What were the most important consequences of the Industrial Revolution for world history - Essay Example

Traditionally, all family members relied on the head of the family for the provision of the dairy basic needs, and they all used to collectively assist him achieve this objective. The revolution led to the heads of family shifting and migrating away from home in search of employment to sustain their families. Their departure thrust women who were traditionally raised to be submissive to the males as heads of their households when their male counter parts were away. If problems persisted, these families could shift to nearby cities in search of employment in the emerging factories for sustenance.

The widespread migration to cities2 made the towns overcrowded causing innumerable problems common even today due to high population growth rates and development of social vices. Lack of accommodation led to the establishment of slums characterized by poor infrastructures, lack of basic amenities like water and sewerage systems and this contributed to the emergence of various contagious diseases often leading to catastrophic epidemics. The high number of labor supply led to low wages and high unemployment rates increasing the problems these migrants were facing.

This is despite the industries requiring large workforces from the country sides3. The standards of morality depreciated rapidly with women and girls prostituting themselves for food. Women and children also copied vices such as drug and alcohol abuse from men and crime rates soared as people tried to survive. The new challenges facing the family and the social life made changes in the gendering roles of both men and women as women tried to fill their new roles. Women were increasingly given more authority and autonomy in making key family decisions in the absence of the patriarchal men, a trend being promoted even today.

They were further employed in the emerging factories, and they had to learn new skills just like men to be able to fit in their work