Effect Of Industrialisation In Rural Areas example essay topic

Critically examine the political and social effects of industrialisation in 170-1850 Industrialisation occurred in many countries, each taking a different approach to the implementation of new machinery and technology. The most notable for leading the way in industrialisation is Britain. Industrialisation not only made dramatic changes in the economic structure of countries but also in the social and political areas of countries. Industrialisation led to much upheaval, especially socially since the whole way of life was changing. The emergence of the working class and the growing divide between classes also meant that a new political and economic structure was developed: capitalism. Industrialisation began in Britain since there was a large supply of coal and steel and it was seen as one of the greatest colonial powers, thus allowing it to gain the capital and market needed to industrialist.

Since Britain led the way for industrialisation, it could be seen to epitomize the effects that it had on countries. One of the social effects that industrialisation had was that the 'rhythm of life changed'. Pre-industrialisation, people were based mainly in rural areas. However, when the enclosure of land became popular in the 1760's, farmers who were tenants began to be pushed of the land. This along with the establishment of new urban towns and cities meant that people started to move away resulting in 'English peasant villages being destroyed'. Land enclosure was only one reason why people moved to the new urban areas.

The other was the fact that new machinery was making families handicrafts of little commercial value, meaning that they were not able to survive on the money they made. This meant that the promise of a rise in wages appealed to a great many people in the rural areas, resulting in yet more change for the population With industrialisation came a new family structure, the nuclear family. This was in complete contrast to the previous way people interacted with each other, but fitted perfectly into the nameless society, which had developed. The pre-industrial villages were very close knit since most of the textile and agricultural industry revolved around the home, with everyone participating in some way to the production of consumer goods. The nuclear family was very unlike this in the way that family was now centred on a mother, father, and children, instead of extended family and community. The urban towns fuel led this new structure since most people went to them leaving all family and friends so had no social structure to fall back on.

This feeling of isolation can be seen in the increase of alcoholism, since many believed this was the only way to escape their troubles because they had almost no one to speak to? Another effect of industrialisation in rural areas was the change in thought. Before the industrial revolution farmers relied on nature to set the framework for work, planting crops in one season and harvesting them in another. However with all the new machinery and technology people started to turn to corporate culture, believing that they could control nature and thus ignore the seasons. However this view was not upheld in all countries especially ones like china and India. This was because in accordance with their religion, nature was something not to be tampered with.

The standard of living for the new populations of the urban areas were far from desirable, since there was no administration or town planning for the new houses. This meant that no proper consideration was given to sanitation or planning of where the houses would be situated and what would be an acceptable distance to prevent disease and fire passing from one house to another. This inefficiency was shown with the four cholera epidemics in 1831, 1849, 1954 and 1865, each killing on average 50,000 people. It was thought that the introduction of vaccinations would have stopped such epidemics, but due to the close proximity, in which people worked and lived, it was difficult to achieve. However, due to more medical intervention the mortality rate did decline for births. This was compensated however due to the fact that even though more children survived childhood, the age that people died at was decreasing due to polluted air and contaminated water and also the availability of doctors to the working class.

Urbanisation also meant that food and goods had to be transported to the cities and towns from the rural areas. This meant that new innovations in steam power and canals were needed. This also meant a speed up in production for the textile industry, since they relied a great deal on steam power for cotton spinning. Transport was also very influential in America because of the vast landmasses that lay between cities. It allowed Americans to move around more freely and find new sources of materials, most notably the gold rush in California. Transport also meant new jobs for the population.

The new jobs that developed in Britain during the period of industrialisation meant that many artisan jobs became almost obsolete, since they could not produce goods as quickly or cheaply as the factories. However, industrialisation did bring with it a new type of job, the factory worker. This job came with the promise that wages would increase for every worker. This was not the case though.

Wages did increase but so did the price of goods because of the rate of inflation. This meant that people could expect the same kind of standard of living as they had pre-industrialisation. This is not to say that it was always a struggle for workers at times when periods of cheap food coincided with good employment almost all social groups advanced. One immense change that took place for the ordinary worker was that now they did not work for themselves but for an employer, meaning that they had lost their independence. Along with this, people, especially women and children, were expected to work longer hours in conditions that were more hazardous. It seemed to the workers that children and women had substituted slaves.

The problems people faced sometimes led to violent protests such as the Luddites in 1812, where they smashed machinery which they believed was the cause of all the problems they were facing. They were not the only forms of protest and violence though, there was agrarian violence in 1816 and 1830. The massacre at Peterloo, where militia attacked a political rally in Manchester. The Rebecca riots of 1838-9 and Chartism. However, unlike France where the people resorted to revolution to overthrow the aristocracy, the government in Britain managed to prevent this kind of radicalism by introducing reforms to the government and society. During the time of industrialisation, Laisser-faire was the prominent ideology.

This basically means the non-intervention of the government in citizen's lives. This was most dominant in America but did feature quite heavily in the British governments. It was believed that regulations harmed, what was in effect a free market. However, due to the protests of the people and the fact that in 1730 only one in every fifty people could vote, it was decided to do something. One of the first things to be done to prevent the suffering of society happened in a meeting of Berkshire magistrates. This took place in Speenhamland and they decided that something had to done to help the poor people of their area.

Almost all other counties later adopted this. However, this was not a constitutional law, meaning that they did not have to continue help for maintaining subsistence level. One of the first acts to be passed in regards to work places was the 1802 Factory Act. This was not a great deal of help to the workers to begin with, but in 1833, the first serious factory act led to a restriction of hours for women and children. This was the beginning of a more pro-active government but the ideological barrier still remained a problem. This barrier was increased in 1832 due to allocation, and the vote being available to all men over 21, who owned property.

This meant that workers could not gain the vote or political representation. The upper-classes wanted reform and legislation, to prevent a rebellion on the same scale as that in France. However, when the middle classes began to attain the vote, they began to elect middle class representatives. This was because the acts that were being passed, limited the amount of profit they received from their factories. The dispute between the two classes can be seen in the Whig governments between 1830 and 1852.

Other political ideas seemed to have stemmed from industrialisation in the 'great age of liberalism', such as self-governing and nationalism. Nationalism, where people of the same race, or who speak the same language, are united and oust the influence of foreign powers, was prevalent during the period of industrialisation. Belgium gained its independence in 1830, the Italian war of liberation in 1859, and the unification of Prussia into Germany in 1871. This shows that because of the great deal of change occurring at home, many countries did not focus that heavily on foreign policy. Self-governing is closely related to nationality in the sense that people wanted to have a part in the governing of their country.

During the time of industrialisation only France and Britain had a parliamentary democracy, however this was soon to change. There was also a growing desire for individuality and the liberty of speech, writing, religion, and thought. During the period of industrialisation many changes occurred, some for the good of a country and others for the ill. The changes in the political system of Britain would lead the way for other forms of intervention, for example the welfare state in Britain. However since the 'progress in science' was 'more rapid than that in administration' many problems seemed to be inevitable, such as the poor state of health, and living conditions.

The upper-class members of government did try to limit the hardships of the people, however with Laisser Faire and the middle class opposition; it became easier to leave society the way it was. With the French revolution in 1789, governments were forced to face up to the consequences, should help not be given to the workers. Industrialisation brought about the emergence of the working classes, however it appears that it also brought about the rise in the middle classes. This is because, with technology came the freedom from agriculture, meaning that more people could undertake 'professional' jobs such as doctors and lawyers. This was unlike that of the time pre-industrial, because then the basis of society was the worker and owner, now society had the employer, the employee, and the professional. Industrialisation also changed the world economic system because places like China and India who, previous to industrialisation, had been one of the main manufactures for the world were now being left behind since they could not produce goods as cheaply as industrialized countries.

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