Artisanal Work And Industrial Work By Division Of Labor

By Author: Chaitanya Kumari
Total Articles: 231
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Before the First Industrial Revolution, artisans held a very special position in society. Because of their ability to produce beautiful artworks with their own hands, they commanded immense respect. But things started to change as industrialization picked up space. The emphasis shifted to depending on machinery to enable mass production of items. There was a huge demand for workers to carry out various manufacturing processes in factories; the importance of artisans started to decline.

The focus moved on to the volume of production and the aspect of quality became secondary. Since then, industrialization has kept on progressing rapidly with the consistent introduction of many technologies. However, it has to be highlighted that artisanal work didn’t lose its significance completely. There is still a good market for artworks made in various regions. In light of all these details, it won’t be inappropriate to speak about the major differences between artisans and industrial workers.

Firstly, it has to be specifically mentioned that each item made by an artisan has a unique value. It reflects the enormous efforts ...
... these craftspeople have put into their art. These experts make the artwork directly with their hands using only a few hand tools. They are highly skilled people; they acquire these abilities after putting in years of hard work.
On the other hand, we have industrial workers. In most industries, there is a division of labor where each worker is required to make only a specific element of a product. It is a repetitive task for them that is done with the help of advanced machines; it does not need any special skills.
The productivity levels of industrial workers are obviously way higher than those of artisanal professions. Factory workers are able to use sophisticated machinery to manufacture products, while craftspeople make items manually.
The previous point cannot be used as a basis to discount the abilities and efforts of artisans. They get emotionally involved with the item that they make because it is treated as their unique creation. They carefully choose the raw materials and decide about the exact process to be followed. At every stage, it is just their artisanal expertise that can be seen.
But usually, workers have no such emotions towards their work, and it is unsurprising. They are only concerned with making a small part of the product and directing it to the assembly line. It becomes a monotonous thing for them.
As a result of the industrial revolutions, most of the artisans relocated to rural areas and small towns. There they formed their communities and started to work in coordination. Because of their continued endeavors, these rural and semi-urban zones became popular primarily due to their artwork.
Many tourists visit these places exclusively to buy artisanal goods. The scenario is different when the workers in industries are viewed. They just became small parts of huge factories that had to do the same set of tasks every day. Hence, there was no scope for them to widen their skills.
Artisans are more committed to making sure that their artwork is of top quality. They directly interact with buyers and are aware that even a small deviation can convey a negative image of their entire community. Factory workers are not required to possess the same level of dedication. There is no direct contact between workers and the end users. Thus, they only follow the basic quality guidelines stipulated by the organization.

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