Negative Consequences Of The Industrial Revolution

With the Industrial Revolution came enormous social and economic change. The invention of large scale factories saw populations flock to urban style cities to find work. Many people, who had only their labour to offer, found an ideal fit in the working of machinery at factories. This significant shift in social norms had momentous benefits, mostly economic, but also caused serious negative consequences. The standard of living in many of the industrial centres was extremely poor and disease ran rampant through peoples ' makeshift homes. Workers often experienced poor working conditions and were almost always underpaid by the owners of the factories. Despite these negatives, the positives to industrialization were numerous and substantial. The Industrial Revolution saw colossal economic growth and a shift towards the capitalist model upon which society functions today. Jason Welker and Sean Maley outline economic growth as one of the four goals of any modern day economy in their book, Economics . Admittedly, it is hard to say whether the living standards for the working class improved, however, the middle class and upper class were clear beneficiaries, undergoing enhancements to their standard of life. The industrialization of society in the 18th and 19th centuries most importantly however, led to increased social mobility and the formation of trade unions. It is these often overlooked benefits which should be focused on, as they provided people with opportunity and