G4.4 Ex4

Sanitation in Society

Socioeconomic

disparity and planning policy during the industrial revolution.

in 19th-century slums: Victorian London’s homes from ryextra.com/period/victorian/life-in-19th-century-slums-victorian-londons-homes-from-hell/. Cover Image: Jamadar, A. 2021. How did the Industrial Revolution influence the design of cities?, Medium. Available at: https://medium.com/zeyka/how-did-the-industrial-revolution-influence-the-design-of-cities-51c8ed0bd35e.

from hell. History Extra. Available at: https://www.historyextra.com/period/victorian/life-in-19th-century-slums-victorian-londons-homes-from-hell/.

Summary

Health and hygiene in early modern cities were greatly influenced by the Industrial Revolution boom in the 19th century. The advent of mass industrialisation was as well as innovative technological advancements and urbanisation had a profound impact on the health and hygiene of individuals. As there was a change to the cities due to the surge of advancements that were taking place several factors had a grave impact on the health and hygiene in these cities.

1As can be analysed in London and in Paris, the event of the industrial revolution itself caused massive outbreaks of diseases. The subsequent consequences of these diseases and their spread to society was the socioeconomic disparities between classes that allowed the higher classes to escape the great number of deaths the lower classes faced.

Kingston-Cox, W. 2023. To what extent can Stalin’s policy of industrialisation be considered a success?, Kleio Historical Journal . Available at: https://www.kleiohistoricaljournal.com/post/to-what-extent-can-stalin-s-policy-of-industrialisation-be-considered-a-success.

Industrialisation

The industrial revolution was a time of unprecedented and massive levels of advancements in both technology and manufacturing around the world. Peter Stearns recognises that the urbanisation that was triggered by the industrial revolution created unfounded opportunities for employment in factories all over the world. As massive amounts of people flocked to cities and industrial centres, overcrowded cities and unsanitary living conditions were rampant and became the norm. 2 These dense urban areas were lacking in sufficient infrastructure for both waste disposal as well as clean water supplies, which led to widespread disease outbreaks that triggered a major shift in hygiene and health practices. 3

Some of the notable consequences of this mass urbanisation caused by the Industrial Revolution that CharlesEdward Amaroy Winslow reflects on was the spread of infectious diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, and tuberculosis. The poor sanitation as well as the contaminated water supplies, due to the factories and human waste, facilitated the greater spread of these infectious diseases which in turn resulted in high mortality rates, which were particularly observed amongst the working-class individuals which were living in the overcrowded slums near the factories.4

Paris

The socioeconomic disparities prevalent during the health crisis of the Industrial Revolution significantly influenced the extent of planning and health policies in Paris. Stephane Kirkland's "Paris Reborn" vividly portrays Napoleon III and Baron Haussmann's efforts to modernize the city amidst rampant poverty and disease.

Paul M. Hohenberg and Lynn Hollen Lees, in "The Making of Urban Europe," underscore the challenges of rapid urbanization and its impact on public health.

Peter N. Stearns' "The Industrial Revolution in World History" highlights the health hazards Factory System. Britannica. Available at: https:// www.britannica.com/topic/ factory-system.

inherent in industrialization, while Steven Johnson's "The Ghost Map" illustrates how disease outbreaks prompted reforms in urban planning. David S. Barnes' work delves into the struggle against filth and germs in Paris, shedding light on the urgent need for sanitary reform.

R.J. Morris' "Sanitary Reform in Victorian Britain" and Karl Polanyi's "The Great Transformation" offer comparative perspectives on public health policies. Charles-

Edward Amory Winslow's "The Conquest of Epidemic Disease" and Dorothy Porter's research

in the Journal of Urban History provide insights into the nexus between public health and urban renewal.

George Weisz's study in the Journal of Urban Health elucidates the epidemiologic transition in Paris during the 19th century.

This collectively demonstrates how socioeconomic disparities shaped the trajectory of planning and health policies in Paris during the Industrial Revolution, underscoring the imperative for comprehensive reform to address public health challenges.

London

The socioeconomic disparities prevalent during the health crisis of the Industrial Revolution profoundly shaped the extent of planning and health policies in London. By providing a comprehensive understanding of this complex interplay between urbanization, public health, and socioeconomic conditions.

Paul M. Hohenberg and Lynn

Hollen Lees' "The Making of Urban Europe" contextualize the broader European urbanization trends.

Peter N. Stearns' "The Industrial Revolution in World History" underscores the drastic societal changes during this period, with urbanization exacerbating health challenges. Steven

Johnson's "The Ghost Map" vividly illustrates London's cholera epidemic, revealing the dire consequences of inadequate sanitation.

Stephane Kirkland's "Paris Reborn" highlights Napoleon III and Baron Haussmann's efforts to modernize Paris, emphasizing the role of urban planning in addressing health concerns. Similarly,

Goodman, P. 2023. 10 Facts on the Industrial Revolution, Owlcation. Available at: https://owlcation.com/humanities/12-Facts-on-the

https://owlcation.com/humanities/12-Facts-on-the-Industrial-Revolution.

David S. Barnes' "The Great Stink of Paris" and R. J. Morris' "Sanitary Reform in Victorian Britain" delve into the sanitation reforms crucial for public health improvements. Karl Polanyi's "The Great Transformation" discusses the political and economic origins influencing public health policies.

Furthermore, Charles-Edward Amory Winslow's "The Conquest of Epidemic Disease" and research articles by Dorothy Porter and George Weisz offer scholarly insights into the epidemiological transition and urban health dynamics.

Overall, this analysis collectively underscores how socioeconomic disparities during the Industrial Revolution propelled urgent reforms in urban planning and public health policies in London, shaping its trajectory towards modernization and improved health outcomes.

Effects

The industrial revolution created many health impacts for the individuals that lived and worked in these modernised cities, however they were influenced by planning policies and socioeconomic disparities to ensure that the urban development of the cities was equitable and fair for all. As industrialisation became urbanisation, the urban planning of these cities neglected the growing concern of public health and focused on the rising economic interest which greatly exacerbated the disparities of health in the societies. And although sanitation reforms were necessitated by the governments the poorer working classes were still bearing the greater brunt of the unsanitary conditions. However, by analysing how the disparities and the changes made in these cities influenced their continuing growth, an understanding of the conditions and a greater focus on public health and sanitation in the industrial revolution can be made.

Editors. Child Labor, HISTORY. Available at: https://www.history.com/topics/industrial-revolution/child-labor.

https://www.history.com/topics/industrial-revolution/child-labor.

Bibliography

Amory, W.C.E. 1944. The conquest of epidemic disease. Princeton: N.J.

Hohenberg, P.M. and Lees, L.H. 1995. The making of urban Europe, 1000-1994. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Johnson, S. 2006. The ghost map: The story of London’s most terrifying epidemic--and how it changed science, CiMes, and the modern world. New York: Riverhead Books.

Porter, D. 2005. Health, civilization and the State. doi:10.4324/9780203980576.

Stearns, P.N. 2020. The Industrial Revolution in World History.

Milton: Taylor & Francis Group. Weisz, G. 1994. ‘The development of medical specialization in Nineteenth-Century Paris’, French Medical Culture in the Nineteenth Century, pp. 149–188. doi:10.1163/9789004418356_009.