Did Industrialization improve or worsen the family life?

Explanation:

Over the course of the Industrial Revolution in Britain, we different aspects of how people were affected during this time.  Some examples of how families were affected include occupation changes, living conditions, and the advancements of technology. It is easy to look at the outside perspective and think that everyone must have benefited from the Industrial Revolution because of the new technology and jobs available.  After reading this page of how industrialization changed families, we hope to give you a different view on the Industrial Revolution.  Families were impacted in a new manner during the Industrial Revolution in England.  Different classes of people, the occupations they held, and what nationality they were played a role in how their families were impacted during this time.

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How Different Classes of Families Were Impacted

Lower Class

This is an example of a poorhouse during the Industrial Revolution. Large families were forced to live in small quarters because they could not afford anything else. This illustration is from 1863 in Bethnal Green, London.  

An example of children working in the factories.

An example of children working in the factories.

As you can see from this quote, the varied hours and inconsistent work days took a toll on families during the Industrial Revolution. It was difficult to spend quality time together because of the long work days so relationships often became strained.6  The mothers struggled to keep their families in good health while also struggling to money.  A lot of times the children would have to go to work for the factories as well because they are a lot smaller and can fit in smaller spaces.  Children only earned 1/10 of what men earned in the factories.  Many young women would work for the factories when they were younger but once they became married they would quit their jobs to take care of the home.  To make ends meet, some women would even have to continue working in the factories or mines while they were pregnant.7  

Middle Class

At the end of the 19th century, we see a “Middle Class” emerge due to industrialization.  Before this, there were only the extremely wealthy who inherited their money and possessions or the extremely poor working class, who had to work very hard for every penny they had.  People who were in the middle class tended to work jobs like shop keepers, bank tellers, merchants, insurance agents, accountants, managers, doctors, lawyers, and teachers.8  Most of these jobs were occupied by men while the women tended to continue the housewife role.

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