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Durham E-Theses An investigation into the social structure of the population of Gloucester C. B. Allen, A. T. How to cite: Allen, A. T. (1964) An investigation into the social structure of the population of Gloucester C. B., Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/10387/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk I hereby declare that this dissertation is the result of my own independent investigation; that it is not being submitted for any other degree, and I make full acknowledgement to my original sources in the bibliography. Signed: Ji $:Mfy<y±.-.... A DISSERTATION ON "AS IHVESTIQAT lOiT INTO THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE OP THE POPULATION OF GLOUCESTER C.B." PRESENTED BY A, To ALLEi'Jp £3.Sc«, FOB THE DEGREE OP MASTER OP LETTERS UNIVERSITY OF DURHAM JANUARY, 1964 SUMMARY In the thesis an attempt has been made to indicate the importance of social status in a provincial city. For simplicity three main status groups wore recognised and their social interests and behaviour examined statistically to reveal status differences. A questionnaire was completed in 1962 by a random sample of about 4% of the city's population and this sought information on age-groups, occupations, housing, education, church going and the use of leisure. While the corning of the Welfare State has narrowed the gap in monetary terms between the three social classes recognised, the differing emphasis these groups placed on the aspects of living analysed were recognised a3 status characteristics of these groups. Despite being a diocesan centre, ecclesiastical power in Gloucester today was found to exert little or no influence on the life of the average citizen. Chapter 1. Scope and objectives of the Survey Page 1 it 2. Site, position and growth of city of n 5 Gloucester. ti n 3o 3o City of Gloucester - Demography -8& u 4. Earning a Living a 76 »i it 6. Housing in Gloucester 114 ti n 6. Education 154 i> 7. Church going in Gloucester n 189 n 8. Leisure n 338 it 9. Status in Gloucester ti 293 APPENDIX l. Occupation of heads of families in sample according to status group to Bhich the families have been assigned. Page 305 APPENDIX 2. Questionnaire for families BIBLIOGRAPHY CHAPTER I . Scope and Objectives of the Survey The survey is a study of an urban community in the S« W. Midlands. Gloucester's earlier position as a fortress town and its central position within a relatively rich agricultural county materially aided its later growth as a county town. Although Gloucester has had its abbey for many centuries it officially became a cathedral city only in the time of Henry VIII. Despite being near two minor coalfields and one iron ore producing region the Industrial Revolution mads no great impact on Gloucester apart from slightly stimulating the metal working trades and it was not until the latter half of the nineteenth century that Gloucester really started to grow as a commercial and industrial city* Although Gloucester is a diocesan centre, it is really a county town with a cathedral and the latter has little influence on the life of the average citizen to-day. Earlier economic growth was dependent on the agricultural hinterland but from the end of the First World War, the growth of the engineering industries with non-local materials and distant markets saw a change in the relative importance of the different occupations within the city. This industrialization continued strongly - especially in the aircraft and transport industries - but changing needs for national defence purposes and changing patterns in transport, -8- both at home and overseas during the last few years, has seriously decreased their former pre-eminence. This decline has caused serious concern in the city and efforts are being made to attract other industries to a city already possessing a reserve of labour as well as factory sites„ The purpose of the survey was to study how the population of Gloucester lived and to note the differing emphasis which the main social classes, as groups, placed on the various aspects of living in society«, The statistical information in the following chapters will therefore be based on three najor social groups„ The main criterion on which divisions into classes was based was occupation, as this frequently not only reflected the educational background but also largely controlled the standard of living. Absolute lines of demarcation between the status groups was not always possible as objectively there were different grades in many occupations and subjectively a person's judgement of status depends on his own position in the social structure„ For simplicity in the survey an alphabetic notation was employed with Class A = Upper Glass Class B = Middle Class Class C s forking or Lower Classa As in most provincial towns of the else of Gloucester the local Upper Class would equate only with the Upper Middle or Middle Classes on a national basis„ Host of the people 3- in Class B were those with professional qualifications such as schoolmasters, librarians, administrative assistants, almoners, etc., but including medical practitioners and lawyers. While answers to questionnaires indicated the existence of more than three groups, the time available for the survey and the size of the sample - nearly five hundred households - controlled its division into three major groups: other divisions were regarded as minor sub-groups. A list of the occupations and status groups to which householders were assigned is given in Appendix I and it is noteworthy that some occupations like teachers and engineers can appear in two groups. trhen the major groups were determined, the details from the survey were analysed statistically in terms of the three major groups, with regard to education, housing and leisure, timetetc. In devising the questionnaire on families one of the factors controlling its form and length was firstly the time available for the writer to complete it in the presence of the family being questioned. The second factor was clearly the size of the sample - nearly 4% of the city's population - as the interviewing was done without assistance. Care was taken that the random sample was distributed throughout the city and thic distribution is shown in Fig 1. The proportions of the three status groups in the -4- ( sample (A = 4*2%, B = 1Q%, C a 77•8%) corresponds very closely to their relative size in the urban community and it was only in Glass A that a slight divergence was made from a purely random selection. This was done in order that a sufficient number in this class could be. obtained for statistical analysis of the group» Apart from the size of the sample the other factor which largely controlled the survey was the amount of detail embodied in the Questionnaire. A more comprehensive questionnaire would have resulted in a smaller sample and probably householders in Gloucester would have proved less co-operative if more details were required from them. Much the greater part of the statistical analysis in the succeeding chapters was based on information from the sample but on specific subjects especially for "background knowledge" official services had to be approached: this was essential on education, church -going and housing., Officially the title and status of Gloucester is "The city and county of Gloucester" and the thesis is concerned with the people living within its boundaries whether near the city centre or in the newer housing estates on the fringe. While some authorities might wish to distinguish between the citizens living in the city centre from those living in housing estates on the fringe, it must be remembered that only relatively recently were many of the latter rehoused in their present locations, from less salubrious areas in the older parts of the city. CHAPTER 2 Site position and growth of Gloucester The city of Gloucester is now practically entirely sited on the lowland plain on the east bank of the River Severno The large spatial increase in the 19th and 20th centuries was limited to the east, north and south as the lowlying land to the west was liable to flooding0 An early British name attributed to Gloucester was "CAERGLOft"' = "FAIR CITY" but on etymological grounds some doubt exists^ It is probable that the site was of some importance prior to the advent of the Romans as it is approached by a low ridge from the Cotswold Hills, which afforded a relatively dry track above the lowlying swamp land. The rising ground from the west bank of the west channel of the river, provided from very early times a trackway from South Wales and the Forest of Dean0 It is suggested that this route enabled the Dbfruni of the Ootswolds to trade their wool and grain for the iron of the Forest of Deaneo With the coming of the Romans the site chosen for Glevum was the low hill whose greatest height at the present day, at the Cross, is 66 ft.