ABSTRACT
It is nowadays increasingly coming to be accepted that one of the most critical, and one of the most difficult, transformations required in an industrialising society is the adjustment of labour to the regularity and discipline of factory work. 2 Current interest in this process has led to a certain amount of re-examination of the experience of Britain during the corresponding period of her development. 3 Much more requires to be known, and only detailed research can add to our knowledge. The present article is less ambitious: it seeks to further the discussion by examining briefly the evidence available so far, and drawing some tentative conclusions. The subject will be treated analytically rather than historically, that is to say, the first generation of factory workers will be examined, irrespective of its appearance at different times in different industries.
