Social Impact of the Industrial Revolution - Essay Example

Social Impact of the Industrial Revolution The industrial revolution which began in Europe in the early nineteenth century had great impac on society. It was attributed to the advancement in technology and transport thus enabling development of new and efficient machines which in turn led to improved productivity and exchange. The improved transport system enabled goods or raw materials such as cotton to be transported from the countryside to towns for manufacturing. This was followed by introduction of the factory system and industries leading to growth of towns and cities and consequently mass migration of locals to towns to look for jobs. This in turn led to overcrowding in towns and the problems associated with it. The aim of this paper is to discuss the impact of the industrial revolution on different groups in society and how these groups responded to such changes. I will argue that industrial revolution despite its many advantages brought about serious problems to all groups in society; none was spared including infants. These ranged from physical to mental problems. The workers had no option but to work and the manufacturers were bent on ensuring value from their investments: machine and people no matter the working conditions. The industrial revolution affected many areas of society. These can be explained in terms of the working conditions in the factories, changes in living standards, attitudes and values of middle class and the effects it had on lifestyle. One prominent feature of industrial revolution was establishment of factories and also increased mining activities. There is no problem with the country people living their local areas to go work in factories and mines as it was a means of livelihood. Furthermore, it offered more earnings than engaging in agriculture in remote areas. Those who went to town could send money to those back at home. They could also improve on their skills as they specialized in one activity unlike in feudal society where a serf did everything. Improved transport and communication was also essential for the society as now they could communicate and mix with people from all walks of life thus exchange cultures and ideas. Furthermore, women got to be engaged in work instead of being relegated to the domestic duties such as child rearing. If industrial revolution brought all these goodies, why was it so much resented to an extent of establishing commissions to investigate on its workings? Industrial revolution may have changed lives in a positive way but the way it was carried out left a lot to be desired. It led to deterioration of health of the society especially the infants even changed the way society is organized. Testimonies regarding working conditions in England and child labor in factories leading to the famous Factory Act of 1833 tell a lot about the sufferings endured by infants and adults alike in the factories and mines and also the reactions of manufacturers regarding workers plight. One of the testimonies was from the commission of medical examiners in North East England highlighting the physical condition of children working in factories. The report revealed some devastating effects on the children such as “deformity, stunted growth, relaxation of ligaments like knees and ankles and also relaxed muscles” (Sherman 142). The most worrying thing is that children as young as five years were engaged in employment and to make matters worse, they worked for thirteen hours a day. This is a disgrace to humanity that should be rejected at all cost. The 9, 10 and 11 year olds according to the commission worked for 14 and 15 hours a day. In traditional society, children were supposed to stay at home and be cared for by their parents especially mothers. Even today, child labor is prohibited. Children are supposed to be in school studying but since those days schools were for the chosen few, children remained at home learning various skills from the society. When industrial revolution set in, parents colluded with masters to do disservice to the children just to make ends meet. Even for an older person to work for fifteen hours is tedious and inhumane. The unreasonable and cruel length of time the children were subjected to had its consequences. These children suffered physical as well as mental health problems. Most of them had stunted growth and deformities. According to the testimony of John Wright on silk-mills, some of these children were being carried to the factory by parents as they could not be able to work until they could not work anymore due to general weakness (Sherman 143). Despite working for lengthy hours in silk mills (76 hours per week), the children were also confined in these crowded factories. This is detrimental for child’s growth and development and such children were unable to walk; their legs were crippled. They also suffered from loss of appetite due to exhaustion. The industrial revolution thus denied children the much needed play essential for growth and development. Besides, the children had no time to socialize with peers and other members of society to learn the values and culture of their people. All their time was spent confined in dangerous factories inhaling all manner of fumes and gases and working beyond their strength. However, this was not only subjected to children as adults suffered the same fate. The testimony of John Wright in silk-mills is enough evidence of what the adults and children alike went through. First, there was overcrowding in factories with each room holding up to 40, 50, and 60 and sometimes up to 100 workers (Sherman 143). As a result, the individuals working in those rooms had no fresh air to breath and the condition is injurious to health. Besides being overcrowded, the rooms had no ventilation to let in fresh air. To make matters worse, these workers spent most of their time (six months in a year) in these factories inhaling all the dangerous smoke, soot and gases from candles, lamps, gas, oil and grease which were necessary for their work. They also worked for thirteen hours a day: eleven normal working hours and two over-hours. Furthermore, they performed same task from morning to late at night leading to boredom and lack of motivation. The testimony of the commission as well as that of Wright was supported by the report of Friedrich Engels on conditions of working class in England. Friedrich noted that the workers who comprised the poor population were denied all means to a decent living thus affecting their physical as well as mental health. Not only did the poor children as well as adults suffer in the factories but also in their dwelling place. For most of the day, they worked in harsh conditions including overcrowded, poorly ventilated factories with hazardous gases. When they got home very tired and needing a place to relax their overburdened bodies, it was in a single room with poor ventilation too. To make matters worse, a dozen workers lived in the same single room (Sherman 145). You can just imagine the foul smell from sweaty bodies that would fill the air at night and without fresh air coming in. Water was a luxury thus taking a bath was a luxury too. This is because the cost of laying down water pipes to such areas was too high for them to afford and the only available water from the river was too dirty for human consumption but they had to do with it. Although there was general overcrowding in towns, according to report by Benjamin Disraeli the houses of the poor were too close to each other just like in slums with no proper organization thus rare to sight a continuous street (Sherman 144). The houses could also seep in water and some were leaking in the roofs making life uncomfortable for them. Not only were the houses in poor condition but the surroundings were worse. According to Friedrich, there was very poor refusal disposal if any. The workers had no dumping sites hence threw garbage, dirty water, filth and even excrements on the streets (Sherman 145). They would thus inhale gases in factories and foul air from the filth in the surroundings. Their life was a living hell and there was nothing they could do about it since they had no means to change their situation. Disraeli also noted that heaps of mineral refuse or metallic dross was also prevalent in the area making it so dangerous to live in (Sherman 144). Besides, furnaces, burning coal and engine chimneys produced dangerous gases in all directions. This compared to the non polluted countryside areas, it is better to remain in farms. In town, trees and shrubs were unheard of. There, serfs consumed what they produced and lived in much better conditions thus were very healthy. In town, they suffered physical and mental exhaustion due to excessive work and hazardous conditions. Their living standards were very low compared to other classes of citizens like the manufacturers. The poor garbage disposal often led to outbreaks of epidemics thus affecting their health. Moreover, they did not even have decent clothes to wear. Friedrich noted that workers wore poor and ragged garments and also ate very bad food which was indigestible (Sherman 145). How could they have good health in such conditions? The commission of medical examiners was not wrong when it reported on the physical conditions of children. There is no way children could escape stunted growth and deformities in such conditions. No wonder John Wright regarded it as the age of cripples (Sherman 143). These poor people had extremes of hope for a better future mixed with fear of what would become of them thus mental problems. Furthermore, the town was very noisy unlike villages thus a quiet life was impossible. The only way to escape reality was for men to intoxicate themselves with liquor further damaging their health. Even sexual life, the only pleasure they had was not all that pleasurable due to overcrowding in rooms. It was really a nightmare that would not end soon for them. Another important thing to note is the changing roles of boys and girls. In villages girls and boys were socialized into performing different roles with boys taking heavy tasks and girls simple tasks like child rearing. In mining towns as witnessed by Benjamin Disraeli, manufacturers did not differentiate boys from girls. They both wore male attires which comprised of an iron chain fastened to leather belt between their legs which had male trousers (Sherman 144). The rest of their bodies from waist upwards were left naked. Both also performed similar duties and as such, it was not a wonder to see an English girl hauling tubs of coal up the subterranean roads in the dark. If you think it was only the poor that were affected, you are wrong. The middle-class was affected too by the industrial revolution. The plight of the middle class was well highlighted by Honore de Balsac through the story of his father Goviot. These men had all the wealth they needed and high status in society. Money to them meant everything as it was their source of happiness and solution to all their problems (Sherman 146). However, they were also conscious of the fact that they retained such status only and only if they retained their wealth. The respect and honor accorded to them by family members and other members of society was only due to their money and not other virtues. As such, they had to keep amassing more wealth and for those who did not have, it was time to do everything to get wealth so as to be respect. In this manner, industrial revolution changed the identity of individuals. The work one did and social class defined who you are not the innate qualities or good virtues. A poor person however good he or she was, was not valued in society. It was money which mattered. Industrial revolution came to change the role of women in society. Before, women were relegated to the kitchen or domestic chores and men were the bread winners. Women were to be dependent on men and be submissive to them. However, everything changed when women engaged in employment and consequently became independent. Elizabeth Poole was of the view that domestic life was a source of influence for a woman and as such society accorded her domestic comfort (Sherman 147). Now her romantic passion was on decline and she gained respect due to her qualities only. Now women and men have different interests and the woman no longer acts to satisfy her husband’s passions and interests. For those women who still do so, they have to sacrifice their own happiness. Men also do not like these changes as they like a woman who is dependent rather than independent and as such domestic quarrels are bound to occur. A woman now has to try so hard to be independent and at the same time be seen to be dependent on the man so as to retain her rightful place in society. What do manufacturers have to say about all these accusations leveled against them by various groups? The witness account of William Harter a manufacturer tells a lot about middle-class attitudes. For him, the main aim of the manufacturer is to get value from his machines and this can only be achieved through labor (Sherman 143). The machine must produce a certain quantity of work by the end of the day thus workers have to make sure this happens no matter how long they have to work. Samuel Smiles when investigating middle-class attitudes noted that most of them viewed poverty as laziness and the role of laws and regulations as strengthening this laziness. The only way the industry can prosper according to middle-class is for everyone to work hard and enjoy fruits of their labor. Man should be able to improve his condition and as such does not need laws to help him do so. The role of government should be to protect life, liberty and property and not to encourage citizens to be lazy (Sherman 145). National decay was believed to be the result of “idleness, selfishness and vice while progress was result of industry, energy and uprightness “(Sherman 146). Men working for more than twelve hours a day is thus a good thing as they are prospering the nation by making themselves useful. The solution for them is not changing laws or modifying institutions but enabling people to self-improve themselves. The Factory Act of 1833 was thus unwarranted for them as it would only support idleness and moves the nation backward. Labor is not only a necessity but also a duty which everyone ought to embrace. Furthermore, it leads to civilization. Conclusion Industrial revolution that began in early nineteenth century brought a lot of changes to the society some positive and others negative. On the positive side, it enabled women to engage in employment and become independent. The factories also offered earnings for the population thus enabling them to acquire basic necessities of life. It also led to growth of towns and cities as well as improved transport and communication which is good for the nation. However, it also brought many sufferings for various groups in society. It brought with it child labor with infants as young as five years getting involved. Both young and old worked for over twelve hours a day in the factory. The working conditions in the factory were very pathetic and hazardous thus endangering the lives of workers. Factories were poorly ventilated, emitted all kinds of fumes, and were overcrowded. The dwelling places were also pathetic: overcrowded, poorly ventilated, poor garbage and refuse disposal, lack of clean water and all manner of noise and air pollution. The excessive work, poor working and living conditions led to poor health both physical and mental. There was a high increase in number of cripples in the town. The poor resulted to sexual indulgence and intoxicating liquor to forget their problems but the manufacturers had no misgivings. For them, work must be done for the country to progress and be civilized. Read More