Capitalism, Industrialization, and Social Classes: An Analysis
Capitalism, Industrialization, and Social Classes
Thus, Malthus observed that population grew at a faster rate than food production. Also important was the work of David Ricardo, who believed in the necessity of free movement of agricultural products between countries. Stuart Mill defended individual initiative and foresaw the possible stagnation of the system, suggesting state intervention in education and taxation.
Capitalist Economic System
The cottage industry was replaced by mass production of goods. This economic change was accompanied by major shifts:
- A move from a rural society to an industrial-based society.
- A shift from a stratified society to a class society.
- Improvement in general wellness and leisure.
Class Society
Lower classes included day laborers, landless peasants, urban social outcasts, and so on. The appearance of a new social group linked to industrialization, the proletariat, was composed of workers in modern industry. In the UK, enclosures and high birth rates led many farmers to seek work elsewhere. Men, women, and children worked in factories, mines, and smelters for wage labor. Labor conditions were harsh and lacked any formal contracts.
Middle Class
The middle class experienced remarkable growth with the appearance of new occupations and people employed in banking or engaged in professional occupations. There was considerable growth in public administrations and civil service.
Upper Classes
The traditional role of the nobility diminished. The Industrial Revolution marked the triumph of the bourgeoisie, who held political and economic power. Leading traders, industrialists, and landowners applied modern techniques to their farms. A prominent member of the bourgeoisie was the industrialist.
Industrial Society’s Modernization
Modernization was linked to the industrialization of the European population. In the mid-19th century, three types of societies coexisted in Europe:
- Traditional Rural Societies: The majority of the population was engaged in agriculture. Workers in the field could be smallholders belonging to landowners, the bourgeoisie, and the enriched nobility.
- Evolved Rural Societies: The basic activity was agriculture, but the market had a commercial interest. There was farm mechanization to increase productivity. The land belonged to nobles, the bourgeoisie, and rich peasants.
- Urban Societies: Predominantly industrial with a bourgeoisie, middle classes, and a majority of the population comprised of the proletariat living off wages in factories.
Bourgeois Dominance
Lifestyle of the New Social Elite
The new elite based its primacy on property and wealth, leading to a plutocracy where only the richest had access. They adopted an opulent and conspicuous lifestyle, copying the social behavior patterns of the old nobility, including education, schools, and parties. The gentry gambled on economic progress.
Lifestyle of the Middle Classes
This group designated professionals and businessmen. The middle bourgeoisie lived off their small businesses, properties, or professions, spending most of their time working. The lower middle class or petite bourgeoisie lived for their work in small businesses or agricultural activities, also spending their time working. Women handled all the domestic chores.
Social Problems of Industrialization
Formation of the Working Class
The proletariat workers were a new social group. Some farmers were unable to secure a livelihood, while others were employed by the system of home work, and artisans whose workshops had been closed. The introduction of machinery led to the formation of the working class.
Working Conditions
Working conditions were harsh, featuring:
- Long hours, from sunrise to sunset.
- Corporal punishment or discipline with economic sanctions.
- Suppression of Sunday rest.
- Lack of labor rights.
Factory working conditions were supposedly harder, leading to many diseases such as tuberculosis or respiratory illnesses affecting the health of workers.
Child Labor and Women
Women and children worked in the field, and schooling was not very common, as households needed child labor to support the family. Some tasks, such as corsetry, millinery, and dressmaking, were dedicated to women.
Definitions
Combination Laws
These laws forbade any association with employment purposes.