AB314 CULTURAL STUDIES 3

SEMESTER 1: COURSEWORK 1
“DID THE SUCCESSES OF POST-WAR HOUSING OUTWEIGHT ITS FAILURES?”

Pertaining to the question above, personally, there are three words that hold the key to the
answer to the question: “Successes”, “post-war housing” and “failures”. They would by and
large influence the entire context of the essay I am about to write.

Firstly, the word “successes”, to the world in general, would be of an achievement of

something desired, planned or attempted, (Quoted by dictionary.com.)

While post war housing here means: buildings that were built after World War II, or the word
post war alone as mention by (free dictionary.com )was that of, or belonging to, the time after a
war, especially World War II. The word “housing” here means a shelter, lodging or a dwelling
place, or houses collectively.

Whilst, the antonym word of success, as all knows defines something that are of no
accomplishment, misplay, non achievement, falling short or the condition of not achieving the
desired end.(dictionary.com,long man)

Thus as what was understood is that the question is a short note of asking whether or not the
housing development of the post war achieved what was planned, ambitioned or desired. At
this stage, by just looking back at what was built, how it was used and how people lived in their
dwellings with the evidence of interviews, write ups and video footage, I would firstly note that
my answer is a yes, and I strongly agree that the successes of post war housing did outweigh its
failures, and did well enough to cater for the needs of the residents at that point of time, overall
in my opinion either the local authority or the architect did quite a job well done making sure
that the people had what was basically needed.

Why so? As soon as the war ended, british authorities actually come out with