Introduction
The Industrial Revolution in Britain was a multifaceted process that involved a variety of aspects and driving factors. The causes of the industrial revolution in Great Britain, as well as its effects on the society and economy, are debated by the contemporary historians and analysts. In this paper, a variety of aspects and contributing factors of the evolution will be discussed including putting-out system, the three unique sets of Britain’s advantages that stimulated the process of industrialization, the support of the factory system by the industrialists, and the impacts the revolution produced on the society (middle class and working class, and the children of the latter in particular).
Putting-out system
Putting-out system (also known as the cottage system) is a form of small-scale manufacturing industry where the production is majorly decentralized and divided between multiple producers who act as subcontractors. This system of manufacturing usually was in place in the fields of production of goods that were based on unqualified manual labor. The system was convenient during the times when the vast majority of households and population were located in rural areas rather than big cities.
In that way, a large portion of the population was scattered throughout the rural regions and had no opportunities for mobility in terms of accessing workplaces in the city. Therefore, the putting-out system was organized in a manner where raw materials for the manufacturing were bought from the suppliers and then delivered to the home-based manufacturers. Primarily, the population involved in this form of production was comprised of the farmers and their families because they appreciated the opportunities to gain additional income and also had a lot of time free from work, especially during the winter season when farming was unavailable and the income was scarce. Prior to the onset of industrialization, the cottage system had been in place for a long time (612-616).
Three unique sets of Britain’s advantages that stimulated industrialization
The first one of the three major drivers of industrialization in Great Britain was the readiness of the labor force to relocate to the urban areas in order to begin working at the factories. The population was willing to obtain income in a new way that was different from the habitual cottage system. In addition, the recent influence of the period of Enlightenment had created a new attitude towards and a new vision of work.
In particular, the putting-out system that had been popular prior to the beginning of industrialization served as its initial form, preparing the laborers, as well as the employers, to develop a stronger and more regulated and well-organized manufacturing industry with a greater rate of involvement and more stable workloads. The second set of advantages and served as a stimulus for the development of industrialization came from the British government of the time.
In particular, the ruling political regime in the country was the constitutional monarchy, a competitive and flexible type of the ruling power that was appreciative of the new ideas and establishments and enforced the generation of the new sources of income and methods of its acquisition. Finally, the third major set of factors that contributed to industrialization was the development of education. In particular, an improved level of education resulted in the occurrence of a larger community of educated and knowledgeable individuals prepared to take over the leadership positions at the factories, operate complex machines, be in charge of departments, manage branches, and regulate the work of large groups of people (624-626).
The support of the factory system by the industrialists
The phase of transition from the habitual cottage system (or putting-out system) to the factory system – the establishment of mechanized production supported by the machines was quite complex and complicated by the clashing opinions in the British society of the time. To be more precise the transition to the factory system had its opponents as well as its proponents. In particular, the popularization of the factory system was actively opposed by the groups of activists known as Luddites comprised of the craftsmen who represented the home-based small manufactures.
For the old-fashioned production systems, it became increasingly difficult to compete with the large and organized factories powered by multiple laborers. As a result, Luddites initiated a series of attacks on the factories that led to the destruction of the factory properties and the sabotage of equipment. In addition, one more criticism of the industrialization and the factory owners was based on the fact that the factory laborers were put in the extreme working conditions.
At the same time, the supporters of the process of industrialization (also known as the industrialists) attempted to promote the factory system; and the most progressive factory owners (such as Robert Owen) worked on the improvement of the working conditions for the laborers (634-635)
Changes in society (middle class and working class)
When it comes to the transformations the British industrialization brought to the middle class of its society, it is important to notice that an entirely new group of the population emerged due to the development of the factory system. Factory owners became a separate class operating within a rapidly developing and extremely competitive manufacturing industry and comprised of the former merchants. At the same time, the social division became more distinct in terms of belonging to various classes.
The social groups began to develop a very strong sense of class-consciousness and the differences between different groups of the population started to become more visible. In addition, the belongingness of the individuals to a particular class became fixed; in other words, for the members of the working class, it was impossible to move upwards and enter the middle class. The consciousness of the working class has transformed into a specific culture with its own mentality, peculiarities, and habits.
Moreover, it is critical to mention that since the laborers often sought employment as family units where all the members were given certain jobs (including young children), the togetherness of the working class, as well as its mentality, was shaped since the early childhood of its representatives. Working-class families presented wholesome working groups where the parents acted as the managers of the child-laborers. In turn, children started to be viewed as employees from a very young age (younger than 10), their working hours were unlimited, and they had to be present at the workplace alongside their parents at all times (628-633).
Conclusion
The impacts produced by the process of industrialization on British society were of a positive and negative nature. The positive outcome of the Industrial Revolution was the rapid economic development powered by the quickly evolving factory system. At the same time, the heavy exploitation of the working class population as physical laborers led to the deterioration of public health, an increased number of injuries and disabilities, and social dissatisfaction due to the growing gap between the rich and the poor.