During the nineteenth century industrial revolution in the United States, the medieval family had to be modified to other formations. The American society had to assist in the readjustments which, inevitably had to be done on the traditional family setup. The responsibilities awarded to women and children transformed drastically. The Revolution led to economic developments which affected the family institution by reducing its size and structure.
Women were a great source of workforce for the thriving industries where they earned their wages. The young women where enticed by the urban areas that were cropping up which allowed them to become less dependent to their families. This shifted the American families which became fragmented as each member sought jobs in the industries. The working patterns for women changed in that they were no longer home makers but breadwinners from the factories.
Women gained knowledge that was essential in improving their social status which helped them oppose gender disparity and claim their rights in the American society. The families no longer operated as independent units but they were incorporated in the vast growing economic sector. Family ties were neglected especially in the cities and many children were continually abandoned (Williamson, 2008).
Industrial revolution led to capitalism which segregated the society into classes. Some of the rich people had long-term investments and opted for wasteful living standards. As a result, it was extremely difficult to maintain their families. Moreover, there was a likelihood of specific people to copy the rich which resulted to a corrupt moral sense.
The industrial revolution created a need for professional workers who needed specialized training.Consequently marriages were postponed to latter ages when a person could establish a family. This proved hard for these individuals to become accustomed to family life. Low income earners found it difficult to establish a family and even when they did, financial constrains overburdened them in such a way that they could not maintain their families properly.
The income earners who looked upon daily wages to sustain the families were faced with problems. There was no consistence because of factors such as work misfortunes, work-related ailments, strikes and job losses. As a result of these mishaps, poverty augmented which triggered the increase of child labor, poor nutrition, inadequate education which facilitated strain in the families. Eventually, the society saw a need to safeguard children and their rights.
Education was the main aim and child labor was reduced due to passage of labor laws. Industrial Revolution accelerated disregard to the traditional families since it developed items that could be made at home. Home activities declined while those done outside increased and this drew the parents further from their children thus, destroying the family interdependency and enhancing fragmentation. Social bonding among family members declined and family values were scattered (Williamson, 2008).
The Industrial Revolution became the foundation for women to acquire their rights. This has improved their social status since women have rights to politics and enjoy economic and social freedom. They are able to legally claim their rights notably, in securing divorce. Unfortunately, this has facilitated their neglecting the families to pursue other goals thus, creating individualism in the American society due to their financial independence.
This is also a major contributor to their choice of becoming single mothers. Furthermore, divorce cases have increased in the United States due to domestic instability. The only remedy that is seemingly applicable to the family institution in U.S is reversing the adverse effects of industrial revolution such as poverty, congestion, individualism among others.
Reference
Williamson, T. R. (2008). Problems in American Democracy. United States of America: Forgotten Books.