Industrialization and Urbanization on Families in the Half of the 19th Century

The effect that industrialization and urbanization in families at the have of the 19th century The effect that industrialization and urbanization in upon family was both good and bad. For the middle class economic wealth was improving. The part that made the most profit and become very rich were the industrial entrepreneurs. This factories and mine owners made very big fortunes. The other part composed by professionals, small factory owners, merchants and shopkeepers were also increasing their wealth but in a much low scale their earns were never as middle as high from the entrepreneurs and there were also losses: loans were sometimes not repaid and people were very risky financially. Nevertheless the middle class as a whole did benefit a lot from the industrialization and their prestige and their political and cultural influence, increased. For the middle class things were very different. Agricultural workers had to move to the cities and work in the factories. They had to work for 12 to 16 hours a day for almost subsistence level wages. Children and women also worked and for much less than man so factory owners preferred to hired them whenever they could.

Their jobs where dangerous and had no guaranties whatsoever in case of economical crisis when layoffs had to take place. Despite all the harmful effects industrialization had on the working class, the one thing that did improved or at least happened was the consciousness of the classes. This caused worker unions and organizations that with the time would have be the foundations for the trade unions. The urbanization of cities, quickly increased. People lived to the cities in the look for jobs and change, this lead to overpopulation in the cities and cities to grow. One of the problems of this sudden urbanization was the lack of services. Human and animals waste were thrown to rivers were many people drank and showered. With this, plagues and diseases started to attack working class neighborhoods doctors were not very trusted improvements in surgery and psychology and pathology also were happening. In the middle class families, getting married was as it is now a symbol of love happiness and family; people could afford to have children without the need of sending them to work; instead they were educated and loved. The idealization of ‘the home” became a possible dream for the middle class in which both husband and wife played a role. For the lower class prostitution, worried, unhappiness.