Industrial Society: Classes, Conditions, Unions

Industrial Society: Classes Emerge

The old estate society gave way to class society, mainly structured into two main groups: the bourgeoisie and the proletariat.

The Rise of the Bourgeoisie

The bourgeoisie became the hegemonic group, owning the industries and businesses. There was a large middle class composed of bankers, investors, and owners. There was also a semi-liberal bourgeoisie made up of professionals, officials, and traders. Below this, a large number of employees and shopkeepers formed the petty bourgeoisie.

Sometimes mixing with the old nobility, the bourgeoisie became the center of social life. Richly decorating their homes with domestic servants, their dress, entertainment, and values were imposed as the social model to imitate.

The Industrial Proletariat

The factory workers formed the industrial and urban proletariat. They provided the necessary labor for factories, working for wages. They were the largest and most disadvantaged group in society.

Harsh Working Conditions

Initially, there was no legislation regulating workers' conditions. Therefore, hours, wages, and holidays were set arbitrarily by employers. Consequently, their living conditions were very harsh:

• The working day lasted from 12 to 14 hours.
• Wages were insufficient to support a family, necessitating work from women and children.
• Workshops lacked sanitary conditions, increasing workers' illnesses.

Early Worker Resistance: Luddism

The first reaction of workers in the early stages of industrialization was opposition to mechanization, which they considered responsible for low wages and unemployment. Their protest involved the destruction of machinery and industrial arson (Luddism).

Formation of Workers' Unions

Similarly, some groups of workers began to realize they were part of the same social class with common problems and shared objectives. To defend their interests, workers' organizations were created. Workers' societies were initially outlawed by liberal governments.

But in 1825, Britain repealed the laws prohibiting them, and the first union uniting workers of the same trade was founded. The purpose of unions was to improve working conditions. Their first demands were the reduction of working hours and better wages.