Judging from your reading, does work in a Ford factory seem like it would be desirable to a member of the working class in the early 20th century? Why or why not?
5 thoughts on “Henry Ford and the Rise of the Automobile”
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How am I supposed to say that members of the working class in the 20th century would not find a Ford factory desirable when it shares the same last name as me? But in all seriousness, as previously mentioned, there were a varieties of factors that made the idea of working in a Ford factory very appealing. As brutal workplaces where people were consistently laid off on a daily basis was the baseline for factories during this time, Ford factories posed an intriguing alternative. Healthy, stress-free work environments along with job security is something that 20th century working class members just wouldn’t turn down. A place where less hours and higher wages was a trademark, and where numerous things were being done in effort to increase comfortability for workers, such as raising the height of the line to make work less strenuous, simply surpassed any other factory in competition. All of these factors, in my eyes, play a fundamental role in why the working class of the 20th century would have no problem working in a Ford factory.
While it wouldn’t be fair to say that Ford’s factory was presented as a feared place of workman’s horror for the early 20th century working class, there are certainly elements of Fordian employment which would make the workplace an unpleasant, certainly less than optimal, experience. The promises of a five-dollar day and relatively strong job security provide powerful incentives to work at a Ford factory. However, considering the perspective of immigrant workers in particular, traversing across the Atlantic to a perceived promised land of economic opportunity only to find oneself in an ultra-specialized, repetitive, and mundane position on an assembly line might have felt rather disappointing. In short, I don’t think “desirable” properly connotes working class citizens’ probable perceptions towards Ford’s factory life, but there are undeniably key diamonds of attraction nestled within the coal mine of this particular brand of mundane, assembly-line work day.
The introduction of the assembly line in the Ford Motor company at the beginning of the 20th century was progressive for both workers and companies for many reasons. The strenuous, manual labor that was once dreaded had been reduced and workers were able to work less hours while still earning increased wages. It is easy to imagine a factory as an ominous atmosphere, but from the descriptions, the workplace’s efficiency posed less stress on the workers. As Kevin mentioned, the job security that was implemented in these companies gave workers more hope and incentive to move up in the work ladder. Eradicating the excess time spent working in the factories by adding the assembly line improved efficiency and made for a less stressful environment for workers and employers. In conclusion, from the writing by Lee and Ford, the Ford factory of the early 20th century most definitely seemed like a desirable place to work.
I believe that a member of the working class in the early 20th century would not object to working in the Ford factory. The introduction of the assembly line in the factories seemed not only to benefit the company, but would also made the work more simple and less back-breaking for the workers. When the Ford factory went through the process of eliminating unnecessary time, there was a focus on the height of the line so that the workers wouldn’t need to repeatedly stand bent over. They also increased the wages while decreasing the hours worked, which most workers would probably not be opposed to. As Kevin mentioned, the job security at the Ford factory would make the workplace more desirable. For the foreign, non-English speaking workers there was even English lessons. There were many benefits of working in the factory and many of the ideas of the assembly line were created with the worker in mind. Working in a Ford factory would be desirable to the working class.
Work in a Ford factory certainly seems desirable to a member of the working class in the early 20th century. At first, I thought that the factories and manufacturing areas would be the depressing and harsh Taylorized-workplaces that we had discussed in class. However, activity in a Ford factory seems to be able to possess both efficiency and humanity. Firstly, the implementation of the assembly line method made the work much less laborious. The workers hardly had to move at all anymore to do their jobs. At first I thought such added physical luxury would be grounds for reducing the number of employees. However, the Ford factories actually saw an increase in number of employees with less work hours and higher wages. There seemed to be no downside to the workers at all. I found it amazing that there had only been one discharge from the Ford company in six months.
Moreover, the dynamics of the workplace appear to be pleasant. If a worker was to be deemed unfit for a certain department, he would not be discharged, but rather relocated into another department. This would give a pleasant sense of job security. Moreover, the separation of workers into certain groups based roughly on merit also strengthened job security. As long as the worker does his job, he would not be constantly watched. In fact, even the “fourth group” seem to have it well – or at least it sounded that way since it appeared as if they received more attentive help rather than punishment when something went awry.
So yes, the Ford factory seems like a desirable workplace since it appeared to be able to combine efficiency with humanity.