Two features are the main characteristics of Family Industry in its perfect form;—first, the unity of capital and labour, for the family, whether that of a farmer or tradesman, owned stock and tools and themselves contributed the labour: second, the situation of the workshop within the precincts of the home.
These two conditions were rarely completely fulfilled in the seventeenth century, for the richer farmers and tradesmen often employed permanent wage-earners in addition to the members of their family, and in other cases craftsmen no longer owned their stock, but made goods to the order of the capitalist who supplied them with the necessary material. Nevertheless, the character of Family Industry was retained as long as father, mother, and children worked together, and the money earned was regarded as belonging to the family, not to the individual members of it.
From the point of view of the economic position of women a system can be classed as family industry while the father works at home, but when he leaves home to work on the capitalist’s premises the last vestige of family industry disappears and industrialism takes its place.
(c) Capitalistic Industry, or Industrialism, is the system by which production is controlled by the owners of capital, and the labourers or producers, men, women and children receive individual wages.[[1]]
Domestic and family industry existed side by side during the middle ages; for example, brewing, baking, spinning, cheese and butter making were conducted both as domestic arts and for industrial purposes. Both were gradually supplanted by capitalistic industry, the germ of which was apparently introduced about the thirteenth century, and gradually developed strength for a more rapid advance in the seventeenth century.
While the development of capitalistic industry will always be one of the most interesting subjects for the student of political economy, its effect upon the position and capacity of women becomes of paramount importance to the sociologist.
This effect must be considered from three stand-points:—
(1) Does the capitalistic organisation of industry increase or diminish women’s productive capacity?
(2) Does it make them more or less successful in their special function of motherhood?
(3) Does it strengthen or weaken their influence over morals and their position in the general organisation of human society?