Unit 1: Industrial Revolution, Sociology and Economic Systems

Question 1

What was the Industrial Revolution

Answer 1

It was a transformative period in human history that saw the change from agricultural and handicraft based economies to mechanised production.
( late 18th - early 19th century)

Question 2

Positive Aspects of Industrial Revolution

Answer 2

Pros:
- Enabled mass production
- Advancements in textiles, iron, and coal mining
- Shaped the world we live in today.

Question 3

Negative Aspects of Industrial Revolution

Answer 3

Cons:
- Unethical methods to achieve mass production
- Child labor
- Environmental degradation ( Pollution,)

Question 4

How has industrialization changed our daily lives?

Answer 4

People moved from livelihoods that were very agriculturally centric to jobs related to mechanical and machine work.

The industrial revolution has changed the way we live today, from being able to go to another city in mere hours, to ordering a product from another country.

Question 5

Why was Britain a pioneer in industrialization?

Answer 5

• Britain -> Island, separate from wars. Investments was spent on technology not military.
• Britain had access to resources from all their colonies
• Britain had lots of natural coal - powering the steam engine

Question 6

Mention 2 key inventions from the Industrial Revolution

Answer 6

Spinning Jenny - a hand-powered spinning machine for cotton and textile,

Steam Engine - a coal powered engine that drove the Industrial Revolution

Question 7

Impact of Industrial Revolution on Social Change

Answer 7

Two classes formed during the Industrial Revolution, the Proletariat and the Bourgeoisie. The working class and the capitalist class.

The capitalist class owns the means of force and the outcome of production. the working class are the means of force and production.

Class consciousness took place and people became aware of their class.

Due to child labour and terrible working conditions, the proletariat class began to form labour unions to fight for worker rights.

Similarly, the Bourgeoise became aware of their wealth and status and they formed elite clubs and enjoyed leisure activities.

Question 8

Impact of the Industrial Revolution on Colonies

Answer 8

The British Empire greatly benefited from the colonies it had and its resources. For example, India had quality cotton that fueled the textile industry in Britain during the IR. This came at the cost of the labourers and workers in the colonies as they had to match the increased demands.

Dutch exploited Indonesian workers for cheap sugar after the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade.

Question 9

Role of Colonies in the Industrial Revolution

Answer 9

Provided labour, raw material, market and capital to Britain

Question 10

How did Britain benefit from the colony of India

Answer 10

• main provider of raw cotton to Britain (raw materials)
• the British then sold the finished products in India, generating wealth (capital).
• due to colonial policies, India was forced to buy British manufactured goods, so they also got a market.

Question 11

Impact of the Industrial Revolution on Ideologies

Answer 11

The rise of liberal economic and political philosophy, the emergence of labour unions, and the rise of nationalism

It also was the beginning of the consumerism that exists today

Question 12

Industrial Revolution in Japan

Answer 12

After The Meiji Restoration, Japan opened foreign trade, and developed new technologies.

Question 13

What was Class Conflict

Answer 13

Class conflict is the struggle between different social classes. It is often caused by differences in wealth, power, and status.

The bourgeoisie owned the means of production, such as factories and machines, while the proletariat worked for wages in these factories.

Question 14

How did family structures change during the Industrial Revolution

Answer 14

Before the Industrial Revolution large extended families lived on farmhouses with the support of each other.

During and after the Industrial Revolution
families had to separate from their relatives as it was not sustainable in the city.
They went to the cities to find work as migrant labourers. This led to many families becoming homeless and falling into poverty as theyused to depend on their extended family members for financial support.

Question 15

What does Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs suggest?

Answer 15

Physiological Needs ->
Safety and Security ->
Love and Belonging ->
Self Esteem ->
Self Actualization ( Final)

Question 16

Forces of production

Answer 16

Human force, materials and ideas such as assembly line

Question 17

Relations of production

Answer 17

How people organize themselves around labour.

Question 18

What was Durkheims idea on solidarity

Answer 18

Durkheim believed that modern society evolved from mechanical solidarity ( premodern) to organic solidarity ( modern).

Question 19

What is the difference between mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity

Answer 19

The premodern society would basically have the same beliefs, work and skill sets. Bound together by commonalities, similitudes and likenesses ( collective consciousness)

the modern society has different people, different jobs, different religions, different values. Bound together by interdependence. One individual highly specialized in making banks safer is still dependent on the butcher for meat, the police for protection etc etc

Question 20

The division of labour in modern and premodern societies

Answer 20

Pre-modern : everyone does basically the same stuff

Modern: highly specialized roles -
Due to societies branching out into other areas of skill from the hunter gather phase everyone is dependent on everyone for different things

Question 21

How did Britain benefit from the colony of the USA

Answer 21

provided cotton to Britain via the transatlantic slave trade

Question 22

How did Britain benefit from the colony in Africa and Malaysia

Answer 22

rubber + palm oil for machine lubrication, railways, and later automobile tires

Question 23

How was Labour used in colonies of Britain?

Answer 23

• enslaved africans worked in plantations (cotton picking)
• after slavery was abolished, britain introduced ‘indentured labour’ in china and india
• cheap labour was exploited and used for the advantage of the british
  
  • indian railway was made for transporting raw material to britain (connected mines and plantations)
  • telegraphs enhanced british administrative control, not local communication

Question 24

How did Britain balance a trade deficit with China

Answer 24

[grew opium to balance trade deficit.

1. earlier, britain had imported many goods from china
2. china did not accept british goods, and demanded payment in silver
3. this drained britain’s silver reservers
4. silver was main currency of International trade and losing it weakened britain’s economy
5. so they grew opium in india and smuggled it to china
6. addicted chinese population created high demand, reversing the trade deficit
7. lead to economic stability and banning of opium by chinese government which lead to opium wars

Question 25

How did Britain trade with India?

Answer 25

- britain imposed high import taxes on indian textiles - this made indian textiles too expensive in Britain, protecting British mills from competition. - British manufacturers, using industrial machines, produced textiles more cheaply and efficiently, reducing demand for Indian cloth in Europe. - british cloth was dumped into the Indian market, selling at prices lower than what Indian artisans could compete with. - Indian handloom industries collapsed, and millions of weavers became unemployed

Question 26

Short term impact of British Industrial Revolution on Colonies?

Answer 26

**deindustrialisation+mass unexployment+economic dependence** - collapse of bengal’s textile industry - by the mid-19th century, Indian textile exports had fallen from 25% of world trade to almost nothing. - skilled artisans were forced to become farmers or beggars - india became economically dependent on britain

Question 27

Long Term Impact of British Industrial Revolution on Colonies?

Answer 27

- even after independence in 1947, India struggled to rebuild its textile industry, which had been deliberately dismantled by Britain. - The economic damage caused by British policies delayed India’s industrial development for over a century.

Question 28

Impact of British Industrial Revolution on Egyptian Colony

Answer 28

- Egypt was forced to grow cotton for British textile mills, leaving farmers dependent on a single crop - caused economic instability and food shortages (famines) in Egypt when global cotton demand declined

Question 29

What is Capitalism

Answer 29

Is an economic system where private individuals own and control property, and prices are determined by supply and demand. It's also known as the market system.

Question 30

What are the pros of Capitalism

Answer 30

1. competition (invisible hand of free market) encourages businesses to innovate 1. rapid industrial and technological advancements, leading to higher productivity. 2. high living standards due to increased economic output 3. division of labour and specialization increas productivity and efficiency 1. but specialization may lead to alienation of workers psychological state where workers feel powerless, isolated, and meaningless at work

Question 31

What are the cons of Capitalism

Answer 31

1. creates income inequality - rich get richer, workers struggle with stagnant wages 2. workers are paid only a fraction of the value they create 3. Capitalist economies experience periods of rapid growth followed by recessions or depressions. 4. Capitalist firms focus on profits, sometimes at the cost of workers’ well-being and environmental sustainability.

Question 32

How did Capitalists exploit workers by maximizing surplus value?

Answer 32

- workers do not own the means of production - they must sell their labor to survive, so they have no choice but to accept the low wages - So capitalists exploit workers by maximizing surplus value 1. Extending the workday (absolute surplus value) 2. Increasing efficiency through technology (relative surplus value), meaning workers produce more in the same time but still get paid the same.

Question 33

Examples of recessions and depressions

Answer 33

- the great depression (1929) and the 2008 financial crisis show capitalism’s vulnerability to instability. - the “free hand” doesn’t work as its supposed to

Question 34

Examples of when Capitalist focus on profits, at the cost of workers’ well-being and environmental sustainability.

Answer 34

- Businesses exploit natural resources without considering long-term sustainability. - Pollution, deforestation, and climate change are worsened by profit-driven industries that prioritize short-term gains.

Question 35

What is Keynesianism

Answer 35

govt should interfere in the economy to prevent the formation of monopolies and to help a country overcome situations of recession/depression 1. subsidize small companies 2. small companies ask loan, give it 3. big companies ask loan, deny 4. if a product is needed in society, subsidize it 5. if a product is luxury, tax it

Question 36

To avoid monopoly formation

Answer 36

1. antitrust laws a. prohibit agreements that restrict competition 2. governments sue companies engaging in monopolistic behavior. a. US vs Microsoft - sued for restricting competition in web browsers (1998) 3. if a company becomes too dominant, govt can force it to break up

Question 37

Example of Monopoly

Answer 37

13 steel companies in USA joined to form US Steel very few competitors left, and US Steel made their competitors join them asw monopoly created consumer has no choice but to buy from this company, no matter how high the price may be. because there is no other company selling steel.

Question 38

What is communism

Answer 38

a theory or system of social organization in which all property is owned by the community and each person contributes and receives according to their ability and needs.

Question 39

What were Karl Marx's Ideologies?

Answer 39

said the workers can come together and overthrow the monarchy and then will own the means of production then communism

Question 40

What were the main ideas of Communism?

Answer 40

- free education - free health care - no inherited wealth - no private ownership - even distribution of wealth - no exploitation of workers for surplus value - govt controls production, managing inflation, mass unemployment

Question 41

Pros of Communism

Answer 41

- **classless society concept** - today, everyone believes that racism, sexism is bad; should be no discrimination - some countries take this to extreme - no discrimination ≠ no difference b/w people - ex. architecture in communist countries all buildings white (monotonous, no creativity) - **no inherited welath concept** - inheritance tax exists in many european countries - **workers can come together to raise their voice when they feel they are being exploited** - ex. farmers protest - whenever farmers feel they are being exploited they come together to raise their voice and protest - in many countries worker unions and labour unions exist - **solving problem of low wages** - concept of minimum wage exists - free education and healthcare - germany, france, norway, belgium, and spain

Question 42

Cons of Communsim

Answer 42

why whenever implemented, fails & transforms into a dictatorship? (leninism, stalinsm, maoism) 1. no motivation to work harder, no incentive to work hard 1. if work less, you will get how much u need, if work more, still get how much is needed 1. now if everyone in the society starts thinking like this and does not work hard 1. no competition 1. means no development 2. no innovation 3. in incentive to improve efficiency or create new technologies 2. when you try to form a classless society, a power vacuum is created 1. space at the top is empty, there is no one to lead 1. because of this there is always space for the rise of a dictator 1. leads to corruption 3. Government control often leads to inefficiency 1. insufficienct resource allocation --- - when communism is applied to a big scale, it fails - it works in small communities like OSHO ashram in USA - rajneeshpuram - communist countries struggle to trade with capitalist economies - ex. north korea remains isolated and economically stagnant due to its strict communist policies.

Question 43

Marx's Idea vs Reality

Answer 43

- **Marx's Vision:** A **classless, stateless society** where **everyone** owns the means of production together. - **Reality:** Every attempt at communism led to a **powerful government controlling everything**, because someone had to manage the system.

Question 44

What are the 4 sectors of the Economy

Answer 44

1. Primary - extraction and production of raw materials 2. Secondary - manufacturing sector 3. Tertiary - Service Sector 4. Quaternary - Knowledge, Research And Development Sector

Question 45

What does the 1. Primary Sector consist of?

Answer 45

1. Primary - extraction and production of raw materials - mining - fishing - farming - dominant in LEDCs countries rich in natural resources heavily rely on primary sector for economic growth and export revenue, like saudi arabia

Question 46

What does the 2. Secondary Sector consist of?

Answer 46

- transforms raw materials into finished goods - using low value raw material to create high value products - using low value raw material to create high value products - ex. raw wool → quality wool for sweaters --- manufacturing powerhouses like **china (chinese toys flooded in indian market)** and **germany (german car companies like audi, bmw, mercedes flooding the global market)** have strong secondary sectors, driving industrial production and exports of manufactured goods.

Question 47

What does the 3. Tertiary Sector consist of?

Answer 47

- providing services to consumers and businesses - focuses on intangible services like: - retailing manufactured goods - offering insurance - providing banking services - hospitality - healthcare - transportation --- advanced economies like **USA (wall street)** and **UK (city of london)** have well-developed service sectors, hence contributing significantly to GDP through financial services, healthcare, tourism etc. *wall street and city of london are global financial hubs*