HMC Bil UNIT 02: THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION Society

SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF INDUSTRIALISATION

The new industrial society was characterized by an urbanization process and

the consolidation of two social classes: bourgeoisie and working-class
(proletarian).

4.1.- Urbanisation process

Industrialisation and the factory system made workers be concentrated in

factories and forced them to migrate to towns and cities. This process is the
cause of the expansion and growth of towns and the birth of urban society.

The migration to towns was made from the close rural areas. Urbanization
increased a lot, especially in Great Britain. Later on, this process affected the
rest of Europe. At the beginning of the 19th Cen., only 2% of population lived in
towns. One century later, 78% of British lived in towns, 60% of German and 44%
of French.

4.2. Urban segregation

The fast urban growth had as a result a social segregation in the cities and
towns.

Bourgeoisie built new and comfortable neighbourhoods. Buildings were

erected around big avenues with public services, such as lighting and sewage.
Offices, shops and homes where bourgeoisie could show its prosperity were set
up.

On the other hand, working-class neighbourhoods increased a lot, but without

planning: streets were not paved, there was not sewage, and sanitary facilities
were nonexistent. Buildings had different households and their quality was very
bad. There was not potable water supply, neither individual bathroom.

These slum areas had extremely high population densities. It was common for
groups of unrelated mill workers to share rooms in very low quality housing
where eight to ten people may occupy a single room, which often had no
furniture. These homes would share toilet facilities, have open sewers and their
occupants would be at risk of developing pathologies. Disease was spread
through a contaminated water supply.

4.3.- The new industrial society

Industrialisation and capitalism brought to the transformation of society.

In the countryside, little owners became labourers and the number of peasants
went down.
The factory system ruined most of the craftsmen. As a result, many peasants
and craftsmen became industrial workers (proletarian).

IES FLORIDABLANCA Ana Garay Stinus 1

HMC Bil UNIT 02: THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION Society

Aristocracy lost its social superiority. Before the industrial revolution, land was the
main source of wealth and power, but, with the industrial capitalism, a new
social class, bourgeoisie, increased its fortune and influence.
Company owners, bankers, and important land owners made up this
bourgeoisie. Bourgeois became the social elite and organized society
according to their ideas and principles.
Bourgeoisie values were based upon the private property, work, savings, and
individualism. They had access to University, so political, intellectual and
scientific elites were issued from bourgeoisie.
Their houses were the symbol of wealth and social status and family continued
to be the nucleus in which the heritage was transmitted and consolidated.
Bourgeois tried to live like the nobles: they had domestic servants, elegant
dressing, governesses and tutors for their children…

Middle class was made up by workers of the liberal professions (lawyers,

doctors, teachers…). They didn’t have a manual job. But new professions
acquired a lot of importance in the industrial society: engineers, technicians,
shop employees, civil servants, specialists, bank employees…

The economic situation of most of the population (employees, laborers,

craftsmen…) had not the level and quality of the life of bourgeoisie. Salaried
employees represented the majority of the labour force, needed to move the
machines and produce the goods, in exchange of a salary. Their work
conditions were precarious, their salaries were not enough, and their working
day was very long (12-13 hours).

Most of the population lived in the limit of survival.

4.4.- Women in the industrial society

Industrialisation enlarged the gap between men and women. Public circle was
for men and domestic sphere for women. Her legal situation was of inferiority,
and married women had to obey to their husbands and needed their
permission for legal acts. Women did not have political rights nor suffrage right
either.

Women from middle-class and bourgeoisie stayed at home, taking care of their
children. Their education was focused on basic notions of reading, writing and
calculus, and subjects considered feminine: religion, music, domestic tasks…

Peasant women used to work, both in the land and at home.

Industrialisation led to the appearance of working women. Salary was not

enough to maintain a family, so women and children had to work. Their salary
was lower than men’s and they worked especially in the textile industry, but
there were also a lot of young women working as domestic servants.

IES FLORIDABLANCA Ana Garay Stinus 2