After the first world war, housing acts provided authorities with Government help, these were council housing of two or three story properties where families had their own front doors, bathrooms and toilets. However, in the 1930s overcrowding was still a big issue compared to England.
Over the period 1920 and 1939 the cost of living fell by a third, allowing people with jobs to enjoy improvements, which they could afford. The mass production of clothes, foot-ware and food helped, as well as shorter working hours, a better diet and health and welfare provisions.
Urbanisation helped change the way people spent their leisure time. Such as visiting neighbours or friends and in the 1900s the wind up gramophone provided reproduced music and in 1926 the British Broadcasting Corporation was established. This was mainly plays and classical music. Public houses became attractive, well-lit and comfortable escapes for the men. In 1921 opening hours were restricted and confined to a total of eight hours a day. Gambling in ice-cream parlours became enormously popular from the 1890s. These were seen as centres of disturbance to which people went after closing of public houses. These brought about an anti -ice-cream political group. Local authorities provided alternatives such as art galleries, museums, public parks and libraries. The 1880s to 1930s saw the standard of living rise for working class peoples. By the 1880s half-days free of work on Saturadays was usual for skilled workers. The 1890s allowed unskilled workers half days as well. The holiday with pay act in 1938 allowed workers at least one week’s pay break per year. This meant that workers had money and time to pay for entertainments such as sports, for example greyhound racing, golf, horse-racing and rugby and especially football, flourished. Theatres and music halls abounded too.
The urbanisation in Scotland had a huge effect on religion and education. The urbanisation made the education system in Scotland unworkable, the church could not cope with the educational needs of such a rapidly growing community and other religious groups challenged it’s role in education. Universities had to offer new courses for an industrial society. In the 1930s there were at least forty different kinds of churches in Scotland. Religion played a central part in the lives of many of the people. However in the 1880s the Church of Scotland no longer played the key role. In 1872 an act of Parliament required all children to go to school from the age of five to thirteen. This meant that workers were better educated than before and more teachers were needed so employment for women teachers grew rapidly. In 1883 the general school leaving age was raised to fourteen. But with huge exceptions which made it ineffective. The 1918 Act, which abolished school boards brought Roman Catholic schools into the scope of State, supported education. Universities were reformed and expanded because it was easier for students to enter, and institutions were opened up to women as part of the 1889 University Act.
So, the effect of urbanisation between 1880 and 1939 is clearly shown to have a great significance in all areas of every day life. We can see the effects in society’s view on education, religion, health and safety, housing and leisure activities.
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