censorship, with the theater censorship abolished in 1968, reflecting a more liberal society and leading to bolder content in plays and films.
• 🌾 Despite the perception of a 'permissive society', surveys showed that many young people still held traditional attitudes, marrying their first sexual partner or not having sex before marriage.

Q & A

What was a significant social change in the 1960s regarding leisure activities in the UK?

The growth of leisure activities became more prominent, with an increasing number of people having most or the entire weekend free, leading to a rise in home-based leisure activities such as watching television, DIY, and gardening.

How did the accessibility of leisure activities change in the 1960s due to technological advancements?

The accessibility of leisure activities increased as television became a common household item, with about 23% of leisure time being spent watching TV, and other activities like DIY and gardening became more popular as people had more time to engage in them.

What impact did the increased leisure time have on live events and traditional activities?

Increased leisure time led to a decrease in the popularity of live events such as theater attendance and football matches, especially outside big cities, as more leisure activities took place within the home.

How did the affordability of cars in the 1960s influence society in the UK?

The affordability of cars had a significant social impact, with more people owning cars by 1970, leading to a decrease in the use of public transportation like buses and trains, and enabling the opening of new out-of-town shopping centers and the rise of activities like caravanning and golf.

What was the role of Hugh Green as the Director General of the BBC in the 1960s?

Hugh Green modernized television by diverting funds from radio to TV, relaxing guidelines on nudity and swearing, introducing a more informal style to news presentation, and making BBC more entertainment-focused while maintaining its educational and informative purpose.

How did the creation of BBC Two in 1964 affect the programming of BBC One?

The creation of BBC Two, which focused on information and education, allowed BBC One to become more entertainment-focused and populist, aligning with Hugh Green's vision for the BBC.

What significant change in the UK's theater industry occurred in 1968?

In 1968, the censorship of theater was abolished after a bill introduced by George Strauss, supported by Roy Jenkins and Lawrence Olivier, was passed by parliament, ending the need for a license from the Lord Chamberlain's Office to put on a new play.

How did the British Board of Film Censors respond to societal changes in the 1960s?

The British Board of Film Censors became more liberal in their definition of what was acceptable and appropriate in films, allowing for more daring films like 'Alfie' and 'Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush' to be released, reflecting the changing societal attitudes.

What was the term used by critics to describe the UK society of the 1960s, and what did it imply?

The term 'permissive society' was used by critics to describe the UK society of the 1960s, implying a society that allows anything to happen with no real controls on morality and behavior.

How did the government respond to the rise in drug use during the 1960s?

The government, under Jim Callaghan as Home Secretary, took a conservative approach, making it unlawful to possess drugs like cocaine and cannabis with the Dangerous Drugs Act in 1967, and increasing the maximum sentence for supplying drugs to 14 years in prison by the end of the decade.

What was the role of Mary Whitehouse and her organization in the context of the 'permissive society'?

Mary Whitehouse, presenting herself as an average British housewife, set up the National Viewers and Listeners Association (NVLA) in 1965 to represent the views of those who were critical of the liberal attitudes in the media. Despite her significant media profile, the actual impact of her organization on the media was limited.

Outlines

00:00

📺 Growth of Leisure Activities in the 1960s

The script discusses the significant growth of leisure activities during the Wilson years (1964-1970) in the UK. It highlights the shift from a work-centric culture to one where leisure became more accessible due to reduced working hours, especially on weekends. The script notes the novelty of television and its impact on leisure time, with surveys indicating that about 23% of leisure time was spent watching TV. DIY, gardening, cooking, knitting, and needlework were popular home-based activities. The script also mentions a decline in live events like theater and sports attendance, attributing this to the increased leisure options available at home. The affordability of cars had a profound social impact, leading to a decrease in public transport use and the rise of out-of-town shopping centers and activities like caravanning and golf.

05:02

🍷 Emergence of Trendy Bars and the Influence of Travel

This paragraph delves into the impact of travel and the middle-class inclination towards trendy bars and foreign cuisines in Britain during the 1960s. It points out that while package holidays increased, not everyone was going abroad, and many working-class individuals still preferred holidays within Britain. The paragraph notes the emergence of wine bars and restaurants serving European food, reflecting the influence of foreign cultures on British tastes. The growth of the mass media and television, particularly under Hugh Green's leadership at the BBC, is also discussed, highlighting the shift from formal to more informal programming and the introduction of BBC Two, which led to color broadcasting.

10:04

🚫 The Changing Landscape of Censorship in the 1960s

The script addresses the evolution of censorship in the 1960s, focusing on the theater and film industries. It explains the historical role of the Lord Chamberlain's office in censoring plays and the eventual abolition of theater censorship in 1968, spurred by the controversial play 'Early Morning' and the efforts of MP George Strauss. The British Board of Film Censors is also discussed, noting its shift towards more liberal standards, allowing films with themes of sex and violence that would have been unacceptable in the 1950s. The paragraph highlights the debate around the 'permissive society' and the concerns of critics like Mary Whitehouse and the Catholic Church about moral decline.

15:05

🗣️ Media Liberalization and the Backlash Against Permissive Society

This section examines the liberalization of media content and the ensuing backlash from conservative groups. It discusses the increased openness in discussing political and religious issues on television and the rise of the term 'permissive society' to describe the perceived lack of moral controls. The script mentions the Catholic Church's criticism of contraception and the establishment of the National Viewers and Listeners Association by Mary Whitehouse, which, despite its popularity, had limited impact on media practices. The paragraph emphasizes that despite the perception of a permissive society, traditional attitudes remained strong among the general population.

20:07

🌿 The Rise of Drug Culture and Government Response in the 1960s

The script explores the rise of drug use in the 1960s, particularly cannabis and LSD, associated with the hippie and flower power movements. It also notes the increased use of harder drugs like cocaine and heroin, with addiction rates increasing tenfold. The government's response, under Prime Minister Harold Wilson, is contrasted with the liberal attitudes of the time, showing a conservative approach to drug possession and supply. The Dangerous Drugs Act of 1967 and the Whatton Report of 1968 are highlighted, along with the stricter penalties for drug supply introduced in 1970, reflecting a crackdown on drug-related activities.

25:08

📚 Conclusion on Social Change and the Illusion of Permissiveness

The final paragraph summarizes the social changes of the 1960s in the UK, emphasizing that while there were significant shifts in attitudes and behaviors, traditional values did not disappear. It challenges the notion of a 'social revolution' and a uniformly permissive society, pointing out that surveys showed many young people still held conservative views on sex and marriage. The script concludes by acknowledging the substantial social changes of the era while recognizing the enduring presence of traditional attitudes.

📝 Call to Action for Further Exploration of UK Societal Change

In the closing paragraph, the script transitions to a call to action, inviting viewers to engage with more content on the channel, which includes A-Level politics and history units on various topics such as American, Russian, and Tudor history. The script encourages viewers to subscribe, like the video, and leave comments, highlighting the ongoing effort to produce informative and engaging content.

Keywords

💡Leisure Activities

Leisure activities refer to the pursuits people engage in during their free time for enjoyment or relaxation. In the 1960s, as the script mentions, there was a significant growth in leisure activities, largely due to an increase in free time, especially on weekends. The script highlights that about 23% of leisure time was spent watching television, and other activities like DIY, gardening, cooking, and knitting became more popular as people had more time to engage in them.

💡Mass Media

Mass media is the means of communication that reaches a large audience, including television, radio, and newspapers. The script emphasizes the growth of mass media in the 1960s, particularly television, which became the primary source of entertainment, replacing cinema. The script notes that by 1961, three-quarters of British people had a TV, and by the end of the decade, it was over 90%. This widespread ownership contributed to a cultural cohesion, as people were consuming the same content.

💡Censorship

Censorship is the practice of officially removing or suppressing certain material on the grounds of morality, decency, or political sensitivity. The script discusses the significant social change regarding censorship during the 1960s, especially in theater and film. It mentions the abolishment of the Lord Chamberlain's office's control over theater in 1968, which had previously required a license for new plays and could censor content. The script also notes the liberalization of film censorship, allowing for more daring films to be released.

💡Hugh Green

Hugh Green was the Director General of the BBC in 1960, as mentioned in the script. He played a pivotal role in modernizing television, diverting funds from radio to TV, relaxing content guidelines, and introducing a more informal style to news presentation. His influence was crucial in shaping the direction of British television during the 1960s, making it more populist and accessible.

💡Advertising Industry

The advertising industry is the sector of the economy involved in creating and promoting products or services through various media channels. The script notes that advertising boomed in the 1960s, with the growth of television and the introduction of commercial channels like ITV. This led to the rise of big brand names and the transformation of shopping into a leisure activity, as advertising made it more appealing and fun.

💡BBC Two

BBC Two is a British television channel that was created in 1964, as the script mentions. It was initially focused on education and information, which allowed BBC One to become more entertainment-focused. Interestingly, BBC Two was also the first channel to broadcast in color, representing a significant step forward in television technology and content delivery.

💡Permissive Society

The term 'permissive society' is used in the script to describe a society that is seen as allowing a wide range of behaviors, especially those related to personal freedom and sexual expression, without strong moral constraints. Critics of this societal shift, such as Mary Whitehouse and the Catholic Church, argued against the liberalization of attitudes, fearing a loss of traditional values. However, the script points out that despite the term's usage, traditional attitudes remained strong among many people.

💡Drug Culture

Drug culture refers to the use and distribution of illegal or mind-altering substances within a society. The script notes a rise in drug use during the 1960s, particularly of softer drugs like cannabis and LSD, which became part of the hippie and flower power movement. There was also an increase in the use of harder drugs like cocaine and heroin. The Wilson government responded with legislation to control drug possession and supply, reflecting a conservative approach to the issue.

💡Jim Callaghan

Jim Callaghan was a British politician who served as the Home Secretary during the 1960s, as mentioned in the script. He is characterized as a traditionalist and conservative, particularly in his approach to drug policy. Callaghan opposed the legalization of cannabis and supported stricter laws on drug supply, culminating in a crackdown in 1970 that increased maximum sentences for drug supply.

💡Social Change

Social change refers to shifts in societal norms, behaviors, and attitudes over time. The script discusses various aspects of social change in the 1960s, including the growth of leisure activities, the rise of mass media, changes in censorship laws, and the emergence of a more liberal media landscape. However, it also emphasizes that despite these changes, traditional attitudes did not disappear, and the idea of a 'permissive society' was not universally embraced.

Highlights

Growth of leisure activities in the 1960s with more free time on weekends and increased accessibility of leisure activities at home.

Television becomes a primary source of entertainment, with 23% of leisure time spent watching TV.

Increase in DIY, gardening, cooking, and knitting as popular leisure activities while watching TV.

Decrease in attendance at live events like theaters and football matches due to the convenience of home-based leisure activities.

The affordability of cars leading to a significant social impact, with more people owning cars by 1970.

Shift from public transportation to personal car usage, with over 75% of journeys done by car by 1974.

Emergence of new shopping centers and leisure activities like caravanning and golf due to increased car ownership.

The leisure industry becomes increasingly profitable with the growth of advertising in the 1960s.

Shopping becomes a leisure activity itself, influenced by the growth of car ownership and advertising.

Increase in holiday travel in the 1960s, both domestically and internationally, due to affluence and new airlines.

Growth of trendy bars and restaurants serving foreign food as a result of middle-class exposure to international cultures.

TV replaces cinema as the main source of entertainment, with over 90% of British households owning a TV by the end of the 1960s.

Introduction of BBC Two in 1964, focusing on information and education, allowing BBC One to become more entertainment-focused.

The beginning of color broadcasting on BBC Two, marking the transition from black and white TV.

Abolition of theater censorship in 1968, allowing for more freedom in artistic expression.

The British Board of Film Censors becomes more liberal in defining what is acceptable in films, reflecting societal changes.

Criticism of the 'permissive society' by figures like Mary Whitehouse and the Catholic Church, opposing liberal changes in society.

Despite the perception of a permissive society, surveys show that many young people still hold traditional attitudes, even regarding marriage and sex.

Rise in drug use in the 1960s, including both soft and hard drugs, becoming part of the counterculture movement.

Government response to drug use with the Dangerous Drugs Act 1967 and increased penalties for drug supply in 1970.

Transcripts

hi everybody and welcome to

the latest video in our series looking

at aqa

unit 2s the making of modern britain

we're continuing to look in this video

at the

wilson years from 1964 to 1970 years of

labor government

and our focus this time is looking at

some

social developments this will be the

first of two videos

on society during the 1960s

one of the key aspects that you need to

be aware of and this is

picking up really from what we said

about society and social change in the

50s

is the growth of leisure activities this

was something that

we'd already seen to an extent in the

1950s

but it expands uh even further

into the 1960s by the 60s there's

less of an expectation on a lot of

people that they should be working

on a saturday morning increasingly

people

have most of the weekend or the entire

weekend free these were the days before

sunday shopping

for example so a lot of workplaces were

closed in the sunday a lot of people had

a free weekend

and inevitably that means that leisure

activities

become increasingly accessible it's

always the case that people have to

travel

far for those activities a lot of it's

taking place at home

don't forget that for many people tv is

is still a novelty

but it may only be a year or two since

they first bought their tv set

and survey showed that about 23 of

leisure time

was made up simply by watching

television

things like diy and gardening the sort

of things that we take for granted today

people increasingly have time to do

those things uh cooking

knitting and so on um needlework some of

those things which people of course

could do while they were

watching tv were popular activities as

well

quite interesting though because as uh

leisure activities

uh increasingly take place within the

home some

live events become less popular so for

example there are fewer people

going regularly to the theater and

that's particularly the case once you

move outside

the big cities it's also the case even

that

things like attending a football match

or the live events concerts and so on

uh it becomes a little bit less common

not to say that nobody does it but it's

slightly less common

than it had been in previous decades

once again as we said in the 50s and

this is even more true

in the 60s and the affordability of cars

has a really significant

social impact and cars are increasingly

affordable inevitably then

far more people own a car as you get

towards 1970

and the inevitable result of that is

that fewer people are using the bus

or the train and that statistic is

slightly outside our period but only

just it

it tells its own story you've got over

three quarters of journeys

done by car by 1974 compare that 39

in 1954 we can see the pace of change

over those 20 years and of course

the knock-on impact of that is really

quite significant too

so for example new shopping centers out

of town are opening up because people

can get there in the car

and also some of those leisure

activities that do take place outside

the home

things like caravanning for example and

golf become increasingly

easy to access

a couple of other points to make about

leisure before we move on

obviously leisure is something that

people do in their

private lives but of course there's a

massive industry around it and a growing

industry

and an increasingly profitable industry

as well

we talked when we looked at 1950 society

about the growth of advertising

and once again advertising really booms

in the 60s um and what we end up with

is shopping something which people had

seen as a necessity

that would be the daily shop usually

undertaken by women all of a sudden

shopping in itself and going for an

afternoon out shopping and it

somehow being fun and it becomes a

leisure activity

in its own right and that link between

the growth of car ownership

the growth of the advertising industry

mass production of some of these goods

the growth of leisure all of that is

very closely tied

together something else to be aware of

is

that far more people are going on

holiday in the 60s

than in previous decades and it's partly

the result of some of that affluence

that we talked about in the 1950s and

it's true

in terms of both foreign holidays and

holidays in britain as well

people are undertaking more of both

where you get this new airline britannia

airways in 1964

and that's very much for holidaymakers

particularly people going

for a relatively low budget holiday to

bulgaria the canaries to spain and so on

having said all of that don't be fooled

into thinking that

pretty much everybody's going abroad

then not it's still

mainly the preserve of the middle

classes and even by 1971 although

package holidays have grown

quite substantially still accounts for

only eight

holidays a lot of working-class people

may well be having more holidays than

they used to but they're still

more likely to be holidaying in britain

one interesting thing that we do get is

the beginning of

the growth of what you might call trendy

bars back in britain

uh people particularly middle class

people going abroad and

then quite enjoying going to wine bars

as opposed to more traditional pubs

and enjoying some of the food they're

eating in france or spain or wherever

and they quite want to taste it when

they get back home as well which is why

we see a growth

not only in wine bars but increasingly

in restaurants um which are serving

uh foreign food european food as opposed

to more traditional food so as we've

said before when we're looking at

leisure

a lot of factors tied together a lot of

these things like

car ownership affluence the ability to

go on holiday and so on

very closely linked together

something else which we began to talk

about in the 1950s and again is a

an even bigger social change in the 60s

is the growth of the mass media and tv

is at the heart of that it's absolutely

the case in the 60s

that tv has really replaced cinema as

the primary way

that people access their entertainment

back in the 30s and the 40s cinema was

huge

cinema is still big but tv has very much

taken over

by the 60s interesting statistic there

by 61 you've got three quarters of

british people have a tv

in their home by the end of the decade

it's grown to over 90

so you can see that tv is no longer

something that only a few people have is

the the norm

for the vast majority of people and what

you

get because of that is a sense of

cultural cohesion

and we're experiencing a little bit of

the moment with things like um

line of duty for example everybody seems

to be talking about it

apologies if you're watching this video

a couple of years old and you did what

i'm talking about here

but this idea that we're all watching

the same stuff

and it's particularly true back in the

60s where there are very few channels

and so there's a sense that tv is is

bringing people together

and if you live in a remote bit of the

uk um

and you've got a tv it somehow links you

to the rest of the country in a way that

perhaps

you wouldn't have been linked before

quite an important figure here

a man called hugh green now hugh green

becomes director general

basically the boss of the bbc in 1960

and he is determined to modernize

television and he does various things

first of all he realizes tv

is the future um and increasingly a lot

of money that had been pumped into radio

uh hugh green diverts into television in

instead

and hugh green believes that the the

existing guidelines

are nudity on swearing are far too

conservative

and he begins to relax those he also

is a populist which is to say he

absolutely believes that the bbc

should be educating and informing people

but he doesn't see anything wrong

with there being a bit more

entertainment in what the bbz is

producing

as well if you were to go back and

watch the news from 1950 for example you

would find it was

extremely formal the way that it was

done

and hugh green introduces a slightly

more informal style

this is not presenters sitting on tables

but it is

um just a bit less formal than it was

before

a really important development we talked

about before was itv

which of course had adverts in a way

that the bbc didn't

now that being created back in 1955 and

clearly

that gave a massive boost to the

advertising industry

and and that continues throughout the

60s and

increasingly some of these big brand

names

become so familiar and that's partly

thanks to itv

the really big brand names heinz for

example everybody knows it cadbury's and

so on

because itv is beaming those names

into people's homes one of the other

key developments in tv is the creation

of bbc

two the the third channel would you

believe in 1964.

and bbc two is at the time very much

about

information about education and that

just frees bbc one up to become a bit

more about entertainment to become

increasingly populist

as hugh green wants interestingly though

it's bbc

two rather than bbc one which takes um

what's a big step forward at the time

which is uh broadcasting

in color so the move away from black and

white begins

another aspect of social change in the

1960s

is to do with the issue of censorship

now this is an issue that we've explored

in previous videos looking at society

you might remember for example the lady

chatley trial

which was very much around the shoes of

censorship and freedom

of expression and that issue is raised

as the 1960s goes on and particularly

when it comes to

the theater now this might be quite hard

to believe but up until 1968

if you were a playwright if you were a

theater owner

and you wanted to put on a new play at a

british theater

then you had to get a license you had to

get permission

from what's called the lord

chamberlain's office the lord

chamberlain

um is an ancient figure i don't mean he

himself is 500 years old but the

position

um is centuries old as somebody who has

worked for the monarch

across the centuries so the idea that

you have to get permission

from this particular figure in order to

put on a new play

just seemed absolutely crazy by the time

you get to the 1960s but that was how it

was and the lord chambers office was

still

absolutely able to censor prospective

plays

they could demand of playwrights and

theater owners that anything they

believed

was immoral or inappropriate was removed

before the play could be

put on if you're a theater owner who

decides this is absolutely madness and

we're going to put a show on anyway

without a license you could potentially

be

prosecuted and we know that increasingly

during the 60s

authors playwrights filmmakers are

addressing some of those social issues

that previously they wouldn't have done

that sex and violence and swearing and

nudity

are increasingly acceptable in society

and so playwrights are putting those

things into their plays

but the lord chambers office is still

telling them on occasion

to take them out now this comes to a

head this issue

in 1967 where there's a controversial

new play by edward bond it's called

early morning and the lord chambers

office bans it

and you've got an mp called george

strauss who says look you know this is

the late 1960s it's absolutely crazy

that this is still going on we need to

abolish

censorship of the theater so george

strauss introduces a bill to parliament

he gets the support of roy jenkins we

know of course

jenkins is a very liberal home secretary

lends his support to all sorts of

different

social reforms and this is yet another

one and

george strauss also gets support from

lawrence olivier who you may have heard

of a hugely

respected actor at the time as well

and parliament passes that bill it

becomes law

in 1968 and quite an interesting little

event happens not long after

uh the bill becomes law you get a

performance

of the musical hair at the shattersby

theatre in the west end

and the cast celebrate

the fact that censorship has been

removed by

standing up turning to face the audience

entirely naked

for at least a good 30 seconds

so not only has censorship been removed

but here is a particular play very much

taking advantage of it so a really

clear example here of some quite

significant social change within the

19th century

another aspect of censorship that it's

worth reflecting on

is censorship in films and television

now the british board of film census

which still exists today

was responsible for categorizing films

which it did very strictly

but as the 60s went on even the film

census themselves began to recognize

that society was changing

and their definition of what was

acceptable and appropriate definitely

became

more liberal and that's why we see for

example films like alfie with michael

kane in 1966

here we go around the mulberry bush in

1967 those are

much more daring than the kind of films

that would have got past the senses

in the 1950s and so we're not seeing the

sort of battle

that we saw when it came to theater

censorship it's very clear that the film

senses are

moving with the times in a way that the

lord chamberlain's office

hadn't been doing and that's why by 1970

it's it's a lot more common to see by

sex and

violence in films now it's an

interesting one

because we'll see in a minute there were

certain people like mary whitehouse who

were poor by this

and they said if you reduce censorship

it opens the floodgates

and you're going to see sex violence

swearing nudity

everywhere is a slippery slope but what

we're really seeing

is that that doesn't happen it's not the

case

that all of a sudden every play or every

film

suddenly contains loads of violence or

loads of swearing

some do some don't what's really

happening

is the film senses uh kind of

legitimizing

changes that have already happened

they're accepting that society has

already changed

they're not leading the change they're

responding to the change

and it's certainly not the case that the

floodgates open and it's impossible to

see a film

with no sex in it it's just not the case

worth reflecting briefly about tv as

well

again we do see increased

um use of violent scenes for example on

television or sex scenes

again it's certainly not the case that

every program suddenly has them

but yes there is a change there but what

we also see on tv is that

certain political and religious issues

which weren't discussed or debated

on television because they were seen as

too controversial

in the past are now openly being

discussed

and of course politics has been reported

for a long time on tv

but there have been a reluctance really

to dig a bit deeper

and to expose and discuss some of the

more divisive political issues

and that's certainly true when it came

to religion and we can see on television

as we go through the 1960s

that is certainly changing as well

so i mentioned a moment ago that not

everybody was

happy with these changes and we

increasingly

hear this phrase the permissive society

being used by people who are outraged by

the extent of change that's happened and

the permissive society in other words

a society which allows anything to

happen which has

no real controls on morality and on

people's behavior

and these critics um will often

be very combinatory of politicians

particularly roy jenkins

but also of a lot of the media as well

so first of all the catholic church the

catholic churches

is quite prominent in some of its

criticism

of the so-called permissive society in

particular

in the 1960s the catholic church takes

aim

at contraception and particularly

and of course traditional catholic

teaching says that sex

is for procreation for the creation of

children only and then clearly the pill

stands in opposition to that so the

official catholic line

is very much against contraception that

doesn't mean that every catholic in the

pews takes that line

and it's quite interesting you get a

conservative mp who's a roman catholic

called norman sinjan stevas and he

writes an article

called the pope the pill and the people

nice bit of alliteration

in 1968 and that argues against the

official line

so don't think that every single

catholic or christian or

person of religious belief is against

these more liberal changes

but it's certainly true that the

official position of the church

remains quite conservative with a small

c

now we mentioned mary whitehouse a

moment ago mary whitehouse

is uh and certainly likes to present

herself as your

average british woman your average

british

housewife she certainly although she's

very critical of the media

very media savvy she's very good at

using the media

and she becomes a really prominent

figure on all sorts of

talk shows for example during the 60s

and beyond as well she

she goes on well into the 70s and 80s

and 90s

as well mary whitehouse and believes

that

there's far too much sexual freedom she

points in particular to the

the rising rates or sexually transmitted

infections

she's not made that's all but it was

certainly the case it was true but

that's something that she

takes aim at but mary whitehouse's focus

above all

is the media the way the media behaves

and the increasingly liberal attitudes

of part of the media and mary whitehouse

sets up her

own organization her argument is that i

am an ordinary british housewife but i

represent the views of so many of the

british people

and you can see that from the name of

her organization

it's called the nvla the national

viewers and listeners association set up

in 1965

and it's absolutely the case that plenty

of people do agree

with mary lighthouse very quickly gets a

hundred thousand members

does it have an impact on what the bbc

and itv

decide to do well no it doesn't so it's

quite interesting mary whitehouse's

profile

and arguably her popularity are

very significant but the actual impact

that she and her organization have

is extremely limited and as we move into

the 70s we see a continuation

of this much more liberal approach

whether it's television whether it's

radio whether it's films

or whether it's theater and this final

point here is quite an interesting one

because if you

were to believe everything that mary

whitehouse said then you'd imagine

that pretty much every young person in

britain was

having sex all the time that they were

out there taking

drugs uh swearing all the time and that

the media had made them

do that but if we look at these surveys

by scofield and gore

in 65 and 69 and actually it's appeared

that most young people

married their first sexual partner many

haven't had sex at all

by the time they got married so actually

far from

more liberal attitudes in the media

meaning that everybody suddenly behaved

in

a so-called permissive way actually even

among young people

relatively traditional attitudes remain

strong

and it's a theme we keep on coming back

to that the 50s and the 60s are a time

of significant social change

but more traditional attitudes

absolutely haven't

disappeared despite what critics of the

permissive society

might argue i referred a moment ago

to the increased use of drugs during the

1960s

and this is something we need to talk

about briefly as well as considering how

wilson's government responded

to that it's certainly the case that

uh the stereotype of the 60s where drugs

become more common particularly softer

drugs like cannabis

and that stereotype has some basis in

truth certainly cannabis and to an

extent lsd

are increasingly accessible their use

does become more common

in the 1960s and they are very much part

of that hippie flower power culture

it's also true that the beetles of

course dabble in lsd

even though they deny that they're lucy

in the sky with diamonds song is a

homage to that drug

it's also the case that although they're

less widespread

more people are using so-called hard

drugs like cocaine and heroin

than they had done in previous uh

decades and the statistics told their

own story

um in the early part of the 60s

addiction to heroin and cocaine

increases tenfold so clearly there is

a rise in what we might want to call

drug

culture and wilson's government responds

to this

now we've often talked about wilson's

government

being pretty liberal-minded when we

looked at roy jenkins as period as home

secretary

that was especially the case but we've

also commented before that that

that's not true of wilson himself and

it's particularly not true

of jim callahan and when we look at what

the government does

we can see actually a relatively

conservative

approach to the possession and

particularly the supplying of drugs

as well first of all there's a dangerous

drugs act in 1967

and that makes it unlawful to possess

either cocaine

or cannabis we then get a report called

the whatton report in 1968 and that says

actually

only a year after this act there is a

case for

legalizing cannabis now hadroid jenkins

been home secretary

maybe that would have been given more

consideration but jim callahan

is a traditionalist he's a small c

conservative when it comes to issues

like drugs

and callaghan whose home secretary at

the time is

absolutely against that proposal so

cannabis the possession of cannabis

remains unlawful and right at the end of

the decade in 1970

and there's a real crackdown on the

supplying of drugs and the maximum

sentence for that

goes up to 14 years in prison

and that brings an end to this video

it's clear as we said in the 1950s that

the 60s is a time of really very

significant social change if we look for

example at car ownership

tv ownership um increasingly liberal

attitudes

in the media the rising drug taking

all of those are undoubtedly aspects of

change

but is it the case that there's been

some kind of social revolution

is it the case that society has become

exceptionally permissive

is it the case that everybody's attitude

is suddenly very liberal

absolutely not

huge thank you to tom there for a really

interesting uh video on

uk societal change

there'll be more on this uh channel to

come so more i'm

more on seal this particular playlist

someone's gonna be working hard uh

putting together some more videos on

this uh there's also lots of other stuff

going on in the channel in terms of a

level politics content and content

are another history units on things such

as american history and russian history

and

tudor history so hopefully those stuff

there that you'll find helpful please

remember to subscribe

um like the video and leave tom some

comments on this one would be absolutely

great

thank you very much