3. Study Sources D and E. How useful are Sources D and E in helping you to understand why women were unable to become more independent in the 1950s and 1960s? [10]
In the post-war era of the 1950s and 60s, many women remembered their days as valued workers and yearned to return to work. However, social stereotypes were promoted in all sorts of subtle and not-so-subtle ways, such as the Janet and John book in Source E and pieces of legislation which discriminated against women. For centuries, girls had been pushed into the traditional role of housewife and mother, and boys into their role of breadwinner and household handyman.
In their role as housewife and mother, women were pushed by society and figures such as Dr. Spock to stay at home. A magistrate in London attributed the rising number of “delinquent” children to the rise in working mothers, despite the fact that only 6% of mothers with children under the age of 5 were in employment, and there were many other factors such as the influence of youth culture in films and on television. Either way, societal pressures meant that many women felt that, if they went to work, they would be labelled bad mothers and their children would grow up to be criminals.
Source D, from a successful working mother, tells us how one woman felt that she had to be at home with her children. It is likely that the reason for this woman's decision was that she felt pressurised by society and media, and that other women felt similarly pressurised. However, this is only one woman and the sources do not otherwise indicate that many women decided to return to being a housewife. There is also no indication of why she felt that she should go back to the family home, so Source D is only of limited use. Source E provides a useful insight into the way that boys and girls were taught about their traditional roles in the Janet and John books which were popular throughout the 1950s and 60s.
Overall, each source provides useful evidence of the societal pressures and prejudice that meant many women felt unable to become more independent through work, fashion and the use of government legislation which had promised equality.
4. Study Sources F and G. Use Sources F and G, and your own knowledge, to explain why the Equal Pay Act and other legislation in the 1970s did not achieve the desired effect. [12]
In 1970, the Equal Pay Act (EPA) was passed after women went on strike and held demonstrations demanding equal pay. The female Employment Secretary, Barbara Castle, wanted to avoid any further unrest and introduced the new piece of legislation. However, the scope was narrow and employers had a five year settling in period. This allowed employers to make changes to discriminate against women within the law. Tactics included drawing up male-only short lists for jobs, and giving men and women doing the same work different titles, such as “trainee manager” and “shop assistant”. It was then perfectly legal to then put these job titles at different positions on the pay scale. Women also found that it was, and still is, incredibly difficult to prove that discrimination had taken place.
Source F tells us that “new laws and regulations don’t bring social change. The most they can do is to create a climate more favourable to change and life more tolerable for some in the meantime”. This turned out to be true, as the resistance by many men to change meant that the EPA made little difference. Women’s pay did increase in relation to men’s, but even today, on average, women only earn 80% of what their male counterparts do, partly due to the fact that many women take low paid jobs, such as cleaning, to fit around childcare.
Many women found that housework and looking after their children meant that there was not enough time to do full time work. Instead they opted for part time work, but this fell completely outside the remit of the EPA. Feminists argued that to help more women go out to work, more nurseries should be set up, preferably 24-hour ones, but these never materialised.
Overall, the EPA struggled to make any real difference. This was because, as Source F explains, legislation could not change attitudes towards women in employment and the pay they should receive. Coupled with the fact that there were so many loopholes in the EPA it left women with a piece of legislation which failed to achieve the desired effect.
5. Study all of the sources. 'Women in Britain are still second class citizens.' Use the sources and your own knowledge to explain whether you agree with this view. [14]
During WWII, women found their feet as working mothers. During the post-war period and 1950s, women began to campaign for equal pay and rights. During the 1960s women struck for equal pay, and gained more control over their private lives through the pill. The 1970s brought feminism and the “lame duck” EPA. The 1980s and 90s allowed women to break into senior positions, including Prime Minister, with more women that ever before in Parliament and the Cabinet. This was especially true after the 1990 resignation of the first woman Prime Minster, Margaret Thatcher. EU law ensured more gender equality and part time workers were given rights for the first time.
In the last 60 years, women have come a long way in the fight for equality. However, despite reams of legislation promising equality, this has still not been fully achieved. One example of this is in employment: women still receive 20% less than their male counterparts. There is a vast disparity in the numbers of men and women in senior positions, and in roles such as the judiciary. Few women rise to the top of their profession, due to the “glass ceiling” which prevents women from rising above a certain level. Legislation still prevents women from doing certain kinds of work, such as working at a coal face. However, at the same time women can no longer be sacked because they are pregnant.
All of this comes despite the fact that for the last 20 years girls have been outperforming boys at all levels of education. Since the mid-80s girls have become more successful than boys at both GCSE and A level. There are also more girls in university than boys, up from a third in the 1950s. However, women are still not equal when it comes to employment opportunities.
More women that ever before, particularly those who are married are combining employment with having children and housework. However, many men still only have to cope with employment, despite the advent of the “modern man” and paternity leave. Source H shows us how today's modern woman must take on the roles of 8 different servants, such as the nanny, cook and maid, who would have helped in the past. However, unlike the servants she does not receive money for her housework as feminists campaigned for in the 70s. Many women still feel pressured into staying at home with their pre-school children: 75% of mothers believe that women should be at home with their young children, despite more married women working at any time since WWII.
Overall, women are no longer second class citizens in law due to the reams of legislation brought in to protect women's rights, such as the Equal Pay Act. Whilst laws have, in some ways, helped significantly – some more than others – in reality they have often not changed anything. New laws and regulations don't bring social change (Source F) and the nation's attitudes and values have been the greatest obstruction to gender equality in Britain today. Women have greater equality today than at any time in history, but full equality has not been achieved, and the archaic values of many of those high up in society may mean that this is never achieved within our lifetimes, if at all.
