Fragmenting Societies?: A Comparative Analysis of Regional and Urban Development (International Library of Sociology)

David Thorns questions whether or not the current changes in capitalist societies are forces of fragmentation. Through a comparative historical analysis of Australia, New Zealand and Britain, he examines the restructuring of the workforce, the shift towards more flexible work practices, the rise in unemployment, the growth of individualism, the diversification of regions and localities, and the creation of new versions of the New International Division of Labor thesis.Thorns argues for an analytical approach based on the distinct experiences of localities, regions and nation states. He provides detailed empirical data covering such topics as economic trends, employment patterns, regional diversity, state sector restructuring, consumption, home ownership, as well as local resistance to change. BOOK COVER......Page 1 HALF-TITLE......Page 2 TITLE......Page 4 COPYRIGHT......Page 5 CONTENTS......Page 6 FIGURES AND TABLES......Page 8 PREFACE......Page 11 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......Page 13 FRAMEWORKS FOR STUDY AND LINKS BETWEEN THE THREE COUNTRIES......Page 14 CLASS STRUCTURES......Page 19 LAND AND PROPERTY......Page 20 RELATIONS WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLE......Page 22 STATE STRUCTURES......Page 27 EXTERNAL VERSUS INTERNAL EXPLANATIONS......Page 28 ORGANISATION OF THE BOOK......Page 29 2 THE NEW INTERNATIONAL DIVISION OF LABOUR......Page 32 NEW INTERNATIONAL DIVISION OF LABOUR (NIDL)......Page 37 ROLE OF MIGRATION......Page 44 Australia......Page 47 New Zealand......Page 50 Britain......Page 53 CRITIQUE AND EVALUATION......Page 56 LOCALITY-BASED APPROACHES......Page 60 TOWARDS A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK......Page 63 SUMMARY......Page 68 3 ECONOMIC AND EMPLOYMENT CHANGES......Page 69 DEINDUSTRIALISATION OR RESTRUCTURING......Page 73 GENERAL TRENDS......Page 74 CHANGING OCCUPATIONAL AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE......Page 81 GENDER VARIATIONS IN OCCUPATIONAL CHANGE......Page 90 Britain......Page 91 New Zealand......Page 95 Australia......Page 97 ETHNICITY......Page 99 Australia......Page 100 Britain......Page 102 New Zealand......Page 104 SUMMARY......Page 109 4 THE NATION STATE......Page 110 THEORETICAL DEBATE......Page 112 THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW ZEALAND STATE......Page 119 THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AUSTRALIAN STATE......Page 124 THE BRITISH STATE SINCE THE 1950S......Page 129 TRENDS AND THEMES......Page 134 SUMMARY......Page 143 5 REGIONS AND BARGAINING POWER......Page 145 THE RISE OF REGIONAL POLICY......Page 146 United Kingdom......Page 151 West Midlands......Page 153 The North-west......Page 155 Teesside......Page 156 NEW ZEALAND REGIONAL CHANGES......Page 160 Regional unemployment rates......Page 171 AUSTRALIA—REGIONAL EXAMPLES OF CHANGE......Page 177 South Australia......Page 179 Queensland tourism urbanisation......Page 182 SUMMARY......Page 185 6 RESTRUCTURING OF STATE PROVISIONS......Page 187 CASE STUDY 1: CENTRAL-LOCAL CONTROL, BRITAIN’S DEBATE OVER LOCAL AUTHORITY ACTIVITY......Page 188 The selling of public housing......Page 191 Enterprise zones and urban development corporations......Page 195 CASE STUDY 2: NEW ZEALAND CASE STUDIES: HEALTH, MAORI AFFAIRS AND EDUCATION REFORM......Page 198 Health changes......Page 200 Maori affairs......Page 201 Education reform......Page 202 CASE STUDY 3: AUSTRALIA—PRIVATISATION OF THE PUBLIC SECTOR......Page 208 Public housing sales......Page 209 Privatisation......Page 210 Education......Page 211 SUMMARY......Page 212 7 HOME OWNERSHIP AND CONSUMPTION SECTORS......Page 214 Capital appreciation: does it exist, is it inevitable?......Page 223 Patterns of affordability......Page 228 Regional variation......Page 230 Intra-urban variations......Page 237 Wealth inheritance......Page 242 IMPACT OF ETHNICITY AND GENDER ON HOME OWNERSHIP AND WEALTH ACCUMULATION......Page 243 POLITICAL IMPACT OF HOME OWNERSHIP: HOW FAR IS IT A BASIS FOR LOCAL ACTION?......Page 248 SUMMARY......Page 250 THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LOCALITY......Page 252 ALTERNATIVE BASES FOR LOCAL SOCIAL ORGANISATION......Page 255 THE DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL CONSCIOUSNESS......Page 259 Urban freeway struggles......Page 263 Environmental struggles......Page 264 Ethnic struggles......Page 267 Rent strikes......Page 270 RESTRUCTURING OF LOCAL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL STRUCTURES......Page 272 SUMMARY......Page 276 9 REASSESSMENT OF DEBATE AND PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE......Page 278 PROSPECTS......Page 286 Treaty of Waitangi: English version......Page 289 Treaty of Waitangi: English translation of Maori version (by Professor Kawharu)......Page 291 NOTES......Page 293 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 298 NAME INDEX......Page 319 SUBJECT INDEX......Page 323 First Published in 2004. This book addresses a number of key themes in the debate about the nature of a contemporary capitalist society. It poses the question as to whether the present changes are creating a more fragmented society. Through a comparative historical analysis of Australia, New Zealand and Britain the book examines the restructuring of the workforce, the shifts towards more flexible work practices, rising unemployment, the growth of individualism, regional and local diversity, and the creation of new social formations. The book challenges both the more economistic versions of the New International Division of Labour thesis and the ethnocentrism of much contemporary debate on regional change. It argues for an approach based in the distinct experiences of localities, regions and nation states. Detailed empirical data are provided for Australia, Britain and New Zealand covering such areas as economic and employment change, regional diversity, restructuring of the state sector, consumption and home ownership and local social resistances and responses to change. The author is an established and widely published researcher who has conducted intensive research into the three societies examined in this book. The book will interest students in Sociology, Geography, Regional Science, Urban and Regional Planning and Political Science.

In Fragmenting Societies, David Thorns questions whether present changes in capitalist societies are forces of fragmentation. Through a comparative historical analysis of Australia, New Zealand and Britain, he examines the restructuring of the workforce, the shift towards more flexible work practices, the rise in unemployment, the growth of individualism, the diversification of regions and localities, and the creation of new social formations. Thorns challenges both the more economistic versions of the New International Division of Labour thesis and the ethnocentrism of much contemporary debate on regional change. He argues for an approach based on the distinct experiences of localities, regions and nation states. Detailed empirical data covering such topics as economic trends, employment patterns, regional diversity, state sector restructuration, consumption, home ownership, and local resistances and responses to change is provided for Australia, Britain, and New Zealand.

Book Cover; Title; Contents; List of figures and tables; Preface; Acknowledgements; INTRODUCTION; THE NEW INTERNATIONAL DIVISION OF LABOUR: THE RESTRUCTURING AND FRAGMENTATION OF CAPITALISM; ECONOMIC AND EMPLOYMENT CHANGES; THE NATION STATE; REGIONS AND BARGAINING POWER; RESTRUCTURING OF STATE PROVISIONS: CASE STUDIES OF CHANGE; HOME OWNERSHIP AND CONSUMPTION SECTORS; LOCALITY AS A SOCIAL BASE; REASSESSSMENT OF DEBATE AND PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE; Appendix; Notes; Bibliography; Name index; Subject index. Is society being fragmented by political and economic changes? Through a comparative analysis of Australia, New Zealand and Britain, Thorns examines the debate surrounding global restructuring.