Societal Changes During the Industrial Revolution

Social Impact of the Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution profoundly changed the lives of people and social structures. It completed the process of the disappearance of the English peasantry and led to the emergence of large cities that became radical industrial centers.

Transformation of Occupational Structure and New Social Classes

The occupational structure of the population changed significantly. As the agricultural population decreased, the number of persons employed in various branches of industry increased, leading to the rise of two new social groups:

• The Proletariat (Working Class): These individuals worked in factories or workshops in exchange for a salary. The vast majority were former farmers who left the countryside to work in the city; among them were also former craftsmen who had lost their jobs. Overall, their living conditions were very harsh, but often perceived as better than suffering in the countryside.
• The Industrial Bourgeoisie: They owned the factories and workshops. The great economic benefits they accrued led them to become the dominant class. Generally, before becoming industrialists, they were wealthy farmers, merchants, or artisans.

Emergence of Social Doctrines

Alongside the new social classes, doctrines emerged that claimed to provide solutions to social problems. These included socialism, utopian socialism, and social democracy.

Worker Organization and Trade Unions

Workers became class-conscious, realizing they were part of a social class with concrete interests. As a result, they decided to organize, as all workers lived in a similar manner and shared the same needs and aspirations. It was then, in the late eighteenth century, that the first workers' organizations appeared, struggling to improve working conditions, wages, and working hours.

In 1800, workers' associations were banned by the government, considered a threat to public order and freedom of enterprise. But despite the ban, unions continued to exist. Between 1850 and 1865, they grew by camouflaging themselves as mutual aid societies. In 1875, they achieved legalization. The first legal British trade unions organized workers and charged a fee to finance strikes.

Economic Disparity and Social Consequences

The rapid development of the economy led to an increase in luxury and wealth for the bourgeoisie, and in turn, increased poverty and destitution among the working masses.