The industrial revolution

« Societal changes brought about by the industrial revolution The Industrial Revolution, which took place in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, brought about significant changes in society.

It ended the dominance of agriculture, improved living standards: people had access to healthier diets, better housing, and cheaper goods, but above all it has initiated significant social change. One of the major changes was the rise of a new class: The middle class, also called bourgeoisie, as a result of the growth of commerce, trade, and industry.

This new class consisted of business owners, professionals, and skilled workers who had a relatively higher standard of living compared to the working class.

They had more disposable income, owned property, and often received a good education. This new class became the dominant social and economic force and displaced the old landed aristocracy as the top of the social hierarchy. They formed a bridge between the wealthy industrial capitalists and the working class and played a crucial role in driving economic growth and stability. Additionally, the rise of factories and industrial work also brought about a new working class made up of laborers who worked long hours in harsh conditions for low wages.

This class became the bottom of the social hierarchy and faced poverty, exploitation, and limited social mobility. The Industrial Revolution also impacted the status and roles of women, as more women began to enter the workforce and challenge traditional gender norms and expectations. Overall, the Industrial Revolution completely transformed the social structure of societies, creating new classes and altering the relative positions and power of existing classes. CONTRAST However, as standards of living increased, people at all levels of society wouldn't benefit trom industrialization the same way. The middle and upper classes benefited immediately from the Industrial Revolution Middle-class families lived in well-furnished, spacious homes on paved streets and had a ready supply of water.

They wore fancy clothing and ate well For workers, it took much longer.

While the wealthy and the middle class lived in pleasant neighborhoods, vast numbers of poor struggled to survive in foul-smelling slums.

They packed into tiny rooms in tenements, or multistory buildings divided into apartments. These tenements had no running water, only community pumps. The heart.... »