La classe ouvrière finlandaise entre 1880 et 1920 : approche matérielle d'un concept historique
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Paris 7Disciplines:
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Abstract EN:
The aim of this thesis is to examine, by relying on material data, the relevance of the concept of working class in a rapidly industrializing country, where heterogeneous categories of workers can be found side by side. To begin with, the original features of the industrial revolution in finland are examined together with their impact on the supposed formation of a working class. There appears that the rapid and quite steady rhythm of industrialization went together with a radical alteration of the social structure, especially in the agricultural regions, where the gap widenod between the freeholders and the landless peasants. Among the latter were recruited most of the lumbermen, who supplied the saving mills and the paper industry, and the unskilled workers, who left the predominantly agricultural areas to go and settle in the urban or urbanizing industrial centers. There took place a slow osmosis between the various groups of workers, which materialized after 1900 in the second generation phenomenon, crucible of a more homogeneous proletariat. If fundamental differences remained between skilled and unskilled workers, workers hired by the year or seasonal workers, lumbermen and other types of wage-earners, the thorough study of their living conditions and their evolution (real salary, consumption patterns, lodgings, working hours, professional risks) or the study of their geographical distribution over the national territory show that their cohesion as a class grew more important, with likely repercussions on their class consciousness. Consequently the concept of working class is to be considered as relevant as regards finland from 1880 to 1920, provided on one hand, that it be defined in the marxist sense from production of surplus value, which in turn implies a reevaluation of the official statistical data, and, on the other hand, that its complex and changing nature in time be stressed.
Abstract FR:
Le but de cette these est de mesurer, a partir de donnees materielles, la validite du concept de classe ouvriere dans un pays en voie d'industrialisation rapide ou coexistent des categories heterogenes d'ouvriers. D'emblee sont analyses les caracteres originaux de la revolution industrielle en finlande et leur impact sur la formation supposee d'une classe ouvriere. Il apparait que le rythme rapide et assez continu de l'industrialisation accompagne une modification radicale de la structure sociale, surtout dans les campagnes ou se creuse le fosse entre paysans proprietaires et sans terres. Ces derniers fournissent une grande partie des forestiers, approvisionnant les industries du sciage et du papier, et des travailleurs sans qualification quittant les zones rurales a vocation agricole pour les centres industriels urbains ou en voie d'urbanisation. Dans ce milieu se realise peu a peu une osmose entre les differents groupes ouvriers qui se concretise apres 1900 dans le phenomene de la seconde generation, creuset d'un proletariat plus homogene. Si des differences essentielles demeurent entre travailleurs qualifies et non qualifies, ouvriers a l'annee et saisonniers, forestiers et salaries de l'artisanat, du batiment, des transports ou de l'industrie, l'etude approfondie des conditions d'existence et de leur evolution (salaires reels, consommation, logement, horaires, risques au travail) ou celle de la repartition des ouvriers sur le territoire montrent que la cohesion de classe se renforce, ce qui vraisemblablement se repercute sur la conscience collective. On doit donc considerer comme valable le concept de classe ouvriere en finlande de 1880 a 1920, a condition d'une part de le definir au sens marxiste a partir de la production de plus-value, ce qui implique une reevaluation des effectifs donnes par les statistiques officielles, et d'autre part de souligner sa nature complexe et evolutive dans le temps.