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 (Shambliss, 30). 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.

Three aspects of the Industrial Revolution had a significant impact on career development: (1) rapid industrialization, which led to a reorganization of the workforce; (2) rapid urbanization due to migration to urban industrial centers; and (3) the birth of reform movements that developed as a response to deteriorating living and working conditions.

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. (Olapham, 18) 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 (Lucas, 88).

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 workforce was intimately related to the emergence of vocational psychology. Fredrick W. Taylor facilitated this process with his idea of scientific management. Taylor analyzed jobs and converted skilled crafts into a series of simplified tasks that unskilled workers could be easily trained to perform with machinery.

Next, production was systematically planned, and job tasks were directed through various stages of the manufacturing process. As a result, large industries and assembly lines produced significant quantities of refined goods at improving rates. To handle increased production, more specialists were hired to operate a growing number of distinct machines (Dunham, 22). In addition, skilled technicians, engineers, and machinists were needed to design and construct new equipment and maintain and repair existing equipment. Many people performed the mechanical work and labor, and others were needed to supervise and direct it. The results were greater divisions of labor, including management, administration, research, sales, accounting, and several ...