How did the Industrial Revolution Affect the Nature of Work in Today's Society?

Introduction

The Industrial Revolution refers to a societal shift that occurred when agricultural economies changed to economies driven by industry. The Industrial Revolution began in Britain in the eighteenth century and by the turn of the twentieth century had swept many regions of Europe and the United States. The significant and rapid changes brought about by industrialization altered every aspect of American life, including where people lived, their leisure pursuits, and the nature of work. The changes brought by the Industrial Revolution provided the social, political, and economic foundations for the emergence of vocational guidance, vocational psychology, and career development.(Berlanstein 130)

Discussion and Analysis

Between 1880 and 1920, city centers grew dramatically. Propelling this dynamic growth were railroads, which connected cities across the expanding landscape of America. Oil and steel manufacturing provided economic strength, which sustained technological progress. In a 1999 article, Howard Zinn pointedly observed that during the Industrial Revolution, steam power and electricity took the place of human muscle and more permanent and sturdier materials were used in construction and in the products that were manufactured. He also noted that oil was used to lubricate machines and to light homes, streets, and factories and that people and goods had newfound mobility through the railroad. Products that were previously made by simple machines or by hand were being manufactured in great quantity by technologically advanced equipment. As a result, home-based or workshop-based production declined, and large factories were constructed to accommodate the new manufacturing base. Improved methods for producing goods required new ways of organizing the workforce, including the specialization and division of labor.(Berlanstein 130)

The rapid pace of industrialization transformed the nature of work, which began to rely on precise and efficient use of skills. The consequential restructuring of the ...