Women and the Industrial Revolution - Essay Example

Women and the Industrial Revolution The lives of working people came to change significantly due to the revolution as many of them moved from the rural areas to the urban areas to find work in the factories. While in the factories, they worked under extremely harsh conditions and there was hardly an age limit to those who could work since even children got employed. Because of the large numbers of people willing to work within the factories, the factory owners tended to pay remarkably low wages, and many of those who worked for them thus remained poor. The conditions in the nineteenth century industrial cities tended to be extremely poor because of the fact that they were filled with factories which polluted the environment. The industrial cities tended to be highly segregated with the wealthy living in places away from the pollution in opulent houses. The factory workers, on the other hand, tended to live in poor accommodations, what would be considered slums, close to the factories and whose lives revolved around their work with little else to do for leisure (Nicholas & Oxley, 1993). During the industrial revolution, the working lives of women changed significantly as many of them came to leave domestic life and worked hand in hand with men in the various industries that had developed as a result. The industrial revolution ensured that the people who had come from the rural areas to find work in the industries located in urban areas became involved in the eventual dominance of these industries over the economy. Among the major drivers of the industrial revolution, alongside men, were women who were also forced to work in order to fend not only for themselves but also for their families. The fact that a large number of families could not sustain themselves through a single breadwinner, usually the father, meant that mothers also had to join the workforce to ensure that they had food on the table (Holloway, 2005). The way that people lived in this period also meant that women who worked had to ensure that they had smaller families so that they could not only have the time to work, but they could also be able to adequately take care of the children they had without too much strain on their finances. The development of the industrial revolution also changed the lives of women in such a manner that they came to be highly valued in some industries, such as in textile factories, where their services were normally in high demand. The ability of women to undertake work that was previously the domain of men meant that in some cases, the traditional roles were somewhat changed because it ensured that women gained considerable autonomy over their own lives and could live as they wanted without any serious interference from their husbands and families (Randell, 1990). Thus, one would suggest that the industrial revolution did indeed change the working lives of women as many of them came to gain a form of independence which had never before been witnessed. During the industrial revolution, a large number of women left their rural homes and came to the urban centres in a bid to get employment so that they could earn a living. Many of these women either came to the cities alone, with their sweethearts, or their families, and they did this because they believed that they could make their lives better. In most circumstances, this did not turn out to be the case because many of these women, alongside men, came to experience first-hand the bite of unemployment and poverty. These conditions, caused by the abundance of excess labour for the factories that fuelled the industrial revolution, had created a situation where individuals could gain or lose their jobs in an instance and because of the deplorable pay that they received, these workers, especially women, did not have the chance to live comfortable lives since their wages only allowed them to get by (Purvis, 2000). One of the main causes of unemployment was when factories chose to limit the numbers of their workers in order to reduce their costs and this was normally the case in the textile industry, which was dominated by women. In many instances, these job cuts came as a surprise for many individuals, especially women, who were hardly ever prepared for them. When these newly unemployed women attempted to get other jobs, other factories tended not to employ them and this was mainly because the industrial system still favoured men over women. In addition, there were some instances where women get laid off simply because their positions were no longer needed by their employers as a result of the acquisition of new technology which made some of the tasks carried out by human beings redundant. Many women were left without work because of this, and it was often extremely difficult for them to find new employment in other places. Because of the fact that most women only had specialized in specific tasks in their former places of work, in order to gain new employment, they had to specialize in new lines of work if they could increase their chances of making a living. Another serious cause of the lack of advancement among women in the job market of the industrial revolution was the fact that the education of women was not considered to be a priority, with preference being given to educating men. This created a situation where when managers of factories were appointed, it was the men who ended up getting most of the jobs while women, who had lesser education, were relegated to menial tasks or subordinate positions with low pay. It was under these conditions of open hostility towards them in a male dominated world that women of the industrial revolution worked and developed their niches in various industries (Honeyman, 2000). The result was the development of jobs which were specifically given to women and it was in these jobs that women came to thrive as they finally, although grudgingly, they came to be accepted by their men as an essential part of the economy. Despite the fact that there were some women who struggled to work in the male dominated job market, in most instances, women stayed at home and looked after their families while their men went to work. However, while this may have been the common situation, there were certain instances where the man of the house, who was also the sole breadwinner (Horrell and Humphries, 1995), ended up being disabled through accidents at work and was forced to stay at home. Under these circumstances, it became the responsibility of the wife, especially if their children were too young, to go out and find suitable employment so that she could maintain the family. However, it was normally quite difficult for these women to find employment because they often did not have the right qualifications for some jobs, or because those individuals who managed the places of work considered them to be useless just because they were women. The working lives of women during the industrial revolution was in some cases negatively affected by their migration from their rural homes to urban centres in their attempt to gain employment. Many of the women who came to the city were often poor and could not support themselves if they could not find any work. Most of the urban centres were quite hostile to women who did not have the protection of their families or men (Shoemaker, 1998) and in some cases; became the victims of rape or were forced into prostitution in order to earn a living. However, there are those who not only managed to gain stable employment but they were also able to establish themselves in such a manner that they were able to build modest fortunes despite their humble origins. The ability of women to survive in the working world of the industrial revolution is a testament of their ability not only to adjust but also to persevere in the most terrible circumstances to ensure that they made their lives better. However the work environment still proved to be hostile towards women and it was mainly because of this hostility that they tended to receive lesser pay than their male counterparts (Burnette, 1997). This situation was mostly accepted by women without complaint because of the fact that most jobs were male dominated and for a woman to get a job, it meant that they had to prove to be able to work in the same capacity as the men in order to be employed. In addition, the traditional Christian value of women being lesser than men was still prevalent in the era of the industrial revolution and it was mainly because of this that many women tended to be submissive in the workplace. If the management of the factory felt that a woman was of too strong opinion, it was more likely than not that she would end up losing her job, hence her livelihood. During the industrial revolution, there developed a number of diseases and medical conditions which were work related and these affected both the men and women in the work environment. The poor working conditions as well as the sometimes unreasonable demands that factory managers during this period imposed created a situation where workers, especially women, ended up displaying injuries consistent with what is today known as repetitive strain injuries (Pinchbeck, 1898). There injuries refer to several separate conditions which were normally associated with the conducting of repetitive tasks which also included forceful exertions, trembling or in some cases, working in sustained awkward positions. One would state that the strategy which was used in the implementation of safety standards during the industrial revolution did not do much to protect the workers from accidents in the workplace and it is for this reason that many of these cases were rampant. Among the most notorious places of work during the industrial revolution was meat processing plants which tended to have large numbers of accidents brought about by the ignorance of both the management and workers of the factories concerning their safety in the workplace. This created a situation where a large number of workers, including women, came to lose their limbs, and at times their lives, in their attempt to earn a living. Like their male counterparts, women were never given any form of compensation for injuries or medical conditions that may have been caused by the unsafe environment within which they worked (Rose, 1986). It was under these conditions that individuals found that they had diseases whose treatment was extremely expensive and the medication they were provided took long periods to work, a circumstance which they could hardly afford. As a result, there were times when they were too weak to go to work every day and this eventually led them to end up not only not being able to sustain themselves, but also homeless. With the coming of the industrial revolution, the period when women were kept in at home in the background started to come to an end and many women came to join the workforce, working hand in hand with men in some industries (Lindert & Williamson, 1983). This empowerment of women helped them come from the shadow of men in the society, especially in Western Europe and North America, and this enabled them to become active participants in the economy, albeit in a limited manner. The real power, however, remained in the hands of men and these not only controlled almost all the industries, but all the management positions were given to them. Very few opportunities were available for women and it was mainly because of this that they were forced to undertake those jobs which men felt were beneath them (Roberts, 1995). While this may have been the case, it was during this period that many working women became more independent and some even refused to be under the control of the men that they had married, as had been the case in previous centuries. With the new independence that working women came to have, they often chose the kind of work that they wanted to do and how they could manage their schedules so that they could accomplish their aspirations. The ability of women to work also allowed for the development of a larger pool of workers from whom factory owners could choose from to become employees and this seriously raised the stakes in the employment sector. As has been discussed above, during the industrial revolution, the working lives of women changed significantly as many of them came to leave domestic life and worked hand in hand with men in the various industries that had developed as a result. In addition, a large number of women left their rural homes and came to the urban centres in a bid to get employment so that they could earn a living. Another serious cause of the lack of advancement among women in the job market of the industrial revolution was the fact that the education of women was not considered to be a priority, with preference being given to educating men. The working lives of women during the industrial revolution was in some cases negatively affected by their migration from their rural homes to urban centres in their attempt to gain employment. Furthermore, there developed a number of diseases and medical conditions which were work related and these affected both the men and women in the work environment. Finally, with the coming of the industrial revolution, the period when women were kept in at home in the background started to come to an end and many women came to join the workforce, working hand in hand with men in some industries. References Burnette, J. 1997. “An Investigation of the Female-Male Wage Gap during the Industrial Revolution in Britain,” Economic History Review. 50 (2):257-281. Holloway, G. 2005. Women and Work in Britain since 1840. London: Routledge. Honeyman, K. 2000. Women, Gender and industialization in England, 1700-1870. Basingstoke: Macmillian. Horrell, S. and Humphries, J. 1995. Womens labour force participation and the transition to the male-breadwinner family, 1790-1865. Vol 48 (1) 89-117. Lindert, P. H., & Williamson, J. G. 1983. ‘English Workers’ Living Standards During the Industrial Revolution: A New Look’. The Economic History Review, 36(1), 1-25. Nicholas, S., & Oxley, D. 1993. The living standards of women during the industrial revolution, 1795‐1820. The Economic History Review, 46(4), 723-749. Pinchbeck, I. 1898. Women workers and the industrial revolution 1750-1850. London: Virago Purvis, J. 2000. Womens History: Britain 1850 - 1945: An introduction. London: Routledge. Randell, J. 1990. Women in an industrializing society: England 1750-1880. Oxford Blackwell.  Roberts, E. 1995. Womens work, 1840-1940. Cambridge: Cambridge University press. Rose S. 1986. ‘Gender at work: sex, class and industrial capitalism’, Hist. Workshop, 21 (1); pp. 113–32. Shoemaker, R. 1998. Gender in English society, 1650-1850: the emergence of separate spheres? London: Longman. Read More