ORAL ANGLAIS NOTION OF PROGRESS

        I’m going to talk about the « Idea of progress ». To begin with, I’d like to state a definition of progress. Progress is a steady evolution towards a better stage. It is the idea that the world can become a better place in terms of technology, politics or medicine. Progress is thus defined as any kind of improvement. We are confronted with these changes on a daily basis and have perhaps witnessed more changes in the last 50 years than our ancestors did in over 200! In order to illustrate this notion I have chosen to talk about the advances done during the 60's. I am going to attempt to answer the question « In what way the 60's in England were marked by a technological advance and a progress of the mentalities? »

        During the 60's, a revolving wind blew on England. This period is depicted as a new era, a golden age in which radical changes happened in England. Because of the baby boom, a new wave of consumers appeared which promoted the economical growth and the technical progress. This technical progress allowed the access to technological breakthroughs such as cars or television which enabled people to improve their quality of life as they were better off. TV doesn’t have the same importance in society as it does today. The color TV appeared in 1967 on BBC2 mainly with sports programs, then its first coverage of the landing on the moon of Neil Armstrong in 1969. Today, television is a basic object that you can find in every house.  Besides, there is an especial car that will be never forgotten by the english minds : it is the Austin Mini. For many ordinary families, this car was the first one cheap enough to afford it and represents for a lot of people the very first english car.

        Concerning the other changes, we could also say that the 60's were a period of new social and political trends. To a large extend, baby boomers were teenagers or young adults in the 60's and embodied a new rebellious and engaged generation. They stood for a powerful social and cultural force. Indeed, mentalities have evolved in England, with the arrival of the Hippies, which marks a major sexual and cultural revolution. The music will take a very important place in the 60s with rock bands like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. But the most important element is the evolution of the women's role in society. They are no longer perceived as housewives.  Because of the late 60's recession, men's salary weren't suficient anymore to provide the family, so the women started to be be more and more numerous to work to contribute to the family income and became for some the family bread-winner. This fact was hardly accepted by the men in the 60', because they used to think it reflected badly on them if their wife was working. Furthermore, the apparition of the pill is a turning point for  the women's sexual freedom because this was the first sexual right they obtained, years before the right of abortion.


        To sum up ; the sixties are called the « Swinging sixties » because of the many rapid changes that happened in this decade. A radical cultural revolution took place with the triumph of pop music and the emergence of what became world famous bands. Young hippie generation invented the counter culture : a culture with values and lifestyles that goes against those of the established society. England, as the world leader in fashion, pop music, films ,television, social culture, was really the place to be in the 60's. In other words, the cultural hub of the world.

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