Society in the 1970s

• 1970s society reflected women's assertiveness, youth conflict and racial tensions.
• The 1970 Equal Pay Act and the 1975 Sex Discrimination Act improved female equality.
• The Equal Pay Act passed in 1970. It came into effect in 1975.
• The main reason that the Equal Pay Act passed was because it was a pre-condition to entering the EEC.
• The 1975 Sex Discrimination Act set up the Equal Opportunities Commission. The Commission ensured fair employment practices.
• Women had legal protection from discrimination due to the Sex Discrimination Act.
• Tribunals were set up under the Sex Discrimination Act that dealt with sexual harassment.
• Women's groups continued to campaign for wider women's rights in the 1970s.
• Feminists wanted to end domestic violence. They wanted controlled rights for abortion and birth control.
• Rape crisis centres and refuges opened for beaten wives and their children
• Erin Pizzey set up the first women's refuge in London.
• Many women protested against the Miss World Competition in 1970.
• Spare Rib was a magazine that was set up that argued that women's subjugation was linked to class oppression.
• Football hooliganism continued in the 1970s. This took place in football grounds.
• Punk rock developed in society. Traditional values were challenged.
• Punk rockers had fashion trends of torn clothing, body piercings, chains and spiked hair.
• Punk rock was mostly a phase of rebellion for the youth. This phase mirrored 1960s trends.
• Race and immigrations continued to cause tensions within society. The government was accused of racist policing.
• Black youths became angry about "Stop and Search" because it was overwhelmingly used against black people.
• The concern with race and immigration was that different ethnic communities rarely mixed.
• The 1976 Race Relations Act outlawed indirect discrimination.
• An example of indirect discrimination that was prominent in the 1970s was a black person not being given a job interview because he was black.
• The Commission for Racial Equality was created to stop police discrimination.
• Black people's protests ended up in violence clashes with the police. Blair Peach was an example of someone who died in one of these clashes.
• Police often tried to halt the Notting Hill Carnival because they feared disorder.
• The Black Panthers of the US Black Power movement appeared in Britain in the early 1970s.
• 1970s Britain avoided riots similar to 1960s USA.
• The National Front emerged in the 1970s as an extreme far-right party. Martin Webster was their leader.
• Martin Webster won 16% of the vote in West Bromwich East in May 1973.
• The National Front held noisy demonstrations. This attracted the skinhead youth group.
• The Anti-Nazi League opposed the National Front.
• Rock Against Racism was a movement supported by musicians to tackle racism.