The 19th century saw significant changes in European society driven by industrialization, urbanization, and social reforms. The industrial revolution led to new industries and economic specialization. Mass society emerged as populations migrated to cities and urban centers grew rapidly. Social classes stratified into the elite, middle class, and lower class. Women began advocating for greater rights as their traditional roles and the family structure changed. The era also saw the rise of democracy, new artistic movements, and an emphasis on progress and consumerism that shaped modern European culture.

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European Society in the 19th Century
The 19th Century era contributed to significant changes in the European society; it was
described as the emergence of mass society or the “age of new progress”. The changes were seen
in different aspects including social classes, the new industrial economy, and trade unionism,
ideal of progress, consumerism, population patterns, urban changes, gender, family, and
everyday life. This paper critically reviews the European society in the 19th Century.
The industrial revolution gave birth to new and robust industrial prosperity; there was
introduction of new products and patterns such as switch from steel to iron; electricity;
development of two economic zones and combustion engines (Spielvogel, 709). Focus also
shifted to a world economy where products from all over the world were traded and domination
of Europe in its trade; this contributed to the expansion of industrialization to areas such as
Russia and Japan.
The organization of the working class also occurred this was drive by philosophers like
Friedrich Engels. The evolution of trade unions was evident and they spread in all industrialized
countries, so as to give the working class some basic rights. This was also characterized by the
revisionists that believed in reforms and rebuffed revolutionary approaches (Spielvogel, 712).

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Mass society also emerged creating a new urban environment; this was though the
growth of cities and urban centers. This contributed to high population increase in such areas as
they migrated from rural to urban areas. There were improved living conditions in the urban
centers as the sectors such as health were regulated by boards. There were also improved
services such as clean water, improved sanitation and housing.
The social structure was also imparted in this period; it gave birth to the elite, middle
class and lower class. The elite were the wealthy and controlled major industries and businesses;
the middle class divided into the upper, middle middle class, and lower middle class. The middle
classes also included the professionals and white collar workers. The lower classes were the
skilled, semi skilled, and unskilled; they were majorly involved in agriculture and casual laborers
in the industries and contributed to majority in the society. Spielvogel quotes “Urban centers
offered something positive as well, usually mass employment in factories and later in service
trades” (717).
Women were also significantly highlighted during this period,; their contribution in
family and marriage was identified as the single women had a rough time to earn. It also saw the
introduction and use of the birth control methods in order to control the sizes of family. The
society also experienced the middle class family where men were the bread winners and
provided income while the women were left to handle household and domestic issues. It also
encouraged the Victorian ideas that fostered the design of togetherness. Women also started
revolutions that would ensure they got their rights such as the right to own property, access to
higher education, employment opportunities and political representation. They were significantly
fighting to assert the role of gender in society and the change of perception on this issue
(Spielvogel, 721).

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Europe also experienced the growth of a political democracy and parties; these were in
countries like Britain, France and Italy. Culture was also imparted giving rise to modern day
culture that represented the period’s characters. These included the symbolists in poetry, art, post
impressionism, photography and visual reality. Great artists of this season included Pablo
Picasso, Berthe Morisot, George Eastman and Camille Pissarro among others.

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Work Cited:
Spielvogel, Jackson J. Western Civilization: Since 1789. Ed.8. New York: Cengage Learning,
2011. Print