TRAVEL
The developments in transport in
this century allowed people greater
freedom to travel. Millions of
families bought cars, and new
motorways were built to make
journeys faster. The air travel
industry really took off from the
1930s. Journeys, which before the
aeroplane would have taken days
by rail or sea, could now be
completed in a matter of hours.251
DOMESTIC LIFE
Many new labour-saving devices
were invented for the home,
including refrigerators, freezers,
washing machines, dishwashers,
and vacuum cleaners. The ability
to stop food decaying by
freezing it enabled food to be
transported greater distances
and allowed people to buy
and store it in bulk. Shortly
after, pre-cooked frozen
meals emerged, changing
mealtimes for ever.WORK
The role of women in the workplace greatly changed
during the century. Women had limited career options in
the early decades, but gained more employment rights and
opportunities as the century progressed. The workplace
was also transformed by new methods of communication,
including the computer and Internet. New technologies led
to automated factories, reducing
the need for manual labour.ISSUES
The world’s population rose from
1.65 to 6 billion people during the
century, with a widening gap
between rich and poor nations.
There was inequality between
men and women and people
of different races.TV dinner Prepackaged
meals could be heated,
then eaten while
watching television.Souvenirs As
overseas travel
increased, many
countries came to
rely on tourism
for income.Bikini A week in
the sun on a
foreign beach
became a regular
holiday event
for many.Votes This medal was
given to a female hunger
striker campaigning for
the vote for women.Apartheid Nelson
Mandela led the
successful struggle
to win equal rights
for black South
Africans.Telephone
Improved
communication
technology
enabled
businesses
to go global.Computer technology
From the late 1970s,
personal computers
began to revolutionize
the workplace.Women in the workplace In the
1970s, women fought for the right
to the same work opportunities
and pay as men.Typewriter For much
of the century, office
workers used typewriters
to write documents.Globe Faster
transport
opened up
the world to
more people.Air travel
Cheaper air travel
allowed many
families to travel
overseas for
foreign holidays.250_251_ModernHist.indd 251 03/01/19 12:11 PM