Miss teams assignment britain and the swinging cities

DIPLOMATIC ACADEMY OF VIETNAM ENGLISH FACULITY MISS TEAMS ASSIGNMENT Britain and the Swinging Cities Student: Do Nguyen Minh Phuong Student Code: TA47A1-0436 BRITAIN AND THE SWINGING SIXTIES Contents A INTRODUCTION B CONTENTS I Life in the 60s Definition Backgrounds III The influence of the Swinging Sixties Music Fashion IV Mixed opinions 11 C CONCLUSION 12 A INTRODUCTION When we mention the word ‘Britain’, what likely springs to our mind is its long standing, illustrious history In the past, probably hundreds of years ago, the British Empire led countless conquests, swept through several territories and successfully turned them into colonies The vastness of the empire was associated with the phrase ‘the empire where the sun never sets’ as there could be daylight in any of the territories Also, Britain was the birthplace and leading force of the first Industrial Revolution, marking a new era of technological advancements and profound transformations in nearly every aspect of life across the globe Such phases resulted in the prevalence of Britain as a symbol of great power and prosperity, but now it has receded into history and given way for contemporary Britain, a vibrant and dynamic society Modern and developed though Britain is nowadays, it is undeniable that the feeling of nostalgia still creeps into Britons’ 2|Page mind Evidently, a research conducted by YouGov and The7Stars in 2019 has revealed that 55% of respondents would rather travel back in time When being asked to pick a time they remembered the most, there was a significant number of people opting for the 1960s Indeed, the 60s decade, to a certain extent, had notably influenced and shaped British society in the 20th century with the emergence of novel trends in music, films, fashion as well as changes in thoughts of people Feeling the urge to provide further details on the British’s life in the 1960s, I choose ‘Britain and the Swinging Sixties’ as the topic for my Anglo-American’s Study midterm essay The essay is designed to provide general knowledge about Britain in the 1960s by giving out a definition of the Swinging Sixties, while explaining the backgrounds leading to changes evolving during this period and listing some new trends in terms of music, fashion and films In order to approach the topic, I tried my best gathering information from reliable English online sources in a selective way However, I fully understand that shortcomings are unavoidable; therefore, I am looking forward to receiving feedbacks from the lecturer so that I can make adjustments in the next essay Thank you! B CONTENTS I Life in the 60s In order to gain knowledge about the Swinging Sixties in Britain, it is of vital importance to get a glimpse of how life looked like in the 1960s According to the Gregorian calendar, the ‘60s marked its beginning on January 1st, 1960 and ended on December 31st, 1969 This 10-year period was widely regarded as one of the most turbulent and divisive decades in the world’s history, witnessing lots of fluctuations in different aspects, namely politics, music and society throughout the world Some striking events took place during this period include the Vietnam War, the assassination of political figures like John F.Kennedy and Martin Luther King, and the escalation of Cold War Besides, we cannot overlook the surge of protests that were dedicated to oppose wars, obtain civil and women rights along with the stirring of LGBTQ+ rights All of these incidents, which were mainly driven by changes in the society, had come out as a new breeze affecting virtually every walks of 3|Page life, both positively and negatively Though the 60s decade has now fallen into the past, it still appears historic and memorable to the people who live through this phase II About the Swinging Sixties Definition The 60s, as it is known, started in 1960, but it was not until 1963 that cultural changes became noticeable It is commonly believed that ‘Swinging Sixties’ was actually derived from the term ‘Swinging London’, first appeared in a Time magazine’s article written by Piri Halasz dated back to April 15th, 1966 (London: The Swinging City), in which the word swinging means ‘lively, exciting and fashionable’ as cited in Cambridge Dictionary At that time, London gained its recognition as ‘the capital of cool’, being encompassed by the influx of hip and voguish trends Previously, in 1965, Diana Vreeland, editor of the Vogue, remarked on London as ‘the most swinging city in the world at the moment’ In this day and age, ‘Swinging Sixties’ is used to imply a cultural revolution initiated by the youths in the United Kingdom during the mid-to-late 1960s, in which London is placed at the centre The period observed the thrive of novelty, modernity and hedonism as the young generation dared to raise their voices and unhesitatingly showed their distinctive colors At the same time, art, fashion, and music also flourished rapidly; therefore, without any doubt, the Swinging Sixties deserves to be named as ‘the defining decade’ for Britain Backgrounds Transformations brought about by the Swinging Sixties were mainly attributed to historical and social backgrounds 4|Page After the Second World War came to an end in 1945, belligerents underwent a recovery process to make up for substantial losses caused by the war As in the case of Britain, it was left in ruins, with massive death tolls, severely damaged cities and homes Stagnant economic growth, unemployment, food and fuel shortages were merely a few problems confronting Britain at the time The glorious past of the British Empire just faded into oblivion then Meanwhile, two superpowers - the United States and the Soviet Union, vigorously compete with each other to assert their influence on the remaining parts of the world Until late 1950s and 1960s, efforts had been made to stimulate domestic economic growth, thus resulting in Britain’s auspiciously recovered from the Second World War’s aftermaths The acceleration in economy, together with developments in health and welfare services were contributing factors that led to prosperity and ascending living conditions for British people ‘Let us br frank about it - most of our people have never had it so good’, former British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan proclaimed proudly in a speech ‘Go around the country, go to the industrial towns, go to the farms and you will see a state of prosperity such as we have never had in my lifetime – nor indeed in the history of this country.’, he continued The ‘60s also experienced apparent shifts in the way people think The economic resurgence was adhered to affluence, and as a matter of fact, inhabitants earned more and spent more They would willingly allocate their savings for buying cars, entertainment and holidays On average, weekly earnings in the ‘60s surpassed costs of living by an astounding 183% Those who were teenagers generally dedicated their incomes to purchase pop music albums or ticket concerts of prominent stars like The Beatles Moreover, the 60s decade was deemed as a turning point for lots of families Parents were more open and permissive, they hoped their children could lead an enjoyable, carefree life, unlike them who had to struggle to survive through tensions of the war When the Baby Boomers, those who were born during the postwar era stretching from 1946 to 1964 began to reach maturity, they rejected all the conformity and luxuries 5|Page provided by their parents Their bold attitudes might be linked to tumultuous worldwide events occurring in this period - the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and so on - all in all, had stirred up anxiety and uncertainty about the future of the world Besides, the role of women in society was eventually cemented for their being indisputably crucial members of the workforce Therefore, many women gradually obtained the perception that they should not be constrained by the so-called duties concerning motherhood and marriages; instead, they had the right to make their own life decisions and lived the way they wanted With the contraceptive pill being legalised in 1967, women were entitled freedom of choice to pursue their dreams and hopes, but inequalities among gender could still be found And that how a myriad of anti-war protests, liberal and feminist demonstrations, civil rights movements came about more boisterously than ever, from college campuses to hectic streets of hub cities Certainly, we cannot overlook the boom of mass media associated with this period Technological advancements, combined with rising living standards as a result of full employment had dramatically altered how people spent their leisure time During that time, colour television and pocket transistor radios were increasingly popular to serve the purpose of watching TV and listening to music 75% of British households had televisions by 1961, and transistor radios were frequently used among teenagers as they could listen to latest pop music hits at anywhere and anytime they liked In 1966, the victory of England’s football team was widely broadcast, attracting 32 million viewers watching through TV screens A year later, in 1967, BBC aired the first colour broadcast of the Wimbledon tennis tournament Altogether, tremendous socio-economic transitions during the 1960s had left a huge impact on Baby Boomers and their quest for peace, love, liberty and equality, which still came out as thought-provoking even in the present day 6|Page Recommandé pour toi Suite du document ci-dessous 36 Option 12-ki Đề ôn tập tiếng anh Lesson Plan for demo class Đề ôn tập tiếng anh 89 100% (3) 100% (2) Ielts Academic General Task - How to Write at a Band Level Đại cương truyền thông quốc tế 100% (3) III The influence of the Swinging Sixties As I mentioned above, the Swinging Sixties opened up an era of novelty, excitement and fashionability This section will shed light on the teenagers’ craze over new trends, with the most obvious aspects being music, films and fashion Music It is not an exaggeration to claim that music was the most defining and distinguished feature when the term Swinging Sixties sprang up to mind Although rock ‘n roll, with its defiant tone and image, began to gain popularity in the 1950s, it was not until the 1960s that the British music scene truly underwent revolutionary changes, with the arrival of prominent, youthful bands like The Beatles or The Rolling Stones The majority of people would agree that this was the phase of British Invasion, when the Brits music industry went outside borders and inaugurated the proliferation of British music acts internationally Prior to 1964, unlike American stars who were widely admired in the UK, only few British acts achieved success in the US However, things started to change after articles of passionate crowds gathered to watch The Beatles performing in front of the Queen Mother sparked the media and public interest This frenzy over the four-guy band was later on coined as ‘Beatlemania’ The year 1964 marked The Beatles’ immense success as the band dominated both US and UK music charts - their single I Want to Hold Your Hand topped the chart for seven consecutive weeks and their first album, Meet The Beatles recorded 3.6 million copies, setting a new world record at that time The group went on to acquire no.1 position with other songs and even broke Elvis Presley’s record What contributed to the public’s obsession towards The Fab Four remains uncertain Perhaps it can be explained by their songs, those that seem like mirrors reflecting the era they lived in As we take a look into The Beatles’s total asset of more than 200 songs, it is conspicuous as messages conveyed through those songs vary Early songs of The Beatles were mostly daily life stories about love and attraction, which brought about the 7|Page feeling of optimism and aspiration to the youths at the time of ‘affluent society’ They claimed that love is the basis for virtually everything, namely peace, respect and equality In one of their most well-known singles, ‘All You Need is Love’, they demonstrated that one should learn to love himself and others for who they are: ‘There’s nothing you can make that can’t be made/No one you can save that can't be saved/ Nothing you can do, but you can learn how to be you in time /It's easy /All you need is love/All you need is love’ Another song worth mentioning is Black Bird, dedicated to show support to civil rights movement arising at that time, with the word bird used to indicate women What is more, The Beatles were known as avid participants of anti-war demonstrations, who bravely stood up and expressed opposition against the Vietnam War by writing songs such as Give Peace A Chance, Revolution, and so on In addition, the general public were in favor of The Beatles for their image as a group During a period when people started to pay attention to unity, it is understandable why the band attracted a huge number of fans Other mainstream pop and rock acts of the day would focus on one individual only, but The Beatles was an exception, with the front men being John Lennon and Paul Mc.Cartney Actually, each member of The Fab Four had their own distinctive colors and charms: John the clever, intellectual one; Paul, the romantic charmer; George, reserved and mysterious; and Ringo, the carefree goof, and they just blended so well with each other Apart from The Beatles, others who rose to stardom outside Britain were known as the Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Who and The Animals Among all of them, the Rolling Stones was usually mentioned as ‘rivals of The Beatles’; however, unlike The Beatles, they gave off a rebellious and ruthless vibe and they created their own sounds by mixing blues and rock rhythms, sometimes other music genres as well The Rolling Stones’s music strongly contradicted that of The Beatles, as they tended to express their anger and edginess in a way that it caught the spirit of the times Some of the Stones’s iconic hits include Paint It, Black, 19th Nervous Breakdown, Get Off Of My Cloud, Lady Jane and so on 8|Page In the present day, though most British music acts in the 1960s are no longer active, their music assets and the messages they delivered still linger in the heart of music lovers across the world and remind them of an unforgettable phase in the past Fashion Aside from changes in the music scene, it would be a flaw if we neglect the fashion trends emerging in the ‘60s decade Fashion has always been an integral part of our life, which gives us the opportunity to manifest our individuality In the mind of young, energetic British people living in the 1960s, fashion was equal to a declaration of their colors and identity to the world There were a considerable number of fashion trends that came into life during this period The trendsetter at that time was no one else but Mary Quant, a fashion designer and fashion icon who was also the originator of mini skirts and hot pants Mini skirts, as she stated, allowed females to run and jump as freely as possible, while the pants were designed to make women feel more comfortable and liberating as their male counterparts Quant’s designs often featured simple geometric shapes and groovy colors like sherbet orange and mint green and were mostly worn by hottest chicks at that time like Jean Shrimpton and Twiggy Since everyone grew fond of following the latest trends, Carnaby Street in London became the new fashion centers Back then, the street was crowded with lines of boutiques and queues of people waiting to try out trendy designs or simply to have a glance at new clothing arrivals At the same time, the British youths divided into two distinct tribes, known as the Mods and the Rockers 2.1 The Mods 9|Page The Mod subculture surfaced in the late 1950s and swept through the whole country by the mid-1960s, with its name abbreviated from the word ‘modernist’ as the creators were keen on listening to modern jazz This lifestyle was established by a community of working-class men in post-war London, who were inspired by cultural revolutions happening in Europe: namely Italian neorealist cinema and the French existentialist movement The Mod fashion, often thought of as creative, innovative, bold and brash, was closely related to Swinging London as it was attributed to the emergence of Carnaby Street and the King’s Road as hubs for trendy, youth-targeted clothing stores The Mod menswear involved sophisticated, jaw-dropping hemlines, US-Army style parkas, Beatle or Chelsea boots, together with hairstyles inspired by French actors in the Novelle Vague movie A few male mods even applied eyeshadow or lipstick as opposition to gender stereotypes To complete the look, they would ride Italian scooters (a Vespa or Lambretta, preferably) Meanwhile, female mods would show up with short haircuts while wearing men’s trousers or shirts, or miniskirts and flat shoes They applied little makeup, merely pale foundation, brown eyeshadow, white or pale lipstick Both male and female mods highlighted the color contrast and bold, geometric patterns like the British flag, polka dots and stripes to pick their outfits 2.2 The Rockers The Rockers were part of a biker subculture emerging in the late 1950s in Britain at the time when motorcycling became a new pleasure among British working-class youths They absorbed the rockabilly ways of dressing and rock ‘n’ roll music from the movie Ton Up Boys Their uniform would consist of leather caps, heavy leather jackets decorated with patched and brooches, denim jeans designed by Levi’s or Wrangler and white socks rolled over tall motorcycle boots When they rode motorcycles, they hardly wore helmets, or their helmets would be a classic open-face one, then they would add 10 | P a g e aviator goggles and a white scarf While mods appeared with more neat looks, rockers set themselves apart with slicked hair and long sideburns or mustaches The mods and rockers clashed with each other intensely, which partly explains for the riots taking place in southern England in 1964 Both sides went into physical conflicts and were jailed subsequently Films The 1960s marked a new milestone in British filmmaking People shift their attention to London, the swinging capital of the world where abundant changes were made to the culture and society During this time, movies did a great job reflecting the reality of an ongoing cultural revolution led by the youths, thus elevating Britain’s reputation in the film industry Certainly, the industry witnessed groundbreaking success: Mary Poppins, released on August 27, 1964, which starring British actress Julie Andrews as the titular character, became the most Oscar-winning and Oscar-nominated Disney film in history, while My Fair Lady, a cartoon went into public on December 25, 1964 featuring British actress Audrey Hepburn won eight Academy Awards, and Oliver!, a work directed by Carol Reed released in 1968 won Best Picture, thus becoming the last musical film to so until Chicago in 2002 Some British actors such as Peter O'Toole, Michael Caine and Peter Sellers began to capture the love of US viewers Among winners for the best picture of decade's Academy Award, out of 10 were British productions, specifically, the film Lawrence of Arabia, in which O' Toole played the role of British army officer T E Lawrence, sweeping seven Oscars in 1963 IV Mixed opinions Though the Swinging Sixties is constantly used to indicate the most distinguished and prosperous decade of the 20th century, there are still people who view this period with doubtful eyes They argue that the Swinging Sixties, frankly speaking, only lasted for two years, and that despite the so-called socio-economic transformations, along with the glitter of Swinging London with its centers being Carnaby Street and the King’s Road, 11 | P a g e