Fordism Essay
Has a new system of production and consumption replaced Fordism?
Named after American industrialist Henry Ford, Fordism is essentially a modern socio-economic system designed on the bases of industrial mass production in the 20th century. There are many aspects of Fordism in terms of its social and economic organisation, such as the relation to production line techniques, the nature and pattern of consumption, and overall state regulation. This essay will firstly outline the three major characteristics of Fordism; the standardisation of goods produced, the synchronisation of assembly line workers, and the concept of how higher waged workers are able to afford the goods they produce. Moreover, the 21st century patterns of production, consumption and regulation have distinctively altered the core of Fordism, particularly since the rise of the information and communication technology sector, such as the Internet and personal computers. Therefore, the major features and implications of Taylorism and Post-Fordism will also be explored, in relation to whether contemporary systems of production and consumption have replaced the initial Fordism system.
Fordism took its name when the pioneer of mass production for motor cars, Henry Ford, conjured up a method of producing cars that simplified the overall production process into small, individualised, and highly-specialised parts (Harvey, 1990). By introducing a complex division of labour involving assembly lines of workers repeatedly performing the same actions, Ford reasoned that costs could be lowered and profits increased. Major success of this was derived from three main principles.
The first principle of production refers to the transition of craft production and manpower into mass production and the usage of machines. This provided a more rapid production process and fault-free products, creating the market of today’s production industry (Bagguleu, 1991). Based on economics of scale, this newly formed market
Named after American industrialist Henry Ford, Fordism is essentially a modern socio-economic system designed on the bases of industrial mass production in the 20th century. There are many aspects of Fordism in terms of its social and economic organisation, such as the relation to production line techniques, the nature and pattern of consumption, and overall state regulation. This essay will firstly outline the three major characteristics of Fordism; the standardisation of goods produced, the synchronisation of assembly line workers, and the concept of how higher waged workers are able to afford the goods they produce. Moreover, the 21st century patterns of production, consumption and regulation have distinctively altered the core of Fordism, particularly since the rise of the information and communication technology sector, such as the Internet and personal computers. Therefore, the major features and implications of Taylorism and Post-Fordism will also be explored, in relation to whether contemporary systems of production and consumption have replaced the initial Fordism system.
Fordism took its name when the pioneer of mass production for motor cars, Henry Ford, conjured up a method of producing cars that simplified the overall production process into small, individualised, and highly-specialised parts (Harvey, 1990). By introducing a complex division of labour involving assembly lines of workers repeatedly performing the same actions, Ford reasoned that costs could be lowered and profits increased. Major success of this was derived from three main principles.
The first principle of production refers to the transition of craft production and manpower into mass production and the usage of machines. This provided a more rapid production process and fault-free products, creating the market of today’s production industry (Bagguleu, 1991). Based on economics of scale, this newly formed market
References: Allen, J. (1992). Post Industrialism and Post Fordism. Modernity and its Futures, S. Hall & T. McGrew (eds.), 169-220. London: Open University Press. Bauman, Z. (1996). From Pilgrim to Tourist- or a Short History of Identity. Questions of Cultural Identity, pp. 18-36. London: SAGE. Castelles, M. (1996). The information Age: Economy, Society and Culture, Vol. 1: The Rise of the Network Society. Oxford: Blackwell.