This module examines the development of modern British society and culture from c.1870 to the 1990s. It considers changing social and political relations in the pre-1914 period, including the rise of labour, the development of party politics, plus shifting patterns of work, class and gender. These themes are further developed for the post 1914 period, when the module focuses also on the social impact of the 1930s' Depression; the effect of the two World Wars and Imperial decline on social relations; the rise of the Welfare State and of 'affluence' after 1945; changing perceptions of the family, race and religion; and the impact of Thatcherism on social attitudes and behaviour.