Industrialism and Postmodernity

Work, Life, and Value: Economic Anthropology ANTH 2301 Industrialism and Postmodernity Every one of the previously covered subsistence strategies depends on direct application of human labour to natural resources in order to generate relatively tiny quantities of tools, food, and other products. Pastoralism, agriculture, and gathering-hunting have all coexisted for the last 10,000 years, frequently with populations using several subsistence techniques at once. Whether stationary or movable, these systems usually include extended family groupings collaborating in a residential setting. In these environments, family groups autonomously manage their work cycles and choose the means of production and distribution of commodities according to their own demands and tactics. This household production system is defined by its dependence on shared resources, group work, and familial relationships. A pastoralist family, for instance, would keep animals for food and commerce in addition to small-scale farming, hunting, and gathering to augment their income and diet. In these cultures, social interactions and cultural customs play a significant role in the creation and distribution of products, resulting in a sustainable and balanced approach to meeting communal requirements. But in the 1700s, a significant change that would fundamentally change the nature of production and sustenance started to emerge in Britain. This new way of life, dubbed industrialism, was typified by the mass production of goods via the use of machinery, paid labour, and chemical processes. Industrialism began slowly at first and later expanded tremendously, altering economies and civilizations all over the world. Industrialism brought forth a system where people were lured out of their homes and into factories, in contrast to the traditional means of sustenance that relied on labour from the family and the community. In these factories, labourers completed monotonous jobs for regular pay, frequently with little autonomy and under close supervision. In the factory, workers had little control over their work cycles and no ownership rights over the things they produced, which was a major change from household-based production systems. The impersonal interactions of the industrial workplace took the place of the ties of kinship and mutual assistance, which had significant effects on the social fabric of communities. Industrialism changed preexisting subsistence patterns in addition to introducing new production techniques. It brought these customs into the industrial economy by using agriculture and pastoralism as sources of labour and raw materials. For example, agricultural goods like cotton, wool, and grain were vital components of the food processing and textile industries. Likewise, pastoralists employed their cattle for industrial uses, such as meat and leather. The way that traditional subsistence techniques were implemented changed significantly as a result of their incorporation into the industrial system. Mechanised and specialised agricultural methods gained popularity, with a greater emphasis on cash crops and commercial farming. Even pastoralists discovered that they had to adjust to the needs of the industrial market, often at the sacrifice of customs. Industrialism marginalised gatherer-hunter communities while transforming and integrating agriculture and pastoralism. Gatherer-hunters produced surpluses that could not be readily integrated into the industrial economy, in contrast to pastoralists and agriculturalists. Their hunting and foraging-based subsistence methods did not fit the needs of mass production and commercialization. Gatherer-hunter communities were so frequently discounted as worthless by industrial nations that aimed to maximise economic production and take use of natural resources. Gatherer-hunter groups were often forced to relocate as a result of this marginalisation, and they were forced to live in reserves or other limited areas where it was difficult or impossible for them to continue their traditional methods of existence. In the face of industrial encroachment, these communities faced tremendous obstacles in maintaining traditional subsistence methods and cultural legacy. Significant alterations were also made to the social and economic structures of societies with the advent of industrialism. The transition from labour in factories to home production upended established family and community structures. The hard working conditions and long hours demanded of workers, many of whom were women and children, caused conventional roles and obligations within the home to disintegrate. Although factory workers' regular pay did contribute to some economic stability, it did so at the expense of their sense of personal freedom and the strengthening of their ties to the community. In addition, the concentration of labour in urban areas caused cities to develop quickly, bringing with it a number of social issues like slum expansion, inadequate sanitation, and overpopulation. People from rural regions and traditional subsistence lives were drawn into the industrial workforce by these urban centres, which developed into the centres of industrial activity. In addition, industrialism's focus on efficiency and mass production sped up the creation of new inventions and technologies that further hastened societal transformation and economic expansion. The development of the steam engine, mechanised looms, and chemical processes transformed the mining, metallurgy, and textile sectors. Because robots could do jobs more quickly than humans, these technological developments not only improved production capabilities but also decreased the demand for trained labour. The labour market was significantly impacted by this move towards automation and mechanisation, which resulted in the loss of jobs and the emergence of a new class of industrial capitalists who held control over the means of production. In conclusion, the 1700s saw the rise of industrialism, which was a turning point in the development of human production and subsistence. With its emphasis on mechanisation, mass production, and wage labour, this new subsistence mode changed customs and incorporated them into the global industrial economy. The demands of industrialism were met by adapting pastoralism and agriculture, while gatherer-hunter cultures were left out and driven underground. As individuals transitioned from household-based production to factory labour, the social and economic structures of civilizations underwent fundamental changes that resulted in the growth of metropolitan centres and important technical achievements. Rather than completely replacing previous means of survival, industrialism integrated and changed them to create a sophisticated, linked global economy that still influences our world today.