Thomas, Thomas Nicholas, 1970- (1996) The British student movement 1965-1972. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This thesis outlines the development of the protests by students which took place in Britain from 1965 to 1972, and investigates the reasons for the occurrence of these protests at that particular time. This inquiry has used national and student newspapers, extensive archive material, secondary sources, and oral history interviews to carry out these aims. In particular, this thesis will suggest that sLudent protest can only be understood in the light of changes in attitudes to authority in the post-war period. The position of young people in society was transformed in the decades following the Second World War, and this change was itself the result of social, economic and cultural changes which will be considered as part of this thesis. It will be argued that deterministic interpretations, which have suggested that student protest was the result of revolutionary politics, group conformity, rebellion against parental or social disciplines, or rapid university expansion, have been mistaken. Instead, students took part in protests upon specific issues about which they felt strongly, usually because they believed that those in authority had committed injustices. This protest could only take place, therefore, once prevailing attitudes to authority had changed. and students felt that it was both possible and acceptable to challenge the decisions of those who were in. authority.

Item Type:	Thesis or Dissertation (PhD)
Subjects:	D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Student movements -- Great Britain -- History -- 20th century, Great Britain -- Social conditions -- 20th century
Date:	December 1996
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of Social History
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Steedman, Carolyn ; Tiratsoo, Nick, 1952- ; Lewis, Gwynne
Extent:	vii, 316 leaves
Language:	eng
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/36254

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