Industrial Revolution: Definition, History, and Impact on Work and Society

This essay explores the definition, history, and impact of the Industrial Revolution on work and society. It discusses the changes in working practices, explains two sociological theories, and examines how work has affected people, particularly women. It also delves into the concept of class in British society and highlights the evolution of work over time.

Industrial revolution

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY ..................................................................................................................................3
Define work with examples........................................................................................................3
History of work...........................................................................................................................4
Changes in working practices.....................................................................................................5
Explain two sociological theories...............................................................................................6
How work affect people..............................................................................................................6
Define class in British society.....................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Industrial revolution is a process where the change has been occurred and the economy
shifts from agrarian and handicraft to the machine and industry manufacturing. In modern
history, the industrial revolution is a period when there is a rapid change in the ways the things
were made. It is meant as the way where the things were hand made in the small shops and then
gradually when industrial revolution came, they were made in cheap way by the machines in
large quantity in the factories. This essay shall cover how work is defined in UK and what
changes has occurred over the time since the industrial revolution (Stearns, 2020).
MAIN BODY
Define work with examples
A work can be defined as an activity in which a person is engaged regularly in order to
earn the livelihood. It is a kind of specific duty, task, function or the assignment which is a part
of larger activity where individual is required to exert the strength to perform something. Work is
an activity which involves physical and mental efforts in order to achieve the result. In the
contemporary society, the work can be categorised into four types, out of which the first is the
one which is rewarded and recognised in the form of payments. Money is one of the strong force
where humans require to work. In the contemporary world, success is measured in terms of
money which a person makes and this recognition acts as a drive to make people work. Second
type is reproductive labour which includes the efforts of raising the child and women are mainly
involved in this work at domestic level (Ragulina and et. al., 2019).
Third kind of work is maintenance labour where an individual is involved in maintaining
itself and its family members like paying bills, cooking, grocery shopping, etc. Fourth type is
charity work which involves individuals to feel good about giving or getting recognition in the
community.
Out of all the four types, the work which involves money is best fitted in contemporary
society. Any work for which an individual is rewarded with the value of amount is the work in
the contemporary society. Nowadays, every work involves a amount of money which is to be
paid to the people. For instance, earlier people use to work to earn their livelihood by hunting for
the food through using the tools which were man made but today, the people can earn their

livelihood by going for shopping with money which the person makes after working in a job for
it (Mosk, 2020).
History of work
The concept of work has been deeply found in the human history. The capability to
produce the tools is one of the nearest concept which can be found of work. Around thousands of
years ago, the agrarian settlements were developed and the design of the work changed from that
time rapidly. The labour on land became organised over the time. The concept of unpaid work
have been increased the attention since the year 1960s and 1970s. Unpaid labour include that
labour does not receive any remuneration directly (Sutherland, 2020).
Industry revolution began in United Kingdom, the spreads to others parts in 18th century.
The industrial revolution written by Arnold Toynbee to give explanation on Britain economic
development from 1760 to 1840. this history known as modern that covers the changing from
handicraft economy to one influenced by industry or machine manufacturing. It includes the
main factors that relates towards the industry revolution technological culture and socio
economic. Technological changes includes the nominal material, use of new energy sources that
include fuels, motive power such as coal, steam engine, petroleum, electricity and the internal
combustion engine and so many things. There were also improvements in terms of agriculture
that provide the provision of food for a larger and non agriculture gathering. Political changes
reflective the shift in order to economic power as well as new terms and conditions
corresponding to the needs of an industrialized society. Culture changes a broader field,
manpower accomplished new and distinctive skills and their relation to their projects transferred
alternatively of being craftsmen working with man made tools. They became industrial material
operators such as machine address to factory discipline. Psychological changes, confidence in the
ability to use resources and to master nature was increased. According to United Kingdom
industrial revolution was highly confined. The British forbade the export of industrial machinery
skilled manpowers and manufacturing techniques. This thing highlights major turning point in
history, it convinced in other way. As per the aspect of average income and population include
exhibit new sustain hype. There were few economist have said that the most important impact on
the industrial revolution was that standard of living of common population in western world
began to increase continuously for the first in history. In the context of people, in ancient time
they had survived because they are unpaid so what they did they made wooden tyres, wore

animals skills, burned fire with stones because it was basic need of people on that time.
According to time things has gone changed after people was looking forward for their wants
need as well. After that there was barter system, I this people did work for other and they gave
food for them. As per the time things has changed, people are able to earn money. They want to
fulfil the needs and demand for its family and it is very essential to live in the world. After
coming the education system people studied and live their life according to their wants. They are
able to maintain their lifestyle that has easy to live. Some people have started the trade and the
development of business and rise of enterprise were among the major cause of industry
revolution. So, to live their life people wanted to work either it was unpaid or paid (Ćwiklicki
and et. al., 2020).
Changes in working practices
Working practices covers the particular roles and responsibilities and projects that is related
towards the job description. Risk factors causes the compromise in health and safety standards.
Employers are able to conduct a job safety analysis or hazard risk assessment that identify
development and implementation safe work practices with in a frame work. There are various
job sectors where hazard are entered that involves various types of working practices like work
planning, procedural,insecurity work and problem solving work. There are improvements in
practices that developed and created employment opportunities. Wages at factories were higher
than what personal were making as farmers. According to industry it became broader, additional
higher authorities and employees were required to operate them, increasing the supply of jobs
and overall wages. In ancient time\, employees organized unions to cop up with difficulties, their
condition were low and unsafe. Workers formed local unions in particular factories. These
unions utilized strikes try to force employers to increase wages or developing working
environment safer or healthier. Employees have compatible working hours. These are made up
of core hours and the remainder of the contracted hours are on a flexible basis. The major
changes in working practices women are allowed to do work, which is very essential to improve
the society. It decline in trade union power, a procedure that separated various types of works
and assigned them to members of various trade unions. There were enhancement of women in
workforce. This changing is mandatory in commercial enterprise. There are different types of
improvement I organization, each changes affects employees differently. It include personnel
change occurs during massive lay off and restricting of departments. This type of changes

employee feel stressed and uneasy and it is essential to improve profitability (Popkova and et.
al., 2019).
Explain two sociological theories
Feminist theory: It involves the explanation of gender system work along with the
consideration of significant issues, in terms of society gender arrangements. The objective of
feminism is not new contemporary third wave global feminism. This theory include rape as
manifestation of core mail paternalism. It interested in social attitudes that support the evidence
from macro level analysation of social system. The matter of fact is feminist focused on public
and professional activity in relation to imperial gender duties.
Functionalism theory: it is the philosophy of mind in this doctrine makes something a
mental state of particular type that doesn't depend on internal constitution but rather on the way
function, or the role it plays in the system of which it is a part. The matter of fact is it posits that
society is more than the sum of its parts rather, each aspect of it work for the stability of
whole,there are various parts of society are composed of social institutions each structure to fill
various need. This theory haver to be implement on society that will change the mindset of the
society (Koizumi, 2019).
How work affect people
If people have lack of work, they will fell anxiety, health distortion, because they unable
to accomplish that need and demand which is very essential. If they will not earn monetary value
due lack of work they will starvation. In this unemployment plays very crucial role. There are
lot of theories that find the health issue of unemployment increase with duration on context to
self rated health, mental morbidity and life satisfaction. The productivity and the results can
reduce due to weak planned workplace atmosphere. That impact their morale which give weak
motivation and lack of job satisfaction, that become a difficulty for administration to give
healthy and safe working environment for the workers.
Define class in British society
It classified into different categories that is based upon monetary value such as:
Unskilled, semi-skilled working class. These people would have worked as manual labour, many
would go on to work in semi skilled and unskilled jobs in raw material extraction in assembly
and machine shops of Britain major steel mills , coal mines textile mills is highly industrialized

cities. If person comes in CEO level it will top class, if in managerial level it is middle class or
workers comes lower class (Albantani and Madkur, 2019).
How work has changed now and how has affected women
Now work pattern and society mind totally changed women are allowed to do work they
have great opportunity about working hours , flexibility,working timing shifts and many other
facilities. In previous time women did not allow to do work and that was very negative. However
according to time things has get change, acceptance of women working shows the equality. It
simply women are able to do work I comparison of men. This thing changed the whole society
(Chia and et. al., 2019).
CONCLUSION
It is inferred from the above report about findings such as people have to change their
mindset and also give equal decisions because everyone has right to live their own life. It can be
concluded how work done in previous time and how it will work. According to time things has
enhanced that give benefits to the society. It is mandatory to improve the people mindset in every
aspects.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Stearns, P.N., 2020. The industrial revolution in world history. Routledge.
Ragulina, Y.V., and et. al., 2019. Methodology of criterial evaluation of consequences of the
industrial revolution of the 21st century. In Industry 4.0: Industrial Revolution of the
21st Century (pp. 235-244). Springer, Cham.
Mosk, S.A., 2020. Industrial revolution in Mexico. University of California Press.
Sutherland, E., 2020. The fourth industrial revolution–The case of South Africa. Politikon. 47(2).
pp.233-252.
Ćwiklicki, M., and et. al., 2020. The adaptiveness of the healthcare system to the fourth
industrial revolution: A preliminary analysis. Futures. 122. p.102602.
Popkova, E.G., and et. al., 2019. Industry 4.0: Industrial revolution of the 21st century (p. 253).
Springer.
Koizumi, S., 2019. The light and shadow of the fourth industrial revolution. In Innovation
beyond technology (pp. 63-86). Springer, Singapore.
Albantani, A.M. and Madkur, A., 2019. Teaching Arabic in the era of Industrial Revolution 4.0
in Indonesia: Challenges and opportunities. ASEAN Journal of Community
Engagement, 3(2), p.3.
Chia, G.,and et. al., 2019. Need for a new workplace safety and health (WSH) strategy for the
fourth industrial revolution. American journal of industrial medicine, 62(4), pp.275-281.
Cheng, Y., and et. al., 2021. How do technological innovation and fiscal decentralization affect
the environment? A story of the fourth industrial revolution and sustainable
growth. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 162, p.120398.
Amorim, and et. al., 2019. Urban challenges and opportunities to promote sustainable food
security through smart cities and the 4th industrial revolution. Land Use Policy, 87,
p.104065.