Western civilization - Essay Example

Western Civilization Question Second Industrial Revolution The second industrial revolution is also known as the second part of the Industrial Revolution which if considered as just an extension, started in Britain in the eighteenth century and eventually spread throughout Europe by the nineteenth century. The second industrial revolution grew on the advancements of the first revolution so much that much of the practices gained are still practiced today in some form. The important discoveries and characteristics of the second revolution included the advancements in the steel and electrical field.

Technological and economic progress gained momentum during this time when steam-powered ships and rails were developed. The second industrial revolution was characterized with mass production systems to achieve economies of scale to increase profits. While in the first revolution, the people were self employed and worked manually and it was only a little later that mechanization started to be employed. In the first industrial revolution, much of the development depended on the willingness of capitalists to risk financial loss, however in the second revolution, the development was promoted by the government and hence the development depended on several factors including the availability of natural resources, capital, government support, an active middle class, entrepreneurial spirit.

Another striking difference is that in the first industrial revolution, the production was dependent on the cottage industries and was more agrarian in nature. In, the second revolution the products were customer oriented and the nature of products was more industrial. Also marketing, innovative business practices and globalization were essential features of this age of expansion.Question 2: Late-Nineteenth-Century ChangeThe late nineteenth century saw tremendous growth in professionalism of products.

With the economical growth several innovative products and ideas came into existence. The demographic population increased and with it, the need for more resources. The social dispersion was captured in the music of that time which changed to “reflect the disorientation of traditional standards and values, the contrasts between an extreme collectivism and an equally extreme individualism”. The art captured the emotional isolation of the individual and questioned the values of a modern consumer-oriented society created by the industrialists to reap economies of scale.

The people at that time felt fearful and disorientated because of shifts in demographical factors such as emigration and globalization. Economic competition and challenges brought by global reach also made lives difficult for the people. With the rural agrarian population under threat of being wiped off, most of the people migrated to urban areas to live. This benefited the industries which further attracted the rural workers to join them and work at lower rates. In search for even lower rates, child labor was initiated while the workers formed unions to ward of injustice.

The increasing population needed health care facilities. The technological improvements came to the people’s aid and provided heath care when people were under great stress because of social injustice they felt. The economic development saw the increasing flow of ideas as science evolved thanks to the financial support. Time and matter was finally understood and new products were being invented to help people in their daily lives so much so that people started believing that industrialization would free humanity from manual labor.

Work CitedModule 4: The Nineteenth Century—Age of National Expansion