The industrial revolution affected the country in several ways. The industrialization saw a change in the agricultural farming dependency to manufacturing firms. Factories sprang up everywhere and farmers working in people’s farms and they now started working in factories (Soman, 2008). There was a rise in the standard of living but it came at a high cost. First women started working in factories and were no longer seen to be housewives only. They were valued as a resource of labor in the factories.
The women were considered inferior to the men. The men and women who were not working looked down at the women who were working (Newburg, 2010). Children also started working in factories. In fact children and women were preferred since they were a cheaper source of labor. There were politicians who arose to ensure that laws were enacted to limit the use of child labor. However the working conditions were poor. At this time there were great technological advancements and several people lost jobs or their wages were lowered. The working hours were long but the pay was poor. In the factories the working conditions were dangerous. The machines could tear off arms and even fingers. Mine shafts could explode or cave in. There had to safety standards in the laws of work and safety. The poor working conditions led to the formation of trade unions to push for good working conditions and good wages. The labor force had to create labor unions to address the conflict between business owners and the workers. The fight was not easy. It was a long and violent fight. The family unit now had two working parents and not one. The unions wanted shorter work day which was passed in the law that a working day would only be eight hours while a week is forty hours.
There was also an adverse effect on families as nuclear families left their extended families to live and work near the factories. The extended family of family and relatives felt the gap in emotional and financial support. Occasionally there were depressions causing factories to shut down. This led to many people losing their jobs. Industrialization modernized the society and raised the standard of living. However laws had to be passed in labor especially for children so as to reduce the negative effects of industrialization.
References:
Newburg, M (2010). Industrialism impact on America. Retrieved from: \
http://www.suite101.com/content/
Soman, E. (2008) Cultural, economic and political impacts of industrial revolution. \
Retrieved from: http://socyberty.com/history/
