The period 1940-1960 was a time of considerable change in British society. It saw the emergence of mass democracy, a world war and then unprecedented affluence. Change brought uncertainty among Britain's elites, which in turn encouraged them to reflect more acutely on the direction the nation was taking. Questions were posed: what was the social role of ordinary men and women in 20th-century Britain? What were their needs, their rights, their responsibilities? How did they stand in relation not only to the State but to their regions and communities? And how were those objects of loyalty or disloyalty defined? Who, in other words, were the British, and by what processes did they come to be so considered? The contributors explore the development of these ideas by a variety of individuals and organizations, and the relationship between these opinion-makers and political parties. They also examine the extent to which their conclusions were translated into social policy in an attempt to shape the evolution of modern Britain.
