What Does fordism Mean
The concept of Fordism refers to the system that is based on chain or series production . Its name derives from Henry Ford , the founder of the vehicle manufacturer Ford Motor Company .
It is important to note that Henry Ford made popular the assembly line invented by Ransom Eli Olds , one of the most important figures in the world of American motorsports. By assembly line we mean the manufacturing process in which each of the parts is added as the product advances through the work station , until the final assembly is achieved.
Regarding the term Fordism , it was coined by the theorist Antonio Gramsci , who used it in the very title of his essay Americanism and Fordism , included in his Notebooks from prison . Gramsci also excelled in various fields, such as philosophy, politics, and journalism, and his written works deal with sociology, linguistics, anthropology, and politics. In addition, he is considered one of the promoters of the Italian Communist Party and went to prison during the Benito Mussolini regime.
By appealing to the assembly line that enables mass production, Ford was able to start manufacturing a large number of cars at low cost. This method required many specialized workers using machines and performing repetitive tasks.
Fordism bet on the expansion of consumption and, therefore, of the market . Expanding production and offering many products at a reduced cost allowed more people to access goods that, until then, were forbidden to them.
How did Fordism manage to include the less favored classes in the supply and demand dynamic? Well, everything is due to the manufacture of products in a much larger volume, thanks in part to the technology used to assemble them and to the cost reduction that came naturally from which also shortened the manufacturing periods; These factors led to the emergence of a surplus that could no longer be consumed by the elite , and then it became necessary to sell it to another portion of society.
With the implementation of Fordism on a global scale, important social and economic changes took place. This production system contributed to the rise of the middle class and skilled workers , for example. In turn, it made the control of productive time cease to be in the hands of the workers and became dependent on the chain .
As an antecedent to Fordism , Taylorism can be mentioned , a way of organizing work based on the division of tasks. Taylorism, like Fordism, sought to increase productivity and take control of production time from the worker.
One of the main differences between Fordism and Taylorism is that the former managed to innovate production processes through market expansion, a strategy that did not generate as great an impact on the worker as the latter. By promoting specialization, Fordism transformed the industry scheme and considerably reduced costs, giving a new perspective to the markets of the twentieth century. The workers began to enjoy better job opportunities at the same time that the consumption of certain products was opened to many more people, and in this way it was possible to conquer new challenges at the industrial level.
According to many economists, capitalism has already transcended the era of Fordism and entered post-Fordism , centered on services and information technologies. Generic goods are no longer produced, but companies find greater profitability in the production of several different lines that target specific sets of consumers.