Professional Essay on Industrial Revolution\'s Impact on Social Class PDF

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Running head: INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION’S IMPACT ON SOCIAL CLASS

Industrial Revolution’s Impact on Social Class [Author’s Name] [Institutional Affiliation]

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INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION’S IMPACT ON SOCIAL CLASS

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Industrial Revolution’s Impact on Social Class The 18th century witnessed a revolution of the social classes in England. The impact was brought about by the industrial revolution, which introduced transformations in the technological and agricultural industries, as well as the labor market. Spielvogel (2011) describes notable changes in the social and economic differences distinguishably between the aristocrat and peasant classes. The aristocracy welcomed an increase in wealth and revenue, whereas the working class faced competitive working and employment environments, without financial gains. A gain in material and property wealth, extended life expectancy, and prominence in economic wellbeing were hallmark changes to the upper-class. The class constituted members of the community who had benefited from the capitalist system, engrained in the traditional economy (Scott, 2011). Members of the upper-class were educated, owned industries and factories, and had the capital to invest in the industrial revolution. Monetary gains from the changing business environment were enjoyed by the upper class benefitting from increased productivity at low cost, from the mechanization of production and cheap labor, respectively. Scott (2011) describes the aristocrat as having ties to royalty, before the revolution, but after the industrial revolution, one need not have a link to nobility. The aristocrat class wealth to the extent of being compared to royalty. A class between the upper and lower classes resulted from the industrial revolution: the middle class. The entrepreneurs amassed wealth by taking advantage of new opportunities arising from the revolution. Businesses were established in different sectors, allowing the

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budding entrepreneurs the ability to amass wealth and occupy the middle-class, economically. According to Spielvogel (3011), merchants and artisans enjoyed the benefits of the revolution from investing in new technology as well as new industries. Highly skilled workers also benefited during the revolution. Marshall (2013) reports that families in the middle class occupied more luxurious homes and communities, enjoying better social amenities. The middle class resulted from entrepreneurs and skilled workers who identified opportunities for growth, as well as got better financial remuneration for their technology-oriented skills. The working class also referred to as the lower class, suffered losses from the industrial revolution. Mechanization of the industries and factories meant reduced working hours and opportunities, and lesser pay for casual laborers. The workers were replaced by machines that had higher productivity and meant that the employers would have more output, and hence more revenue. Spielvogel (2011) reports that workers lived in harsh living conditions with poor social facilities, which included poorly constructed housing and ineffective sanitary facilities. Marshall (2013) states that the lower class was working for survival, and that meant accepting the less than ideal opportunities available. The workers included women and children, and they took up jobs in dangerous environments such as coal mines. The outcome of the industrial revolution for the blue-collar and uneducated and unskilled workers was abject poverty (Scott, 2014). The revolution made life harder for the lower classes, and they suffered the opposite impact of the high-class society. In conclusion, while the industrial revolution may have had a positive impact on the nation’s productivity with the industries and factories increasing productivity, the low-class society suffered. The aristocrats, skilled workers, merchants, and artisans experienced a growth in their wealth as they adapted the new technological advancement and improved on their productivity, and investment. However, anyone that did not have the capital to invest

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION’S IMPACT ON SOCIAL CLASS and relied on available work from factories, farms, and industries may have gotten laid off or lesser hours, which meant reduced income.

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INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION’S IMPACT ON SOCIAL CLASS References Marshall, D. (2013). Industrial England, 1776-1851. New York: Routledge. Scott, J. (2014). Stratification and power: Structures of class, status and command. John Wiley & Sons. Spielvogel, J. J. (2011). Western civilization: A brief history. Boston: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.

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