Making a Living in Europe: Human Geographies of Economic Change

Front Cover
Psychology Press, 1997 - Business & Economics - 266 pages

Will 'making a Living' remain a dream for the deprived and excluded?
Jobs are one of Europe's most important problems. Employment provides the basic means of distributing wealth in society, in providing for families, and ensuring pensions for the elderly. Yet unemployment, and increasingly 'non-employment', continues at near record levels in the European Union.
Making a Living in Europe shows how the culture of work has been transformed in the industrialised nations of the EU. Exploring the relationship between employment change, society and economic restructuring, the shift toward 'flexible' work for women in services, away from traditional industrial jobs for men, is demonstrated within three key sectors: business services, retailing and tourism. The outcome of change is discussed in terms of shifts of people and jobs from urban to rural areas.
Europe must be understood in the context of the new Europe, of change in the USA and of global change. Drawing on examples from UK and European Regions and USA, the author challenges long-standing assumptions about changes in economy and society and highlights the need for stronger local and European policies to reduce inequality at large and contribute positively to local people's struggles to make a living in Europe.

 

Contents

THE NEW UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE GLOBAL
22
THE CHANGING MAP OF THE EU ECONOMY
51
The main sectors of change
69
SERVICES THE AMERICANISATION
87
FLEXIBILITY THROUGH FEMINISATION?
106
PRODUCER SERVICES IN THE LEAD
132
NEW FLEXIBILITY IN RETAILING
154
A TOURIST SOLUTION?
172
Consequences across the map of the European Union
191
CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR
212
Bibliography
238
Index
257
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