Idea of progress: what was progress in England?

Idea of Progress

        The subject of my oral presentation will be « the idea of progress ».

Progress means any changes in the socio cultural, scientific, political, or economic fields.

The idea of progress is a concept showing improvement in human condition. This notion goes with the most important events in history illustatrated by progress in science, technology, literature, art, communications...

However, progress can lead to serious consequences for our planet.

        We can wonder what was progress in England?

I would like to illustrate this notion through the theme of the swinging sixties. First we will talk about the sixties and their major changes, secondly we will see the evolution of women's salary and finally we will speak about the evolution of fashion in England.

        The sixties or rather "the swinging sixties" for many people were vibrant, exciting, original and fresh with all kinds of new ideas in lifestyle, culture, popular music, sexual freedom, films, television and politics.

        The first document I studied is a TIME magazine cover. It is very colourful, it reminds me of colour TVs because they gave people a new perspective on the world. It allows us to oppose traditional London with Rolls Royce, big Ben, the Union Jack flag, the royal family, aristocracy... And changes in the society during the 60s with new music, new clothes with geometric forms, the appearance of drugs, new technologies, new birth control that were then allowed. London was the “Sixties London” because it changes a lot. It was a reference for the rest of the world. It was a city of progress.  

        The second document I studied is still a man's world. We can see the status of women and wage inequality. In 1968 the Ford factory in Dagenham is affected by the strike of all women of the factory. Conducted by Rita o'Grady they shop work because they want a wage increase, or 92% of men's wages. The strike will last three weeks. But after the meeting between Rita O'Grady and Barbara Castle, the187 women stop the strike and go back to work. Their movement subsequently allowed the equal pay act of 1970. This was a major progress in England in 1970.

        The last document is a video concerning Mary Quant. She was a stylist, a fashion designer. She drew new models for her collection. Mary Quant explained in the document how to turn her drawings into real clothes she gave orders to draw a pattern, cut material. She showed the collection to buyers to set a new trend. Clothes were exported to different countries. The cat walks showed different models. Her creations were instantly successful so she had to find technicians who could produce her clothes in factories in big quantity. Consequently she was able to export to satisfy the demands.

She gave a new look to a new generation thanks to her imagination.

        Mary Quant illustrates the notion of progress because she was a trend-setter. She revolutionized women's fashion in the 1960s by shortening their skirts.Fashion became part of the consumer society.

        In conclusion, these three documents prove that the progress the progress of the past, during the swinging sixties had a significant impact on the society. There was radical progress in gender equality. The world, people have changed. There were many changes as technology, equality, music, fashion, act.

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