▁over c row ded ▁housing ▁with ▁often ▁de pl or able ▁san it ary ▁conditions , ▁long ▁hours ▁at ▁work ▁( on ▁the ▁e ve ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁a ▁ 1 0 - hour ▁work day ▁six ▁days ▁a ▁week ▁was ▁the ▁average ▁and ▁many ▁were ▁working ▁ 1 1 – 1 2 ▁hours ▁a ▁day ▁by ▁ 1 9 1 6 ), ▁constant ▁risk ▁of ▁injury ▁and ▁death ▁from ▁poor ▁safety ▁and ▁san it ary ▁conditions , ▁har sh ▁discipline ▁( not ▁only ▁rules ▁and ▁fin es , ▁but ▁for emen ' s ▁f ists ), ▁and ▁in ade qu ate ▁w ages ▁( made ▁worse ▁after ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁by ▁ste ep ▁w art ime ▁increases ▁in ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁living ). ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁urban ▁industrial ▁life ▁had ▁its ▁benefits , ▁though ▁these ▁could ▁be ▁just ▁as ▁dangerous ▁( in ▁terms ▁of ▁social ▁and ▁political ▁stability ) ▁as ▁the ▁hard ships . ▁There ▁were ▁many ▁encourag ements ▁to ▁expect ▁more ▁from ▁life . ▁Ac qu iring ▁new ▁skills ▁gave ▁many ▁workers ▁a ▁sense ▁of ▁self - res pect ▁and ▁confidence , ▁height ening ▁expect ations ▁and ▁des ires . ▁Living ▁in ▁cities , ▁workers ▁encountered ▁material ▁goods ▁they ▁had ▁never ▁seen ▁in ▁villages . ▁Most ▁important ly , ▁workers ▁living ▁in ▁cities ▁were ▁exposed ▁to ▁new ▁ideas ▁about ▁the ▁social ▁and ▁political ▁order . ▁ ▁The ▁social ▁causes ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁Revolution ▁can ▁be ▁derived ▁from ▁centuries ▁of ▁opp ression ▁of ▁the ▁lower ▁classes ▁by