Lecture

Fordism: Assembly Line Work, High Wages, and Mass Production

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In course

HUM-254: Contemporary international history

Ce cours a pour objectif de mettre en évidence l'histoire du capitalisme de la révolution industrielle (fin 18e siècle) jusqu'à nos jours. Il s'intéresse aux grandes mutations économiques, technologiques, sociales et environnementales qui ont accompagné l' ...

Description

This lecture explores the birth of 'Fordism' characterized by mechanized production, moving assembly lines, high wages, and low product prices. It delves into the impact of the 'Five-dollar day' policy, the rise of mass consumption, and lobbying efforts by car manufacturers and oil companies. The lecture also discusses the evolution of the automobile industry, energy consumption trends, and strategies influencing consumer decisions.

Instructor

Thomas David

Teaching & PhD PhD Students Joel Swai Praz Courses Health B: Innovation, Equity, Sustainability HUM-125(b) The course provides an interdisciplinary examination of key global health challenges, focusing on biomedical innovations, pharmaceuticals, sustainability, mental health, and health policies. It offer a critical skillset to engineering students approaching these complex health challenges.

Official source

Related concepts (17)

World energy supply and consumption

World energy supply and consumption refers to the global production and consumption of primary energy. Energy can be consumed in various different forms, as processed fuels or electricity, or for various different purposes, like for transportation or electricity generation. Energy production and consumption are an important part of the economy. This topic includes heat, but not energy from food. This article provides a brief overview of energy supply and consumption, using statistics summarized in tables, of the countries and regions that produce and consume the most energy.

Energy consumption

Energy consumption is the amount of energy used. In the body, energy consumption is part of energy homeostasis. It derived from food energy. Energy consumption in the body is a product of the basal metabolic rate and the physical activity level. The physical activity level are defined for a non-pregnant, non-lactating adult as that person's total energy expenditure (TEE) in a 24-hour period, divided by his or her basal metabolic rate (BMR): Topics related to energy consumption in a demographic sense are: Wo

Assembly line

An assembly line is a manufacturing process (often called a progressive assembly) in which parts (usually interchangeable parts) are added as the semi-finished assembly moves from workstation to workstation where the parts are added in sequence until the final assembly is produced. By mechanically moving the parts to the assembly work and moving the semi-finished assembly from work station to work station, a finished product can be assembled faster and with less labor than by having workers carry parts to a stationary piece for assembly.

Energy conservation

Energy conservation is the effort to reduce wasteful energy consumption by using fewer energy services. This can be done by using energy more effectively (using less energy for continuous service) or changing one's behavior to use less service (for example, by driving less). Energy conservation can be achieved through efficient energy use, which has some advantages, including a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a smaller carbon footprint, as well as cost, water, and energy savings.

Henry Ford

Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist and business magnate. He was the founder of Ford Motor Company, and chief developer of the assembly line technique of mass production. Ford created the first automobile that middle-class Americans could afford, and his conversion of the automobile from an expensive luxury into an accessible conveyance profoundly impacted the landscape of the 20th century. Ford was born on a farm in Michigan's Springwells Township, leaving home at age 16 to work in Detroit.

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