This paper is aimed at reviewing the book British Society Since 1945: The Penguin Social History of Britain written by Arthur Marwick.
This author examines the dramatic transformation of Great Britain after the Second World War which proved to be a turning-point in the political, economic, and social history of this country. In particular, it is necessary to provide a brief summary of this text and discuss the main issues explored by the author.
Furthermore, the essay will incorporate a critical analysis of this book. Much attention will be paid to such aspects as the expertise of the author, the use of sources, readability, and other aspects that can be critical for the evaluation of this text as a scholarly work.
To some degree, this analysis can throw light on the strengths and weaknesses of this book which will be discussed in the concluding section. On the whole, one can say that Arthur Marwick managed analyze the changes underwent by Great Britain in a professional, thought-provoking and engaging way.
At first, Arthur Marwick examines the experiences of the British society directly after World War II. He argues that the legacies of this military conflict were fully palpable during the first decade during the period between 1945 and 1957.
In particular, the country was affected by such difficulties as economic depression, declining performance of several industries, such as coal production, and lack of housing1. These trends profoundly affected various groups of the British population.
Furthermore, the government attempted to help regions that relied primarily on heavy industries. At that time, this assistance was urgently needed by Scotland.
On the whole, this period was marked by the creation of the welfare state which was supposed to protect people who were most disadvantaged due to various reasons. To a great extent, it was a response to the enormous challenges encountered by the country at that time.
Furthermore, the writer discusses the cultural and social changes which took place after World War II. For instance, Arthur Marwick speaks about “the end of Victorianism” in the sixties2. Much attention should be paid to the transformation of values which were imbedded of the Victorian era.
For example, one can speak about the transformation gender roles, empowerment of women, legalization of abortion, and growing support for the feminist movement.
Thus, at the time, the value system of Victorianism was evaluated much more critically and sometimes even rejected. This is one of the main details that should be taken into account.
Furthermore, Arthur Marwick discusses the dramatic changes in the British society in the seventies and eighties. The author pays much attention to the events that accompanied these changes. For example, one can speak about the so-called “Winter of Discontent” or the strikes that took place in the late seventies3.
This period has been described by Margaret Thatcher as the “watershed” moment in the history of Great Britain because it highlighted the necessity for reforms, especially economic changes4. The author shows how the economic reforms were implemented by the government.
Arthur Marwick speaks about the so-called yuppies or people who were able to climb the social ladder and attain financial prosperity. However, at the same time, the writer focuses on the rising culture of football hooligans who believed that they had been “fighting for their own particular community”5.
In many cases, these people were involved in criminal activities. Moreover, Arthur Marwick examines the changing notion of national identity in the British society.
To some degree, this process can be attributed to the growing immigration to the United Kingdom from various countries that could be previously included in the British Empire as colonies.
The author demonstrates how Great Britain was transformed into a multi-cultural and multi-religious society in which conservative values were assessed in a critical way. These are the main aspects that can be distinguished.
While evaluating a book, one should also discuss the credibility of the author and his professional background. It should be noted that Arthur Marwick was educated at Edinburgh University and Oxford. He became the professor of history at the newly-established Open University6.
Furthermore, he taught in Stanford, Rhodes College and other educational institutions. He was also a distinguished lecturer who was able to involve students in thought-provoking discussions. This educator wrote various books the social history of Great Britain during the twentieth century.
This theme was one of his major scholarly interests. Among his most important workers, one can certainly distinguish The Deluge: British Society and the First World War which is regarded as classical work in this field.
Additionally, it is possible to argue that Arthur Marwick was one of the historians who were able to combine the individual narratives of people with the analysis of larger social trends. This is one of his major achievements.
Moreover, other scholars often cite his works, including the book discussed in this paper. For example, while discussing the cultural transformation of Great Britain, some historians refer readers to specific sections of this book, because it can give readers a better idea about this peculiarities of this process7. Therefore, one can assume that Arthur Marwick has the necessary expertise in order to discuss the issues examined in this book. This is one of the arguments that can be put forward.
It is important to remember that that the author derives relevant information from a variety of primary and secondary sources that help him throw light on the experiences of British people after World War II. In particular, the author uses the diaries of people who could represent various classes of the society.
For example, he quotes a journalist, named Hodson, who wrote about the post-war experiences in Great Britain8. Such observations of different people can be very informative. This approach enables the author to show how different people could perceive the legacies of World War II.
Furthermore, this technique is helpful for describing the expectations that various individuals could set for the future. Additionally, Marwick uses governmental reports and speeches of politicians that can also explain the changes that the state underwent during this period.
Moreover, Arthur Marwick discusses various novels, films, and other artworks because they can throw light on the lifestyles and attitudes of British people who departed from many conservative values. Overall, the use of primary documents can throw light on the diversity of opinions about this period.
Moreover, this approach makes discussions much more vivid. In turn, secondary sources are also very helpful because they can be used as the roadmap by people who are interested in this topic. This opportunity is of great importance to students.
Furthermore, in this way, Arthur Marwick explains the opinions of other historians who could also examine this topic. Therefore, the readers can better understand the logic of the scholar’s arguments and his analysis.
One can argue that this book is written professionally. The writer is able to overview a variety of social, political, economic, and cultural issues that shaped the lives of British people. Apart from that, Arthur Marwick examines is able to show the connections between these topics.
For example, the writer is able to demonstrate how the reforms carried out by Thatcher administration contributed to the changes in the lifestyles of people, such as yuppies or hooligans.
Therefore, the author prompts the readers to think about the ways in a society can evolve and the factors that prompt changes in the community. Additionally, the author supports his claims with numerical data which can also be very informative.
For instance, the writer speaks about the changes in prices, inflation, or production levels in various industries. Apart from that, Arthur Marwick examines demographic data which can also throw light on the changes within the British society.
This approach makes the scholar’s argument more convincing because the readers can see that the writer’s claims are not based on mere speculations or conjectures. Therefore, this text can be viewed as a credible scholarly source that can be used for research.
Additionally, Arthur Marwick demonstrates how the individual experiences were influenced by large social trends. For example, Arthur Marwick discusses the experiences of teenagers who lived during the period of significant cultural changes.
These people were more ready to accept the cultural transformation of Great Britain Moreover, the writer shows how separate people could perceive post-war years. Overall, by showing these connections, the scholar is able to make his discussions more vivid and engaging.
The audience can see that the study of social history can be related to everyday life of people. Moreover, Arthur Marwick succeeds in showing how the values, attitudes, and worldviews of many people changed by examining surveys which were conducted at that time.
This is one of the strengths that should not be overlooked because the author makes his discussions more engaging.
Despite the fact that Arthur Marwick examines a great number of issues, his discussion is not superficial. A student, who may read this text, will be able to find sufficient information that can be used as a starting point for the research.
Admittedly, one can find other sources in which separate questions included in this book are discussed in greater detail. These sources are certainly worth attention. Nevertheless, Arthur Marwick succeeds in making a comprehensive analysis without omitting any significant details.
This is one of the reasons why this book stands out among similar sources in which the social history of Great Britain is discussed.
Furthermore, much attention should be paid to such a criterion as the readability because it is also necessary for the review of this source. Arthur Marwick focuses on the structure of this text. For example, this book includes a list of terms and names mentioned by the writer.
Therefore, the readers can quickly find the information about the topics which are of the greatest interest to them. Moreover, they can determine whether a specific issues was examined by the author. This is one of the strengths that should be considered.
Additionally, the book contains a table of contents that can give the audience some idea about the questions that the writer will examine. Yet, there is a limitation that can be identified. At the beginning of each chapter, the author could have included a brief bullet-point summary of a particular section.
In this way, one can assist the readers in searching for relevant information9. In addition to that, the use of visual aids such as tables, charts or diagrams could have benefited the audience; however, they were included by the author. This is one of the shortcomings that should not be disregarded by the readers of this text.
On the whole, this discussion indicates that Arthur Marwick can be a valuable source that can help readers gain about idea about the forces that shaped the transformation of British society after World War II.
It is possible to identify such strengths of this book as skillful use of primary sources and ability of the writer to show the connections between various social changes. Moreover, Arthur Marwick is able to justify his arguments with quantitative information.
The main limitations are related to the readability of this text, especially the absence of visual aids. They could have assisted the readers in browsing through this book.
Nevertheless, despite these shortcomings, this source is worth attention because this text eloquently demonstrates how and why Great Britain changed the Second World War.
Still, it is important to remember that this book is only a starting point for the study of the questions discussed by Arthur Marwick. These are the main aspects that can be singled out.
Bibliography
Emsley, Clive. “Professor Arthur Marwick: Open University founding father.” The Independent, 2006. Web.
Marwick, Arthur. British Society Since 1945: The Penguin Social History of Britain. London: Penguin, 2003.
Price, Lynn. The Writer’s Essential Tackle Box: Getting a Hook on the Publishing Industry. London: Behler Publications, 2009.
Seidman, Michael. The Imaginary Revolution: Parisian Students and Workers in 1968. London: Berghahn Books, 2004.
Footnotes
- Arthur Marwick, British Society Since 1945: The Penguin Social History of Britain (London: Penguin, 2003), 4.
- Marwick, British Society Since 1945, 113.
- Marwick, British Society Since 1945, 227.
- Marwick, British Society Since 1945, 228.
- Marwick, British Society Since 1945, 297.
- Clive Emsley, “Professor Arthur Marwick: Open University founding father,” The Independent, 2006.
- Michael Seidman, The Imaginary Revolution: Parisian Students and Workers in 1968 (London: Berghahn Books, 2004), 14.
- Marwick, British Society Since 1945, 3.
- Lynn Price, The Writer’s Essential Tackle Box: Getting a Hook on the Publishing Industry (London: Behler Publications, 2009), 132.