Living and working conditions of workers in manufacturing

Details: Civic - EQF Level 3

Ancient-antique architecture
Free to use creative common images

Historically communities where made up of where people both lived and worked a good example of this is Cadburys factory in Bournville Birmingham where the majority of the workforce live in properties surrounding the factory whilst this is a good example there are many examples of where people moved to mass industrial sites with the hope that the new found work would help remove poverty, for a lot of communities this was case however for some the move lead to worse conditions then they previously lived in.

In this quest we want you to explore the living and working condition from a heritage perspective of people working in manufacturing

Task

Factory
Copyright free, Creative Commons,

In this task either on your own or in a group research and document the conditions people lived and worked in the context of industrial heritage. Start by using the internet to identify a place close to where you live or within your own community and gather information and photos.

Visit local libraries or archives to back up your research. On visiting the site take some photos or see if there is any who might still work there you can interview.

Once you have completed this quest and gathered all the information pull this together as an article or presentation which can be displayed in your local library or community centre.

Process

On your own or preferably in a group (as this task might require some help ) work out what you are going to do and if working in a group who is going to do it. Look at examples on the internet about living and working conditions of workers in manufacturing. Either in your city or your local community. To do this visit your local library, Museum, or archive.

Think of story you want to tall of how some lived and worked the conditions they lived and worked in. Ask people you know who work in manufacturing about there experiences- you ask about where they grew up and where they live. Find out what they did in there days off, or hobbies they had. They may have photos which will help with the story or presentation you are writing.

Photos are also a good way of capturing your story. Once completed this can then be displayed in your local library or community centre.

Conclusion

Understanding a local community, it's story and the living and working conditions of workers is really important. Being able to gather information on it and to bring it together in a way people will enjoy, told through pictures and a presentation helps to preserve its memory. You are now able to sew together the old and the new, bringing history to live.

Evaluation

Learning Objectives

By undertaking this quest, you will lean how people used to live and there working conditions at home and at work.

Knowledge Acquired

you will have learned about the history of living and working conditions of workers in manufacturing within your local community or city.
You will get to know some of the local manufacturing sites in your community or city , their history and how the perspective on them changes depending on your social and economic status in society.

Skills Acquired

You will be able to do research in libraries, museums, archives and the internet about living and working conditions of workers in manufacturing.
You will be able to create a presentation.

Competences Acquired

You will be able to do research about your local community and local manufacturing sites.
You will be able to create a compelling presentation that can be displayed in in a local library or community centre.