Trabajo infantil y estrategias familiares durante los primeros estadios de la industrialización catalana (1850-1925). Esbozos a partir del estudio de un caso

Abstract

This article aims to analyse child labour in Catalonia from the 19th century to the first third of the past century. It is argued that during the second half of the 19th century, several factors pertaining to household economics —such as large number of children to raise and low wages for adult workers— together with the need of manual human capital for running technologies were operating against effective implementation of schooling and compelled the intensive use of child labour. During the first third of the 20th century, however, technological changes, the demographic transition and higher wages for adult workers (men and women) allowed children to attend school until the age of 15, signalling a period of significant decrease of children’s participation in labour activities.