Teacher | Student
Originally produced in: Polska
Also available in: en

Questionnaire

1. Multiple-choice questionnaire:

I. Cities of Chimneys

1. From the inventions listed below choose those which facilitate life in a nineteenth-century industrial city:
a. Gas lanterns.
b. Central heating.
c. Horse trams.
d. Electric trams.
e. Sewerage system.
f. Cars.
g. Automatic washing machine.


2. Which social group includes an owner of a family workshop in Warsaw that produce and sale (by retail) wicker baskets (choose only one answer):
a. Bourgeoisie.
b. Petite bourgeoisie (lower middle class).
c. Intelligentsia.
d. Proletariat.


3. From entries listed below, choose those that refer to the position of women in nineteenth-century urban society:
a. Having a full voting rights.
b. Ability of being employed.
c. Children upbringing and looking after the house.
d. Equal treatment of men in terms of duties and wages.


II. Excerpt from the movie The Promised Land

1. In context of the presented movie. Mechanization of production is a threat to workers because:
a. Facilitates the work, resulting in more lazy factory workers.
b. Wide introduction of machinery in the production lines reduces the number of positions and increases unemployment rate among workers.
c. Use of machines by unskilled workers may be the cause of accidents at work.
d. Mechanization of production worsens the quality of products.


2. From entries listed below, choose those that refer to occupational safety of workers in nineteenth-century factories:
a. Factory inspectors that supervise safety of workers.
b. Compensation for the families of workers killed in work accidents.
c. Labour safety in a factory controlled only by its owner.
d. Lack of (disability) pensions for workers that have been permanently injured during work.


III. Beginnings of the labour movement

1. The following postulates determine the policy of the socialist German Social Democratic Party and the Polish Socialist Party (but also current left-wing parties):
a. Equal rights of all citizens regardless of sex, origins, and religion.
b. Introduction of religion lessons to schools.
c. Wide social legislation.
d. Gender equality in all aspects of life.
e. Protection of national and religious values.


2. In the nineteenth century, the attitude of European governments to socialist political groups was:
a. Hostile – they were considered organizations generating social tensions.
b. Dependent on the country and the current situation on the internal political scene.
c. Friendly – their views were considered legitimate.


3. Support for the labour parties, in the nineteenth-century cities, came primarily from representatives of:
a. Bourgeoisie – factory owners noticed the problems and the difficult situation of workers and felt the need to fight for their rights.
b. The nobility – they sympathized with the workers' struggle for political equality.
c. Part of intelligentsia – representatives of this group sometimes took a lead of labour parties and conducted educational activities in this environment.
d. Part of petite bourgeoisie (lower middle class) – some of the problems of the workers were also part of their daily lives .


Questions of synthesis

1. Write an essay (approximately 200 words) that characterize the most important social classes living in the nineteenth-century cities and causes of conflict between them.
2. Make, in the form of a report containing about 200 words, a comparative analysis of programs of nineteenth-century labour parties and contemporary left-wing parties that you know. Point out the common elements of political programs chosen by you in the past and today.

Questions of synthesis

Repeat the questions of synthesis for students with some suggestions of topics that teachers.

1. Write an essay (approximately 200 words) that characterize the most important social classes living in the nineteenth-century cities and causes of conflict between them.

Students should briefly describe the economic situation and living conditions of the individual social classes, typical for an industrial city in the nineteenth century: the bourgeoisie, the intelligentsia, the petite bourgeoisie and the workers. Students should notice the contrast between their position, genesis of conflicts and social revolutions. The most important issues:

  • Origins of formation of the individual classes of urban society
  • Differences in access to civil rights depending on the social origins
  • Differences in political and economic situation, as the seeds of social conflicts
  • Political and economic discrimination of workers, as a factor in the formation of the first labour parties
  • Social and economic contrasts as a cause of formation of the radical ideologies, such as communism.

2. Make, in the form of a report containing about 200 words, a comparative analysis of programs of nineteenth-century labour parties and contemporary left-wing parties that you know. Point out the common elements of political programs chosen by you in the past and today.

Students should make a brief characterization of known programs of labour parties in the nineteenth century and selected contemporary left-wing groups. Then students should comment on the similarities and differences in the demands of left-wing parties in the nineteenth century and today by comparing individually political, economic and social postulates. The most important issues:

  • Characteristics of the political program of the labour movement in the nineteenth century
  • Characteristics of selected contemporary left-wing party
  • Demands of the labour movement in the nineteenth century regarding the civil and social rights; and the realization of these demands in modern democratic systems
  • Demands for equality of citizens that has not been realized in all European countries and repeated by the modern left-wing parties
  • Elements of the socialist parties programs in the nineteenth century and their contemporary successors, which have given rise to controversy in the current political debate.