Industrial Sociology Concepts and Theories

Understanding Societies: From Industrialization to Post-Industrialization

• The industrial revolution encompassed massive economic, technological, and social shifts, primarily in the United Kingdom.
• It transitioned the economy to manufacturing, using machine technology and the factory system.
• Fernand Braudel's History of Civilizations (1993) details how this organized economy developed, with Britain leading industrialization.
• The industrial revolution spanned roughly from the mid-18th century to the mid-19th century (1760-1850).
• Two pivotal stages: the cotton industry and metal production.

The Basis of the Industrial Revolution

• Steam power was applied to machinery, replacing manual labor (e.g., horse mills).
• James Watt improved the steam engine, adapting it for rotary motion.
• The textile industry was key to large-scale production in a traditional artisan world.
• Raw cotton consumption surged from two million pounds in 1760 to 366 million pounds in 1850.
• Industrialization led to significant cost reductions in foodstuffs (33%) and cotton goods (80%) between 1800 and 1850.

The Second Phase of the Industrial Revolution

• Railroads emerged in the 1830s/1840s, ushering in the second phase of British industrialization.
• Britain became a major iron producer, surpassing France and Russia.

The Industrialization Process

• Industrialization is the general process whereby agricultural and craft-based economies transform into manufacturing-focused ones.

Industrial Society

• Industrialization and modernization created industrial society, as conceptualized by Saint-Simon.
• Key characteristics of industrial society: production mechanisms, technological innovation, organizational models, efficiency, creation, mass production, cheaper prices, and consumption (producer-consumer relationship).
• The industrial revolution's key features are technological innovation and steam power in various sectors like mining, textiles, iron, steel, and transport.

Social Change

• Rapid urbanization drew people from rural areas to cities, leading to housing issues, overcrowding, and social problems.
• The division of labor led to the loss of traditional skills and increased unemployment.
• Bureaucracies emerged to manage the growing industries.
• Class conflict intensified due to the widening wealth gap.
• Secularization, a decline in religious influence, impacted family structures and social relationships.

The Birth of Sociology

• The social problems of industrialization spurred sociological thought.
• Comte coined the term "sociology," aiming to create a science of society.
• Marx developed the concept of alienation, a restraint to self-fulfillment, rooted in capitalist structures.
• Durkheim investigated the division of labor and social solidarity, highlighting social dysfunction when social change occurs too rapidly.

Sociological Imagination

• Sociologists use the 'sociological imagination' to understand how personal experiences are interwoven with historical conditions.
• Recognising the relation between individual biography and history.

Industrialism

• Industrialism involves a social system based on large-scale industries.
• The factory system and concentrated workplaces became hallmarks of industrialism.
• It relies on mechanized industry rather than craftsmanship or commerce.
• Features include specialized division of labor and job mobility.

The Division of Labor and Modern Society

• The division of labor has both technical and social aspects, not just economic efficiency.
• Technical division involves specializing tasks based on the segmented labor market.
• Social division refers to how occupations are structured, showing power dynamics between workers ad management.
• Occupational specialization and power relationships within firms.

Social Specialization

• Example, division of economic activity from the family to industry.

Urban Sociology

• Urban sociology (Chicago School) examines urban relationships, organization, and problems.
• Urban ecology and the spatial arrangement and growth of the city.
• Urbanization and the dynamics of urban life.

Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft

• Tonnies' concepts of Gemeinschaft (community) and Gesellschaft (society) describe the transition from pre-modern to modern social relationships.
• Gemeinschaft emphasizes shared traditions, kinship, intimacy, and homogenous culture.
• Gesellschaft stresses impersonality, contractual relationships, and individualistic values.

Post-Industrial Society

• Post-industrial societies are characterized by a shift from industrial manufacturing to information and knowledge economies.

Postmodernity

• Postmodernity is a cultural and ideological configuration, with a shift from grand narratives and theories of modernity to different, less absolute values and plurality of viewpoints.
• Challenging established structures and ideals in several ways.

Capitalism

• Capitalism is an economic system built around market exchange to maximize profit.
• It involves the investment of money to create more money.
• Key elements include capital (resources), investment, profit-maximization, and competitive markets.
• Capitalists are those who own businesses, and aim to create returns.
• Historical development of capitalism from mercantilism.

Capitalism: Marx's Perspective

• Marx criticized capitalism for its inherent contradictions.
• He analyzed capitalism as an exploitative system where the proletariat are alienated from their work, products, fellow workers, and humanity.
• Marx predicts that capitalism will ultimately collapse and be replaced by communism.

Capitalism: Weber's Perspective

• Weber criticized Marx's economic determinism and highlighted the role of culture.
• He argued for the influence of rationality and religious ideas in capitalism's development.
• Capitalism's rational features (e.g., efficiency, calculability) as a dynamic force.

Liberal Democracy

• Liberal democracy is a form of representative democracy that combines democratic rule with liberal values (e.g., individual rights).
• Focuses on issues about the people's role in democracy, how power should be distributed, and the way decisions are made.