Abstract
Since World War II, housing in Britain has become a politically contentious issue. The quality of housing is often considered to be indicative of a nation's social development. The media have broadcast the shortcomings of various policies: housing has become an emotive concept. This study shows how changing philosophies have affected the housing market and consequently the relative proportion of tenancies. Three political parties now favour owner occupation as the major form of tenancy; in many parts of Britain it has become a normative behaviour pattern. Several researchers have suggested that housing is symbolic of man's social aspirations. It is thought to be associated with social status and interpersonal relationships. As such it may have repercussions on the life-style of the family. This study traces trends in owner occupation since 1900, and changes in the housing market since the Second World War. The dramatic rise in house prices in 1972 created an intense market situation. First-time purchasers in South-west Surrey were particularly disadvantaged. This study shows the process of buying a house to be a complex intermesh of relationships, yet people were forced to make rapid decisions. An attempt is made to analyse the possible influence of personal characteristics, parental experiences and previous housing conditions on the search and choice processes. The research found differences in attitudes may be associated with respondents' occupational class, and with their life style. The implications of the changing pattern in tenure has far-reaching repercussions. There is evidence to suggest the 'social mix' of local communities was changing: that those unable to buy a house may suffer intense feelings of social deprivation: and that the availability of housing may affect mobility and labour recruitment in the area. As such, the influence of housing should not be under-rated in social research.