INDUSTRIAL SOCIOLOGY

INDUSTRIAL SOCIOLOGY

            Industrialization is about resourcefulness; good utilization of both human and natural resources to satisfy wants, it also means creativity etc. Industrial has to do with the economic institution while sociology has to do with political and social aspects. Sociology is the science of the society. Industrial sociology studies the uses that are related to industry and its impact on the society. It studies the social organization of labour. It tries to know the stimulating factors that affects the society; the effects of the transformation of nature into useful products. It also tries to know what are the social changes associated with it and also what society benefits from it and what are the effect of industries in the society.

            In other word, Industrial Sociology is a branch of sociology that studies the economic aspect of the society; production and distribution of goods and services. Several attempts are made to define industrial sociology, some of which includes;

Industrial Sociology is defined as one of the applied sub-discipline of sociology that is concerned with contemporary Industrial problems and ensuring maximum order in the work-place using sociological analysis and theories.

GILBERT (1972) also defines Industrial Sociology as the application of sociological approach to the reality and problems of industry.

A.F AWOSHOLA (2013) defines it as one of the applied sub-disciplines in sociology concerned with solving contemporary industrials problems and ensuring maximum order in the workplace using sociological analysis and theories.

SPANDLING (1961) argues that Industrial Sociology centers it attention on social organization of factories, the store and the offices. According to him these includes not only the interaction of people playing roles in these organizations, but also, the ways their work roles are inter-related to other aspects of their lives.

            In summary, Industrial Sociology is concerned with consensus, conflicts, motivation, hierarchies, technologies, jobs, satisfaction, leadership, etc. It examines the impact of labour and industry on the society, the ways in which cultural norms, values and belief system of the society impacts on work organization. It also studies issues in industrialization and how it is affected by globalization, information and communication technology and vice-versa.

Industrial Sociology was introduced in the late 60s and early 70s; the work of Auguste Conte in the 3 stages of human development of the scientific stage describes industrialization.

            Karl Marx works on Capitalism relates the relationship between the bourgeois and proletariats; the proletariats are the workers who produce the products and the bourgeois are the owners of the means of production. The relationship makes it easy for industrialization. Alienation at work-place between the owners of industries and industry in also another cardinal point about industrialization, the workers produces but has no rights over the production.

            Max Weber in his bureaucracy also talks about industrialization; the relationships in the work place both the vertical and horizontal stages, clearly shows industrialization.

            Before then, the industrial revolution took place in western Europe, there is industrialization as at then, even though there are some problems associated with industrialization e.g. separation of marriages, child employments, congestion in work-place etc.

            In the inter-war period (1919 – 1939), workers are involve in industrial abuses e.g. workers don't work as expected and they are expected to be paid, the bourgeoisies eagerness to derive high profit at a low cost also creates problems about industrialization.

            Fredrick W. Taylor states some basic conditions that would be given to workers to make them produced maximum output. It provides some incentives to be given to outstanding workers to compel others to put in their best. However with time, productivity declines. 

The above reasons are responsible for the emergence of Industrial sociology.

            According to socialist, the power to produce should be controlled by the state; whereas the capitalists say that the means of production should be controlled by the individual.