Premium Essay

The Role Of Working Women During The Industrial Revolution

Submitted By
Words 911
Pages 4
As we examine the lives of working women through the beginning of history until the Industrial Revolution, readers can examine how the definition of work in context for women changed over the path of time, and how this in turn affected each generation of women. Originating as community members specifically tasked with making more citizens, in the onset of industry we see woman becoming workers in the first factories. In this paper we readers will examine three different types of written works and lifestyles, from the Christian story of creation through narratives about the results of the game-changing shift to industry, so readers will be able to compare and contrast the lifestyles and expectations of the “working woman.” Starting from the …show more content…
No longer are women confined to the home, expected to focus on birthing the next society member. Although, the idea of women as “creatures of the home” is not an idea that is lost to society. However, “women’s work” as an aspect of gender has expanded to include factory work. As seen through Adelheid’s account, she is expected to work so that she can help provide for her family. At her factory job she earns “two and a half guilders a week, for which I had to work twelve hours a day.” Now women have the opportunity to spend their lives not locked away in a home, but spending all their time in a factory. However, the life of a working woman is accompanied by the dangers of the factory foremen. While women had been at home being mothers, they had occupied a more private sphere, and going out into the public opened them up to being taken advantage of in a new way. As seen in Adelheid’s factory experience, it was not uncommon for women to be advanced because of “certain relations with a superior,” and just as common for it to end with the man leaving a string of working girls behind “so that he might, unhindered, “bless” a new girl.” While the life of an industrial working woman gave them opportunities to go out beyond the home, it came with the burden of being sexualized in the workplace and having their sexuality used against them for the pleasure of the male

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

18th Century Women and Family

...eighteenth century was a time of significant social, cultural and economic change for Europe. The century included both the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions. They transformed demographics, working methods and economic structures. Their consequences impacted on the family income, both in terms of how money was earned and who in the family earned it. One of the consequences of the Agricultural and Industrial Revolution was a shift in populations to more urban areas. The revolution also impacted on the self-sufficient economy of rural life with increased reliance on industrial employment. This essay will examine these changes and discuss how they impacted on women and the family. This will be achieved by examining the changes in gender roles and, in particular, changes to women’s roles in the family and society and how this directly impacted on the shape and function of the family. The aim is to explore the cultural and economic shift in eighteenth century society from a mainly rural, agrarian society to and more urban, industrialises society. The essay will also consider how these changes impacted on family life during this period. The issue which this essay focuses on is; that as women and children began to play a greater role in the work place the shape and function of family changed. Eighteenth century life was dependant on agriculture. During the early years of the century over eighty percent of the population were living in rural areas. Although there were demographic changes...

Words: 2902 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

How Did The Industrial Revolution Transform America

...How the Industrial Revolution Transformed American Transportation of products Christopher Lewis Writing Assignment 1 HIS300 American History 30 October 2015 How did the Industrial Revolution transform America? The answer to this question will vary from person to person but, the truth is that it transformed America in many different ways to include urbanization, immigration, transportation of materials and goods, changing role of women in the home and workplace, and the education of middle and working class people. The Effects of urbanization during the Industrial Revolution Prior to the Industrial Revolution families worked together on farms as well as doing the chores around the home. Men who were the head of the household did their trade and trained their older sons...

Words: 663 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Change Over Time Analysis

...Change Over Time Essay Changes and Continuities of Women’s and Industrial Workers’ Roles during the Industrial Revolution With time, changes are made. With the changes that are made, society makes the attempt to build upon them so that the continuity of that society will flourish. There were many changes that were results from the Industrial Revolution. Some of these effects were very substantial, such as the change if women’s roles, and the change of industrial workers’ roles. The amount of continuity does not compare to the amount of change in any shape, form, or fashion. The Industrial Revolution had remarkable effects on the people of society that were contemplated as a part of the “lower class”. Due to the occurrence of this event,...

Words: 1145 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Women's Roles in the Industrial Revolution

...Women’s Roles During the Industrial Revolution During the course of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Industrial revolution transformed Western Europe and the United States introducing origins of machinery in the cotton textile industries. However during this time, non-industrial wage labor increased, more children were being forced to work, urban cities grew, and the commercial agriculture from farms transformed into a labor market. Although, it was not only these economic developments being impacted that made the time of the Industrial Revolution significant; changes in family life also occurred, particularly speaking the decline of family size and increase of life expectancy. Therefore, there was a greater role for women in the labor force, allowing them to compete in contemporary politics and reform activities. Dependent on beginning of the transatlantic movement of British immigrants and their technology, the Industrial Revolution in the United States moved forward allowing the textile industry to expand. Long after the American Revolution showed signs of advantage in the marketplace, a flood of British exports took over, replicating inventions from English manufacturers. One of the first inventions reconstructed would be the first permanent cotton spinning mill and an Arkwright water frame restored by Samuel Slater under sponsorship of former merchants William Almy and Moses Brown. With the leadership of Slater, Almy and Brown they expanded a firm in machine...

Words: 1604 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Proper Management Ethically Sloved

... The Industrial Revolution in England from the 18th to the 19th century was a benefit to the English working class. By: 1. Dhakshani Dharmadeva (2614) 2. Dinu Siriwardana (2971) 3. Melani Mallawarachchi (2950) The Industrial Revolution in England from the 18th to the 19th century was NOT a benefit to the English working class. Industrial revolution was a period of major industrialization that took place during the late 1700s and early 1800s. The Industrial Revolution, beginning in Great Britain, quickly spread throughout the world. This time period saw the mechanization of agriculture, textile manufacturing, a revolution in power such as steam ships and railroads, and had a massive effect on social, cultural and economic conditions. We learned that industrial production increased tremendously, bringing wealth and power to Great Britain throughout the 19th century. But it’s time to consider its effects on people, we have yet to explore the effects of industrialization on society, on the daily living and the working conditions of common people. What was life like for the average industrial worker? Was living in a new industrial city and working in a factory an improvement over life in the countryside? Did the new factory life change for the better the roles of family members, including women and children? Were people healthier? In general, did the Industrial Revolution...

Words: 2740 - Pages: 11

Free Essay

Research Paper

...ANNOTATED SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR HISTORICAL INTERPRETATIONS OF THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION IN BRITAIN Gerard M Koot History Department University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Allen, Robert C., The British Industrial Revolution in a Global Perspective, New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Pp. viii, 331. Allen’s book is an excellent example of the persuasiveness of the new economic history. It is solidly rooted in statistical data and uses sophisticated methods of economic analysis but its analysis is presented in plain English. He argues that the first industrial revolution occurred in northwestern Europe because its high wages during the early modern period encouraged technological innovation. Although high wages were initially a consequence of the demographic disaster of the Black Death, they were reinforced during the early modern period by the economic success of the region around the North Sea, first, in European trade and manufacturing, especially in wresting the textile industry from the Italians, and then in world trade. According to Allen, the first industrial revolution took place in Britain instead of the Low Countries primarily because of Britain’s abundant and cheap coal resources, combined with the central government’s ability to use mercantilist policies and naval power to reap the greatest benefits from an expanding European and world trade. Once it had taken the lead from the Dutch, and defeated the French, Britain used its comparative advantage...

Words: 27796 - Pages: 112

Premium Essay

Why Some Social Groups Benefited More Than Others from Industrialization in 19th Century Europe?

...industrial revolution, a period of transition and innovation, inevitably brought with it changes. Life for both rich and poor was changed forever. A way of life in Europe was passing away, when the lord of the manor, independent farmers, servants and workers that had previously lived independently in a vertically integrated society were replaced by a city based society of segregated social classes. The population grew rapidly, and people found work in the factories of cities. The industrial revolution began in Britain, which filled all the requirements for it to happen. As an aftermath of 1688 and the “Glorious Revolution”, British kings lost much of their power and influence to aristocratic landowners, who in turn sought to bring their own lands under greater control. This is known as the Enclosure Movement. This lead to two very important consequences; the land became more productive, which in turn lead to the agricultural revolution, and people who used to work the lands of the aristocratic landowners effectively became a poor, unemployed, new class of society in need of work. It was this class of poor that manned and worked in the factories that the industrial revolution brought along with it. They were ideal for the job, because they were in desperate need of work and would work for low wages. Although they were mostly unskilled labourers, it didn’t matter much since the jobs at factories required little skill from the workers. So, the factories...

Words: 916 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

How Industrial Capitalism Has Transformed Work, Its Gendered Character and Its Gendering Effects

...How industrial capitalism has transformed work, its gendered character and its gendering effects The founding fathers those good old boys, always knew where a women’s place was. These Upper-middle class white men were the founder of beliefs that are imbedded in our makeup that created separate sphere and gender role for men and women. That saying a “Women’s place is in the home”, that belief has been in our make up for generations. When the Industrial revolution arrived things changed, it’s transformed the idea of work to outside the home. The result eventually transforms society as a whole. The industrial Revolution is without question one of the most important transformation in human history. With the separation of job opportunities by gender, the effects that our gender plays in the employment opportunities that are available to us. The text states, “The shift of production from homes during the industrialization transformed men into wage laborers who left home each day for jobs. The decline of domestic production, in turn, robbed women of the role of breadwinning, and left them with the invisible and socially devalued tasks as housekeeping and child rearing. Thus in the wake of industrialization, women found themselves with limited options. Because social norms and job discrimination curtailed their participation in the labor force. “ This Ideology of separate spheres was born among the English upper-middle class, called for the separation of family life from paid work...

Words: 790 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Economic, Social and Political Change in 19th Century

...that occurred in the early 1900’s was largely influenced and formed by the industrial revolution, in particular the second wave that occurred in the late 1800’s. The revolution as a whole resulted in the change from economies based on agriculture and farming, to industry based profits. This second wave of the revolution not only refined and improved the prior inventions of iron and coal, but brought with it new highly developed technologies such as steel, electricity, oil and chemicals that lead to the creation of new industries that had not existed prior. The introduction of large scale steel and iron production, as well as advanced railway systems and the opening of the Suez Canal, allowed countries to export vast amounts of resources easily, therefore boosting economies.  The introduction of electricity into society during this time also had a profound impact on the economic situation of many countries and individuals by allowing possible work hours to be increased dramatically. In 1914, Britain, Germany, France and the US owned 72% of the world’s manufacturing output, having a profound impact on the economies of the countries but also creating a climate of competition between the strong industrial powers. To a certain extent, this economic change throughout the world had a significant impact, and acted as a catalyst for increasing social and political change. Political change was evident during the early 20th century given that dynastic rulers still governed solely over...

Words: 957 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Industrial Revolution

...Industrial Revolution – A step to new era The Industrial Revolution, which took place from the 18th to 19th centuries, was a period during which predominantly agrarian, rural societies in Europe and America became industrial and urban. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, which began in Britain in the late 1700s, manufacturing was often done in people’s homes, using hand tools or basic machines. Industrialization marked a shift to powered, special-purpose machinery, factories and mass production. The iron and textile industries, along with the development of the steam engine, played central roles in the Industrial Revolution, which also saw improved systems of transportation, communication and banking. While industrialization brought about an increased volume and variety of manufactured goods and an improved standard of living for some, it also resulted in often grim employment and living conditions for the poor and working classes. The Industrial Revolution began over 200 years ago. It changed the way in which many products, including cloth and textiles, were manufactured. It is called a "revolution" beacuse the changes it caused were great and sudden. It greatly affected the way people lived and worked. This revolution helped to bring about the modern world we know today in many ways. The Industrial Revolution was a major change in the nature of production in which machines replaced tools and steam and other energy sources replaced human or animal power. The Industrial Revolution...

Words: 1010 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

History: The Industrial Revolution

...The industrial revolution was crucial to creating a growing world and economy. Great Britain ignited the fire and was the first among all nations to take part in the industrial revolution. A mix of different factors made the industrial revolution possible; available wealth, increasing population, more available labor, and availability of cheap materials (Duiker, 2009). The steam engine was a popular invention during the eighteenth century and was easy to utilize since society wasn’t worried about a depleting non-renewable energy supply. This only continued to create more jobs for individuals and contribute to a growing economy. The use of the steam engine and consumption of coal paved a path to the production of the railroad, which was also...

Words: 996 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Industrial Revolution Dbq

...The history of civilization has seen improvement and development become essential principles for all humans. Whether this originate in new inventions, changing ideas and theories, or government activism, several periods of time have illuminated what our species knows and furthered knowledge. One headlining time period, the Industrial Revolution, seems to come to the forefront. Originating in Britain from the mid 18th century until the early to mid 19th century, the Revolution affected the economic and social areas of production, urbanization, and labor that continue to have an impact on the daily lives of people all over the world, even today. Before the Industrial Revolution, the world maintained a small size. Rural communities thrived on...

Words: 1385 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Western Economic Development During the British Industrial Revolution

...Development During the British Industrial Revolution | | | | 11/2/2015 | Industrial Revolution: The Transition The Industrial Revolution was a period during which predominantly agrarian, rural societies in Europe and America became industrial and urban (History, 2015). It took place from the 18th to 19th century. The first industrial revolution began in Britain, and the innovations in this region spread to other nations who also began transitioning from agricultural to industrial. The industrial revolution led to expansion on trade, increased standard of living, and the growth of cities and many of these improvements were the result of technological improvements. Economic Development The Industrial Revolution was a time for tremendous economic development. The western economy was transformed by the Industrial Revolution. New iron, steam-powered ships, along with other technological advances, made international trade cheaper, safer, and more efficient. The Factory System was perfected with the assembly line. Products moved along a conveyor belt, with each worker contributing labor along the way to create a finished product. The work came to the workers, saving time. Industrialization destroyed workers’ independence. Workers relied entirely upon their employers for wages with which they bought everything they needed. Technological Advances Technological advances played a large role in the expansion of the western economy during the Industrial Revolution. The transition...

Words: 2049 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Industrial Revolution Working Conditions Essay

...Industrial Revolution The working conditions of the industrial workers would be outlawed in our era. It wasn’t till 1819 that hours were limited to 12 hours per day for children. And in 1874 no workers were allowed to work more than 56.6 hours per weak. But the most horrid encounter with the industrial workers is from the testimonies from workers in the industrial revolution. Based on the parliamentary testimonies in our handout, we can conclude that working conditions were horrible from the view of the worker; but seen from the employers and parents of workers, the views of working conditions were tolerable. (Working Conditions in the Industrial Revolution) A lot of atention went to children and women during this time. It wasn’t till 1847 that hours were minimized for women and children. The Factory Act of 1847 gave a “maximum of 10 hour work per day for women and children.” (Working Conditions in the Industrial...

Words: 1640 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Economic, Social, and Political Chnage Worksheet

...Economic, Social, and Political Change Worksheet Agricultural Revolution Respond to each of the following questions in two to three sentences: 1. What are the three most important factors contributing to the agricultural revolution in Europe? They increase the use and understanding of the traditional farming ways and techniques and put them towards more of a commercial use. They increase more land into production use and gathered more workers verses using more machines. 2. How did the agricultural revolution change European society? Provide an example. The techniques of farming approved on a larger scale. People were able to afford food at lessor price. This also gave them an option to be able to purchase things outside of food. Creating additional jobs for rural manufacturers to create more consumer goods. Industrial Revolution Respond to each of the following questions in two to three sentences: 1. What are the three most important factors contributing to the industrial revolution in Europe? The most important factors contributing to the industrial revolution in Europe were financing capital-intensive industries, backing the railroads, and favoring the establishment of factories. The invention of hand tools, the use of steam in place of animal and human muscle and the acceptance and adoption of the factory system were all factors and changes in the revolution. 3. Describe working conditions in factories and mines between 1800 and 1850. What was...

Words: 855 - Pages: 4