19th Century Feudalism Analysis

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Working from home and an economy dominated by small-scale artisan labor/subsistence farming both revolve around the idea of working and living in the same place. Prior to the Industrial Revolution or the creation/rise of industrial capitalism, feudalism was the dominant economic form in Europe. Feudalism consisted of “lords, vassals, serfs, and fiefs” (Conley 537). “A lord was a nobleman who owned the land, and a vassal was granted the land, termed a fief, by the lord. The fief remained the property of the lord, but it was left to the vassal to reap the harvests from it. In exchange, the vassal provided military protection for the lord. Serfs, who were of peasant origin, formed the lowest class in feudal society. Serfs were bound to the land and required to give the lord a portion of their …show more content…

Many of these people lived and worked side-by-side with their families their entire lives. Unfortunately, technological advancements combined with globalization ultimately led to many displaced workers. These workers began migrating towards cities where large factories were beginning to spring up. “At the end of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth century, an economy once dominated by small-scale artisan labor transitioned into one dominated by manufacturing, machinery, and unskilled factory work” (Conley 538). This new type of work required living in one place and commuting to an hourly job every day. These workers now had much less time available to spend with their families.

Working from home has become very popular in recent years. Technology has again advanced into allowing many people to choose to work and live in the same place. With the further advancement of technology and specifically the automation of many jobs, it can be assumed that telecommuting will continue to increase in popularity, leading to more opportunities for spending time with

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