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The Relevance of Class in Understanding 19th-Century Worker Experience The Relevance of Class in Understanding 19th-Century Worker Experience During the 19th century, society encountered a period of immense social change characterized by the advent of industrialization, urbanization, and capitalism. During this period, the working class gained its distinct social identity, clearly defined by its dependence on wage 2 labor and lack of ownership of the means of production. This essay puts forward the stance that “class” language is the key to understanding the workers’ experiences in the 19th century. Through the analysis of establishing class as a factor behind the forming of workers’ experience, we clear the picture of the social, economic, and political forces that shaped many people’s lives during this time. The 19th century stood as a sign of a radical societal reorganization, directing the development of a strongly defined proletariat. This course may be characterized as a wage labor system, and it represented an outright break away from the traditional rural economy where people worked for themselves or with their families.1. However, the employees in this group were mostly employed by other people rather than working alone, for example, in factories, mines, or mills. The working class was described as a class without owning the means of production. Instead of the bourgeoisie or the capitalist class, which owned and controlled the factories and other means of production, the working class had little say in the labor conditions under which they worked and in the distribution of the wealth they had created. This limits the control of the labor class that could be exploited by employers who do anything to earn maximum profits simply at the cost of workers’ well-being. Workers in the 19th century experienced very tough working conditions and worked for such a tiny pay. Many of them worked in hazardous workplaces, including coal mining and textile factories, with the risk of accidents and injuries always looming.2. The laborers also used to live in overcrowded and unhealthy conditions with not much education or healthcare. These 1 Takaki, Ronald T. Strangers from a different shore: A history of Asian Americans (updated and revised). eBookIt. Com, 2012. 2 Takaki, Ronald T. Strangers from a different shore: A history of Asian Americans (updated and revised). eBookIt. Com, 2012. 3 conditions worsened because of the absence of labor laws and regulations that caused employers to have no motivation to uplift work conditions or pay wages fairly. The class factor was one of the key ones in defining the work experiences of the workers in the 19th century. It decided the sort of work one got, the manner of living, and the resources available. Working people of different classes have so many different experiences; the working class faces the biggest problem, while others are not so serious. To illustrate this, the working class in the past was very crowded in inadequate and dirty houses and had no chance to get education and healthcare. Moreover, they were also more likely to suffer from workplace injuries or diseases as a result of dangerous industrial jobs. However, those from the upper classes had more financial stability and better living conditions, and still, there were good education and healthcare systems. The 19th century witnessed a remarkable rise in class struggle as the working class defended their interest in collective action. Striking, demonstrating, and class struggles became the usual activities of masses of workers who demanded higher wages, shorter hours, and labor safety.3. The socialists and the communists also represented the growing frustration of the working class. This kind of class conflict was very often harshly repressed by employers and the government through the violent treatment of workers, arrests, and execution of activists. Furthermore, after tackling those struggles, workers achieved remarkable successes, such as the creation of labor laws, the right to unionize, and the development of social welfare programs. A Chinese Reception in San Francisco – from Harper’s Weekly, (June 6, 1877), pp. 444 & 445. (n.d.). FAMSF. Retrieved February 20, 2024, from https://www.famsf.org/artworks/aChinese-reception-in-san-francisco-from-harpers-weekly-june-6-1877-pp-444-445 3 4 In conclusion, the language of “class” is necessary in interpreting the different experiences of workers in the 19th century. It gives us a chance to understand the variety of working-class experiences and the good number of difficulties workers face in that era. By studying how class determined workers’ experience, we get a clearer view of social, economic, and political forces that had a major impact on millions of people in the 19th century. Bibliography A Chinese Reception in San Francisco – from Harper’s Weekly, (June 6, 1877), pp. 444 & 445. (n.d.). FAMSF. Retrieved February 20, 2024, from https://www.famsf.org/artworks/achinese-reception-in-san-francisco-from-harpers-weekly-june-6-1877-pp-444-445 Takaki, Ronald T. Strangers from a different shore: A history of Asian Americans (updated and revised). eBookIt. com, 2012.
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