How Did The Industrial Revolution Affect European Society

The Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th century resulted in the most profound turning point in the history of humanity. The revolutions affect is still felt in today’s society through where we live; what we eat; how we are educated; how long we live; and how many children we have. When one thinks about the Industrial Revolution, urbanization, an economic boom and wealth may come to mind. However; this was not the case for all humankind. This paper will discuss some of the social effects the revolution had on European society by taking a look at the advances and pitfalls within the context of European society, such as technological and agricultural. This will be followed by comparing and contrasting life before and after the economic
The rise in population of the cities creates many problems, such as, air and water pollution, increased crime rates, and poverty. Due to dense populations of people the spread of infectious diseases was rapid. Consequently, death rates in urban areas historically were higher than in rural areas. According to Nathan Keyfitz (1989), the only way urban areas maintained their existence until recently was by the continual in-migration of rural people. There is also the issue of class divide and gender inequality. Entrepreneurs, factory owners, and industrialists gained enormous wealth, while the working classes were confined to unsafe working environment, low-paying jobs, and unhealthy living conditions. Among those hard off were women and children as stated by Gender, Work, and wages in Industrial Revolution Britain author Joyce Burnette (2008). Men were given considerably higher wages than that of their female counterparts and children were seen as a source of low-cost labour. Men received the title of "bread-winners" and middle-class women were encouraged to stay at home and look after the children (Burnette, 2008). This resulted in the rise of age and gender discrimination in the urban