For decades, accounts of the Industrial Revolution in Europe focused almost exclusively on the supply side, highlighting technological breakthroughs in coal, steam, and textile manufacturing. However, economic historian Jan de Vries shifted this paradigm by introducing the concept of the 'industrious revolution.' De Vries argued that prior to the rise of factories, European households began dedicating more time to market-oriented labor in order to purchase newly available consumer goods like sugar, tea, and printed cottons. This shift in household behavior and consumer demand created the very markets that factory production would later exploit. By demonstrating that demand-led changes preceded supply-side mechanization, de Vries's work challenged the traditional view that technology alone was the prime mover of modern economic growth.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
- ATo outline the complete history of household labor and consumer preferences in modern Europe.
- To present a historical argument that challenges a production-centric explanation of the Industrial Revolution.Cevap
- CTo describe the specific consumer goods, such as tea and sugar, that became popular in Europe before the rise of factories.
- DTo criticize Jan de Vries for neglecting the role of technological breakthroughs in his analysis of European history.