Margaret Thatcher. Between Icon and Hate Figure

How the Iron Lady’s policy divided the British society

Term Paper , 2016 , 19 Pages , Grade: 2,0

English Language and Literature Studies - Culture and Applied Geography

In course of its long democratic history, the United Kingdom has gone through many governments whose influential Prime ministers had formed the British society. But probably no other British Prime minister (PM) has ever left his marks so much as Margaret Thatcher, who held longer office than every other PM before. However, the assumption that her almost twelve years lasting term of office could be taken as an indicator for her great popularity as great politician is not applicable at all. Indeed, the “Iron Lady” and her revolutionary economy and welfare policy, known as Thatcherism, polarised and still divide the minds of the British society. Whereas her supporters are prizing her policy as the basis of Britain’s power and wealth for millions, her critics blame her to be responsible for the ruin of the social sector and the destruction of a social community sense.

This seminar paper is concerned with the controversial policy of Margaret Thatcher. For my work, I argue that “The policy of Thatcher has cemented the British class system rather than loosen it”. As a theoretical background I will examine the British class system and define the term “class” itself. The main part is structured into three linked chapters dealing with the main features of Thatcher’s era in order to reveal how Thatcher’s policy affected the major classes in the UK: Working -, Middle - and Upper Class. Thereby, it will be illustrated and concluded in the final part of this work if Thatcher can be seen rather as an icon or rather as a hate figure for the UK and its classes. The entire work is embedded in a short portray of the social life in the UK before and after Thatcher’s legislative period in order to compare the development objectively.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Definition and genesis of “social class” as a system
• Public & social life in the UK before Thatcher (1945-79)
• The impact of Thatcher's policy on the British class society
• Privatisation, liberating the economy and reforming the unions
• Reforming the British welfare state
• Financial - and tax policy
• Public & social life in the UK after Thatcher (1990 - Present)

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This seminar paper aims to analyze the controversial policy of Margaret Thatcher and argue that "The policy of Thatcher has cemented the British class system rather than loosen it." The paper examines the British class system and defines the term "class," providing a theoretical background for the analysis. It then explores the impact of Thatcher's policy on the major classes in the UK: Working, Middle, and Upper Class.

• The definition and development of the concept of "social class" in the United Kingdom.
• The impact of Margaret Thatcher's policies on the British class system.
• The role of privatisation, welfare reform, and financial policies in shaping class dynamics.
• The social and economic changes in the United Kingdom before and after Thatcher's era.
• The lasting legacy of Thatcherism and its impact on British society.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The paper begins by exploring the concept of "social class" and its historical development in the United Kingdom, drawing on the work of Karl Marx and Max Weber. The paper then examines the social and economic landscape of the United Kingdom in the period before Thatcher's rise to power, highlighting key features of the British class system at the time.

The paper continues by analyzing the key elements of Thatcher's policy, focusing on its impact on the British class system. It examines the effects of privatisation, welfare reform, and financial and tax policies on the working, middle, and upper classes in the UK.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The main keywords and focus topics of this paper are: social class, Margaret Thatcher, Thatcherism, British class system, privatisation, welfare state, economic reform, social change, social policy, working class, middle class, upper class.

• College: University of Potsdam
• Grade: 2,0
• Author: Sebastian Nickel (Author)
• Publication Year: 2016
• Pages: 19
• Catalog Number: V444876
• ISBN (eBook): 9783668818804
• ISBN (Book): 9783668818811
• Language: English
• Tags: Margaret Thatcher, Thatcherism, British Class, Iron Lady, British society