Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

The image promoted the idea that industrialisation was synonymous with progress and modernity — that machines, railways, factories and technology were naturally leading humanity towards a better future.

A historian would find this misleading because, as the chapter shows, technological change was actually slow and uneven. Less than 20% of the workforce was in advanced industrial sectors by the late 19th century; traditional craftspersons remained the typical workers; new machines like the steam engine took decades to be widely adopted. The image ignores the hardships industrialisation caused to working people's lives.

Source: The Age of Industrialisation, Chapter 4, Introduction and Section 1.2

---

• 1 mark: Name the dominant idea (progress/modernity linked to technology).
• 1 mark: One reason it is misleading (slow pace of change / most workers were traditional craftspersons).
• 1 mark: A second reason or supporting detail (steam engine adoption took years; hand technology persisted; human cost ignored).

Examiners want you to use the textbook evidence — cite specific facts like the "less than 20% workforce" or "321 steam engines" — not vague statements. Avoid just saying "industrialisation had problems"; be specific.