Pre-industrial economies and society

Industrial technologies and mechanisation

Urbanisation and demographic change

Labour, working conditions and class systems

Industrialisation and global impact

MYP History Labour, Working Conditions and Class Systems Notes

Labour, Working Conditions and Class Systems in Britain and Japan

Before industrialization, most people in Britain and Japan worked in small, family-based settings:

British farmers followed seasonal rhythms.
Japanese peasants worked in rice agriculture and village crafts.

Work was slow, flexible, and controlled by households, not bosses.

Industrialisation flipped this world upside down.

Factories introduced:

Fixed hours (long, exhausting shifts)
Strict supervision
Fast-paced machine work
Wages instead of family labour

For ordinary people, this was not just a new workplace: it was a new way of living.

Analogy

Before industrialization, work in Britain and Japan was like cooking at home:slow, flexible, done with family, and based on the rhythms of the season.
Industrialization turned work into a factory kitchen: fixed hours, strict recipes, loud machines, and a boss watching the clock.
Suddenly, everyone had to follow someone else’s timetable, not their own.

How industrial work changed in Britain

1. Time became controlled by the factory

Traditional rural work changed with the seasons. Factory work ran by the clock.

12–16 hour days
Bells, supervisors, and machines that never “needed a break”
Workers lost control over their pace and timing

2. Evidence from British mills

Britain’s textile mills (Lancashire, Manchester) became symbols of harsh conditions:

Hot, humid rooms
Child labour (orphans, pauper apprentices)
Dust-filled air, dangerous machines
Low wages for women and children

Factory owners profited; workers struggled.

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Note

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Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

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Tip

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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.

Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris.

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum.

MYP History Labour, Working Conditions and Class Systems Notes

Labour, Working Conditions and Class Systems in Britain and Japan

How industrial work changed in Britain

1. Time became controlled by the factory

2. Evidence from British mills

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Unlock the rest of this chapter with a free account

Labour, Working Conditions and Class Systems in Britain and Japan

How industrial work changed in Britain

1. Time became controlled by the factory

2. Evidence from British mills

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

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The Industrial Revolution5 subtopics

Innovation and Social Change4 subtopics

Trade and Global Exchange4 subtopics

Everyday Life in the Modern Era4 subtopics

Health and Medical Developments4 subtopics

Social and Cultural Movements4 subtopics

Ideas and Ideologies4 subtopics

War, Conflict and Peacemaking4 subtopics

Empires and Supranational Organizations4 subtopics

Nationalist Movements4 subtopics

Civil Rights and Social Protest4 subtopics

Individual Agency in History4 subtopics

Consequences of Inaction4 subtopics

MYP History Labour, Working Conditions and Class Systems Notes

The Industrial Revolution5 subtopics

Innovation and Social Change4 subtopics

Trade and Global Exchange4 subtopics

Everyday Life in the Modern Era4 subtopics

Health and Medical Developments4 subtopics

Social and Cultural Movements4 subtopics

Ideas and Ideologies4 subtopics

War, Conflict and Peacemaking4 subtopics

Empires and Supranational Organizations4 subtopics

Nationalist Movements4 subtopics

Civil Rights and Social Protest4 subtopics

Individual Agency in History4 subtopics

Consequences of Inaction4 subtopics

Labour, Working Conditions and Class Systems in Britain and Japan

How industrial work changed in Britain

1. Time became controlled by the factory

2. Evidence from British mills

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Unlock the rest of this chapter with a free account

Labour, Working Conditions and Class Systems in Britain and Japan

How industrial work changed in Britain

1. Time became controlled by the factory

2. Evidence from British mills

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Unlock the rest of this chapter with a free account