A major theme in British historiography is the enormous social change that has taken place in Britain since the end of World War II. In the 1950s, sociologists argued about the extent to which postwar affluence was leading to the "embourgeoisement" of the working class; in the 1960s, the advent of the so-called "Permissive Society" witnessed the flourishing of a culture of sex, drugs, and rock `n roll; in the 1970s, the feminist movement challenged gender roles that earlier had seemed so secure; in the 1980s, Thatcherism tried to undo many of the social changes that Britons had experienced after the War; moreover, throughout this period successive ways of immigration challenged the social and cultural homogeneity of white Britain. This course will explore these themes by tracing the break-up of the immediate postwar consensus and the gradual unfolding of a new politics of class, gender, and race in the midst of England's "green and pleasant land." In attempting to make sense of these complex transformations in the fabric of postwar British society, we will consider a variety of material, from documentary sources to the writing of more recent historians. We will also thoroughly integrate a series of feature films into our discussion; students will hence be expected to view a film a week outside of class time. Evaluation will be based on participation in class discussion, two interpretive essays on the readings, and a self-scheduled final exam. Group B