Social Consequences Flashcards
Capitalist Class System
Class distinction between nobility, (higher- and lower-) middle-class, and working-class population.
Nobility
Higher nobility maintained social and economic statuses through marriage strategies and usage of land — sometimes important investors in industrial enterprises.
Middle-Class
Winners of industrialisation by gaining income through non-manual work e.g. administrative / entrepreneurial. Common values include hard work, diligence, frugality, and education.
Lower-Class / Working-Class
Division between skilled and unskilled workers — non-workers especially women dependent on charity. Demand for work dependent on seasonal and economic fluctuations — poverty and misery resulted from temporary unemployment.
Division of Work
Production divided into many individual steps.
Regulation of Work
Long working hours, high demand for punctuality, workers’ submission to superiors, strong sanctions in case of deviant behaviours.
Workplace Safety
Dependent on individual factories — laws protecting the safety of workers came very late.
Environmental Protection
Non-existent until 20th century — focus on industrial productivity.
Child Labour
Children were already helping in agriculture before industrialisation. Keeping children employed to earn additional income for the family and prevent unruly activities.
Living Conditions of Working Class
Extreme housing density — cramped living conditions. Middle Class concerned with hygiene and moral problems. Companies started providing affordable housing for workers.
Concept of “Free-Time”
Development of urban transport enabled workers to live and travel further from workplaces in the late 19th century. — recreational activities and tourism.
Luddites and Swing Rioters
Destroyed machines in Great Britain in protests.
Workers’ Union
Rise of unions in the 19th century, but strikes were often failures as states sided with employers. Many jobs were not unionised i.e. women and low-skilled work, and unionised workers saw non-unionised workers as threats to their bargaining power.
Self-Help Association
Membership only possible for members with disposable income and members gained respectability.
Cooperatives
People-centred enterprises owned and run by members to realise their common economic and social needs.
Middle-Class Association
Strongly involved in urban social and cultural life — membership as important in regulated social relations and social status.
Urbanisation
Migration from the countryside to the city due to industrialisation — in search of employment and social freedom. Higher personal mobility due to transport opportunities.
Fordism
Standardisation of industrial mass production to increase efficiency, and high wages for workers increased their purchasing power.
Post-Fordism
Mass markets less important and specialised goods more significant — increase in service industries.
