History – “Keep Calm and Carry On!” Life on the Homefront in WWII – Summer Term

COURSE OVERVIEW

Bring your ration card and trip back eighty years, when daily life was turned upside-down, but the fighting spirit shone through! We spend our war days on the home-front: find tips to stretch our budgets, and keep up with fashion by “make do and mend”.

Our spirits and camaraderie are high and we dream over our favourite film stars, admire the women factory workers, Home Guard, spivs….lots more!

We study domestic, working and social life on the home-front during World War Two; the impact it had during this period and its life-changing effects post-war.

We focus on life for women at war and at home: their occupations in the armed services, as doctors, nurses, typists, clerks; working in the Land Army, in factories, in the WRVS and other voluntary organisations, as well as being housewives and mothers. At home during war and after, women had to cope with rationing and learning to ‘make do and mend’; while attempting to remain glamorous and keeping up with fashion and cosmetics in innovative ways as they were scarce.

Nurses writing home from overseas or who were stationed in Britain give us a touching insight into the lives of men and women during this period.

When war ended women found it difficult to give up their new independence. Family life changed and so did relationships.

N.B. History courses may contain outdated attitudes, cultural depictions and language which cause offence today. They have to be viewed from an historic perspective. When discussing the content these views are not those of the tutor.

Illustrated with powerpoint slideshows, documentary and film clips.

Tutor Sarah Tobias. This course runs on a Monday, 1330-1530