What changes in the organisation of time, space and discipline are associated with the emergence of modern industrial work?

Word Count: 1620

This essay will discuss the changes that occurred in the organisation of time, space and discipline, as a result of the emergence of modern industrial work, whereby society relied upon the use of science, technology and ultimately mechanisation to produce its goods and services. The transition of home based independent work to working for a boss in a factory had many accompanying impacts upon society.

Between the years 1300 to 1650, there was a major change in the intellectual culture of Western Europe, towards the apprehension of time (Thompson 1967, p.56). The pre-industrial era was
It was becoming increasingly recognized as a scarce resource. This indicated modern industrial era was transforming into becoming more co-ordinated and utilised, leading to the organisation of the work place as well as the working day. Arguably, this was essential for industrial progress to take place.

The transition from pre-industrial era to modern industrial capitalism also occurred as a result of the organisation of space, as well the utilisation of time. Thompson (1967, p.60) argues ‘task orientation appears to show least demarcation between work and life’ as workers would complete their task, and then return to their home to begin leisure activities-which would vary throughout the year. This meant there was great difficulty in distinguishing between the home and the workplace, due to the lack of clear demarcation. The ambiguity between home and work life was further created by the increase in domestic production, as it became more and more common for workers to produce goods within the confinements of their own home (Grint 2005, p.55). This implies during this period, there was very little control over workers, as there was the dominance of home based work, creating a disorganisation in terms of spatial work.

The transition to factory based work from home based work ultimately led to a division of labour. Therefore, this created a clear, structured and organised environment for workers to work in. Grint (2005, p.54) argues that factories were