In exploring the working and leisured lives of young women and men in post Second World-War austerity Britain, this book offers a new cultural historical perspective on this crucial period in
British society. A wartime culture of conspicuous constraint, alongside Labour’s promotion of a new model of idealized citizenship provide a context in which to explore the negotiation of post
war consumer desire. The book examines film, fashion and recreational leisure participation as vital conduits of post-war ambition that necessitated new political strategies and consumer
activity in a Britain torn between austerity and affluence.
