Providing important sociological insight into the dynamics of migration the essays in this collection focus on issues associated with migration for work both in and from the Asian region. With contributions from an international team of well-known scholars, the text sets labor migration firmly within the context of globalization, providing a focused, contemporary discussion of what is undoubtedly a major twenty-first century concern.
The first of its kind to look at the non-professionals who make up the vast majority of migrant workers in the region, the book analyses workers motivations and rationalities, highlighting the similarities of migration experiences throughout Asia. Presenting in-depth case studies of the real-life experiences and problems faced by migrant workers, the book discusses migrants relations with the state and their vulnerability to exploitation, as well as the major policy issues now facing governments, employers, NGOs and international agencies

`This book is unique in its broad coverage of the concept of "division of labour". The variety of contributions highlight the shape of the "division of labour", showing that it is not just limited to the old notions of the degree of the division of labour among productive units, along the lines of Adam Smith, or the degree of specialization amongst countries, along the lines of David Ricardo. The authors use different apertures to present a panoramic and detailed view of contemporary analyses, including not only gender, but also assets, sectors and nations. The book edited by Robert Solow and Jean-Philippe Touffut therefore provides a refreshing new vision on one of the oldest concepts popular in economic analyses.' - Luc Soete, Maastricht University and Director of UNU-MERIT, The Netherlands How is work divided up in the household, within an industry, a nation or between continents? What are the dynamics of the division of labour? The wide-ranging contributions to this book explore these questions from technological, capital and political perspectives. They include in-depth studies of gender, the firm, countries' economic specializations, ICTs, foreign direct investment and agriculture. In this book, ten distinguished contributors - economists, scholars and practitioners - take stock of the shape of the division of labour and provide useful policy recommendations. The Shape of the Division of Labour will interest researchers and students of international economics, labour economics, international trade and finance, as well as economists and public policy advisers and analysts.

In the new global economy, where rapid technological change is the norm, the skills of the workforce are a key to local economic vitality. This practical book shows how cities and regions can invest in their long-term prosperity by expanding opportunities to ensure that all citizens have competitive skills, and by aligning workforce development systems to existing and emerging industry needs. Clearly written, generously illustrated, with an effective blend of theory and practice, "People and the Competitive Advantage of Place" documents the challenges and opportunities involved in workforce development, effective approaches for resolving contemporary problems, what traps to avoid, and strategies for investing in the workforce of the future. The author integrates ideas and techniques from the fields of workforce development, economic development, and community development to present a comprehensive guide to approaching workforce needs from a city or region-wide perspective. Each chapter presents lessons from relevant research; experiences from private, public, and community-based approaches; and evaluations of what is working and why.

How and why are European welfare systems and the labour market changing? How do they affect the daily lives of those facing unemployment or precarious work? Anne Gray shows how the idea of unemployment benefits as a right is evolving into a regime closer to American 'workfare'. She explains how this policy forces the unemployed into low paid, temporary or part-time jobs associated with the new 'flexible' labour market. Drawing on unemployed people's own accounts of their experiences - in the UK, Germany, France and Belgium - Gray illustrates the job market as seen from the dole queue. Exploring the changing nature of work in Europe, Gray reveals why is there a shortage of full-time permanent jobs, what is to be done, and what the future holds for labour market regulation in Europe. Providing clear explanations about shifts in welfare policy, this book is ideal for trade unionists, activists and students, and makes an important contribution to wider debates on globalisation and the future of work.

Economic reform in post-Soviet Russia created not only a devastating decline in living standards, but also widespread insecurity and uncertainty. This book is the first to analyse the situation from a gendered perspective, shedding new light on the way in which Russians are coping with the transformation of the labour market. The book examines gender differences in responses to economic reform, and considers the implications of these for the labour market outcomes and wider well-being of men and women during transition. Based on original research carried out by an experienced team of sociologists, the book analyses the journeys of 240 men and women through the turbulent Russian labour market of 1999-2001. It includes chapters on: *the way gender norms inherited from the Soviet era have influenced responses to transition *sex segregation and discrimination in the labour market *gender differences in work orientations and behaviour *who benefits from networks *which life events are most likely to initiate downward economic trajectories.

How does free trade affect workers in developing countries? Economic theory tells us that developing country firms will respond to free trade by shifting production towards the abundant pool of low-skilled labour. Yet since Chile's economic opening in 1974, income inequality has increased, calling into question the benefits of free trade for low-skilled workers. Through in-depth case studies of two Chilean industries, Berg explores this conundrum, considering influences such as the changing strategies of multinational firms, increased competition, technological change, and labour relations. Berg argues that heightened international competition has forced Chilean firms to drop their prices to retain market share, lowering profits. To compensate for the drop in profits, Chilean firms have instituted numerical and wage flexibility policies available to them as a result of the weak institutional environment that has existed in the country since the military coup of September 1973. The suppression of wages has been directed at low-skilled workers, who are poorly organized and easily replaceable. Miracle for Whom? offers a fresh and insightful perspective to the debate on rising income

Originally published in 1991, Financial Market Liberalization in Chile, 1973-1982, analyses the liberalization of the financial market which took place during the 1973-1982 monetarist experiment. The book addresses the effect this had on the Chilean economy and how this affected effects of the behaviour of the firms which went bankrupt during this period. The book also presents a description of the policies implemented in the Chilean economy during this period and examines the impact that this had on the performance of the financial sector.

In recent years new forms of employment, including arrangements such as: part-time, temporary and fixed-term employment; temporary agency work; self-employment; distance and teleworking, have sprung up at local and regional levels throughout the world. Using a comparative framework, this empirically rich volume focuses on how non-standard employment can be regulated in very different social, political and institutional settings. After surveying these new forms of work and the new demands for labour-market regulation, the authors identify possible solutions among local-level actors and provide a detailed analysis of how firms assess the advantages and disadvantages of flexible forms of employment. The authors provide six detailed case studies to examine the successes and failures of experimental approaches and social innovation in various regions in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. industrial relations experts, policy-makers, representatives of the social partners, students of labour studies, and also to all those interested in new approaches to employment protection in a more unstructure and flexible productive and occupational system.

This ground-breaking look at contemporary immigrant labor organizing and mobilization draws on participant observation, ethnographic interviews, historical documents, and new case studies. The expert contributors provide tangible evidence of immigrants' eagerness for collective action and organizing, and argue lucidly that this propensity to organize stems from the immigrants' social isolation. Thus the book parts company with mainstream thinking that recommends building an array of social networks to aid in organizing efforts. Many of the contributors highlight a specific ethnic group and special labor niches, such as the dominance of Punjabi in the New York City taxi industry. Each case study examines efforts beyond the conventional unions to organize the immigrants, including independent syndicalism on the job and worker centers such as the Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York, created to support displaced workers and victims' families of Windows on the World, the restaurant on top of the World Trade Center. into account the latest debates in the fields of labor studies, urban studies, sociology, and political science.

The rate of economic change in East Asia over the past two decades has been astounding. High levels of growth have been experienced by a number of the region's developing economies, centralized systems have developed large market sectors, Japan has suffered a prolonged downturn and the 1997 crisis plunged there region into economic turmoil.
This edited volume is the first work to comprehensively examine the effects of these changes on employment in the region. Chapters are devoted to market restructuring in China and Vietnam, the Asian crisis and recovery and Japan's business doldrums. The unique case of Malaysia-one regional economy that needs to import workers-is also brought into play, as is the example of high-tech Taiwan. Underpinning these case studies is a common theoretical framework and a strong structure for understanding.
With its solid research and focus on a relatively unexplored aspect of one of the world's most dynamic economic regions, "Unemployment in Asia" will interest students, academics, trade unionists, research bodies, government departments and international organizations.

Offering a retrospective view of how the system operated in Communist Czechoslovakia, this book is an important voice in the discussion about the systems of central planning. The unique features of the book include in-depth research comprising both archival records and analyses of around 75 interviews conducted with period managers across a wide range of management levels. They provided evidence of pervasive inefficiency resulting in appalling economic outcomes. The book begins with a background to the politico-sociological system in Czechoslovakia and proceeds to describe the Marxist-Leninist ideological foundation of the regime, which underpinned the formal setting of the Czechoslovak model. These initial chapters set the context for the subsequent analysis of the real functioning of the system. The book explores the economic outcomes that must be understood as a natural consequence of the ways in which this system operated. The author finishes by answering the important question of why centrally planned economies trailed behind the market economies. The book's unique use of the interview research format brings a vivid, close-up view of the everyday economic life in the centrally planned system. This will be a valuable contribution to the discussion surrounding the day-to-day reality of the system, which was found to be more colourful than is generally deemed. The book will appeal to both economic historians and students of economic history. A warning against repeating past mistakes, this book will also be of interest to those seeking a greater knowledge of the realities and consequences of centrally planned economies.

Originally published in 1865, the following book is made up of a course of lectures, which the author delivered in the University of Cambridge in the Autumn of 1864. The book includes chapters on the land tenure of England, the causes which regulate wages, and trade unions and strikes.

Turkey has experienced growth in both the population and the workforce. However, female participation in the workforce in Turkey is extremely low, largely due to financial dependency and lack of higher education. The authors argue that greater research is needed to improve the economic position of women throughout the country, and this remains a challenge that must be fixed both culturally and socioeconomically. The book explores the significant gap between policy advancements, actual practices, and the impact of regional variety in the cultural structure. The authors suggest that this in turn has affected Turkey's ability to implement changes and reform. Reform must allow women to pursue changes that will give them greater financial flexibility and freedom within the country. The authors demonstrate the concept and framework for women's empowerment and explore the need for this. This book seeks to discuss the approaches and strategies for empowering women by outlining the strategies, policies and tools that women are using for their empowerment focusing on Turkey while comparing with other countries worldwide. It also brings several issues to the forefront such as equality treatment, political participation, social issues, the gender pay gap, the glass ceiling and gender (in)equality, the migration effect and education. Offering a multi-disciplinary exploration of the relationship and connection between employment, national policies, migration economies, entrepreneurialism and gender in present Turkey, this book is an invaluable contribution to the existing literature surrounding Turkish gender studies and will be of interest to both scholars and experts in the field.

First published in 1999, this volume is about unemployment and discrimination, with a focus on Northern Ireland and its debate over patterns of inequality between unemployed Catholics and Protestants. The Unequal Unemployed uses the important and revealing context of Northern Ireland to review the international debate on discrimination and the role of unemployment within it. This intellectual and political debate, active throughout the past decade, represents a conflict between: a) The traditional view that unequal unemployment is evidence of labour market discrimination against minorities and other distinct social groupings. b) Recent models which explain unemployment either in terms of individual responsibility or innate inferiority and attack the 'equal opportunities industry for its attempts at social engineering. Maura Sheehan and Mike Tomlinson approach these theories using unique survey evidence, gathered through a comprehensive evaluation of anti-discrimination policy. They contradict the view that differences in unemployment between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland are the result of personal attitudes and 'religious culture'. The book demonstrates that unequal unemployment arises from various discriminatory structures and practices - all of which are amenable to policy intervention. However, while more radical measures may achieve change, these must be developed within a policy framework which stimulates labour demand and economic development. Such a framework is constrained by the continuing political conflict within Northern Ireland.

Leila Farsakh provides the first comprehensive analysis of the rise and fall of Palestinian labour flows to Israel. Highlighting the interdependence between Israel's confiscation of Palestinian land and the use of Palestinian labour, she shows how migration has been the result of evolving dynamics of Israeli occupation and the reality of Palestinian labour force growth. This study analyzes the pattern of Palestinian labour supply, the role of Israel's territorial and economic policies in the Occupied Territories in releasing Palestinian labour from the land, and the nature of Israeli demand for Palestinian workers, especially in the construction sector where the majority of commuting labourers are concentrated. New light is shed on the growth of illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which are being built by Palestinian workers. Palestinian Labour Migration to Israel is original in its analysis of the contrasting forces of separation and the integration between Israel and the Palestinian territories, showing that the changing patterns in labour flows reflect a process of redefinition of the 1967 borders. It will be of valuable interest to economists and development specialists as well as to scholars, policy makers and all those concerned with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

In an era of globalization and demographic transition international migration has become an important issue for European governments. The past decades have seen an increasing and diversifying flow of migrants from different parts of the world, including many from South, Southeast and East Asia. It has become apparent that in several European countries the demand for workers in certain sectors of the labour market is increasing and that Asia has become the source for these workers. This collection explores the phenomenon of Asian immigration in Europe, particularly focusing on the ways in which Asian immigrants gain access to local labour markets. The book includes studies of several countries including Germany, France and the United Kingdom - shedding light on the labour market positions of different ethnic groups within Europe. Asian Migrants and European Labour Markets will interest scholars in the field of labour economics, population and migration studies and international business.

This essential student resource is the first of its kind to study this period. Working chronologically from the early 1840s up to the end of the twentieth century, it examines over 150 years of women's employment history and the struggles they have faced.
With suggestions for research topics, an annotated bibliography to aid further research and a chronology of important events which places the subject in a broader historical context, Gerry Holloway considers how factors such as class, age, marital status, race and locality, along with wider economic and political issues, have affected women's job opportunities and status.
Key themes and issues that run through the book include:
* continuity and change
* the sexual division of labor
* women as a cheap labor force
* women's perceived primary role of motherhood
* women and trade unions
* equality and difference
* education and training.
Students of women's studies, gender studies and history will find this a fascinating and invaluable addition to their reading material.

Published in 1999, this text is influenced by two sets of theories, namely regulation theories and theories on social citizenship. Regulation theories are mainly used as an overall guideline - a frame of reference - in the analysis of changed, unchanged and new types of integration and differentiation in working life and its social modes of regulations. The perspective on social citizenship is concentrated on participation in working life - what are the changes in working life (unemployment and non-standard employment) and what are the conditions and the outcome of social regulation? These questions are thematized in two articles and analyzed in chapter 7 which focuses on four welfare state models represented by Portugal, England, the Netherlands and Denmark. The book aims to contribute material on labour market segmentation and social policies to combat labour market marginalization in four countries studies representing typical European welfare state models.

Women's work has proved to be an important and lively subject of debate for historians. An earlier focus on the pay, conditions and occupational opportunities of predominantly blue-collar working-class women has now been joined by an interest in other social groups (white-collar workers, clerical workers and professionals) as well as in the cultural practices of the work place, reflecting in part the recent 'cultural turn' in historical methodology. Although the term 'culture' is debated and contested, this volume reflects this diversity, addressing a variety of interpretations. The individual essays address such issues as how women have created occupational and professional identities, negotiated masculine working practices (cultural, legal and institutional) and created their own 'feminine' environments. They also examine the integration of paid work with domestic responsibilities, the concept of 'career' for women, and the construction and representation of women's work within the wider cultural landscape.' By focusing on the experiences of British women between c.1850 and 1950, the collection vividly demonstrates that the association of 'work' with paid labour is problematic and that the categories of 'work', 'leisure' and 'consumption' must be viewed as overlapping and inter-linked rather than as separate entities. Furthermore, it highlights the ways in which the concept of gender operated as an organising principle in the construction and negotiation of identities and practices in British society.

Few areas of labour history have received as much attention as the coal industry, with miners often finding themselves at the centre of studies on working-class political and industrial history. Yet whilst much has been written about the struggles of miners and their unions in particular countries, their national confrontations and political organization, much less work has been done on the regional communities and how they related both to the national and international picture. The central theme of this volume is to transcend such over-arching national models and to focus instead on local coal mining societies which can then be compared and contrasted to similar communities elsewhere. In so doing the book is able to tackle a number of familiar labour history themes in a more nuanced way, exploring issues of political activism and class relationships from the perspectives of gender, ethnicity, race and specific localized cultural traditions. As the chapters in this volume illustrate, such an approach can offer rich and often surprising conclusions, in many cases challenging the accepted notion of miners as the vanguard of militant working-class political activism. Adopting a regional approach that compares coalfield communities from five continents, this volume reflects coalfield experiences on a truly global scale. By looking at what made communities unique as well as what they shared in common, a much fuller understanding of the workplace, neighbourhood, family, identity and political organization is possible. Underlining the strong connections between politics, community and identity, this work emphasizes the challenges and opportunities available to labour historians, pushing forward the boundaries of the discipline in new and exciting ways.

Published in 1999, Working Europe: Reshaping European employment systems offers a fresh analysis of recent changes in labour markets and the restructuring of welfare states. The analyzes presented in the articles not only focus on labour market changes, but take up the important issues of: * How labour markets have been regulated and directed * How the various social security systems offered by the welfare state are related to the questions of labour markets and employment systems * How efficient labour market policies are in reducing unemployment * How employment is locally created and initiated * How the gender system is related to employment systems. This book is the first to offer a full picture of the restructuring of the employment systems and the complex relationship between employment, the welfare state and concepts of work.

First published in 1999, this volume responds to a large and growing interest among health policy and research circles on the use of purchasing alliances to leverage change in health care. This book gives detailed and useful specifics on how a leading alliance has fared in California, the most competitive health care market in the United States. Although it is generally accepted that large organizations are more effective purchasers of health insurance, little work has been done to carefully examine the reasons that underlie that phenomenon. Yet, creating interventions and designing potential solutions requires a thorough understanding of the issues. The econometric analysis adds to the limited literature on the influence of premium on choice behaviour for employees of small firms, and introduces an analysis of choice behaviour in a purchasing cooperative setting. The political section of this book presents a much more detailed historical account and analysis of California's small group market reforms, the most significant health-related legislation in the state in the prior decade, than has been previously available. The conclusions are becoming particularly relevant, both in California and elsewhere, as the issues of reform of the individual market for health insurance comes to the forefront.

First published in 1997, this volume responds to a world in the midst of a telecommunications revolution. What this means is that societies throughout the world are now provided with new opportunities to solve nagging problems. One problem which is the focus of this book is the continual pockets of poverty that exist in countries around the world. In this regard, welfare reform has been slow in coming as nations struggle for allocating limited resources for meeting the needs of all citizens within its boundaries. This book describes a welfare model that is quite innovative, imaginative, but also practical. It can be readily implemented in any country in the world, although the example used in this book is that of one country. The welfare reform model suggested here is all about freedom, opportunity and equity. At its conclusion, it challenges the reader to take welfare reform to the next level.

First published in 1998, this volume represents the outcome of a seminar as part of the continuing efforts of the Convocation of the University of Dar es Salam to maintain a dialogue with the Government of Tanzania on its socio-economic problems. Its aim was to underscore heightened public concern on the continued deterioration of social services in Tanzania following the onset of the economic crisis, to examine the effect of structural adjustment policies and measures on health, education, water, food, security, housing and social welfare services and to make specific recommendations on how to improve the delivery and sustainability of social services. This volume reproduces, as far as is practicable, the full proceedings of that important forum, whose issues remain relevant today. Recent reforms in the country, including privatization, graded user fees and decentralized management of social services by local communities have been substantially influenced by what the seminar recommended. While a section of society has welcomed these reforms as the only realistic way to achieve sustainability, reduce donor dependence, and prevent further deterioration of social services, there are still voices which object to the measures. Key questions raised in the book concern citizens' rights to social services, the regulatory role of government, democratic participation and partnerships between government, NGOs and private providers of social services. It will serve as a reference point for a fresh review of the social services crisis in the 1990's and the basis for devising more appropriate and sustainable strategies for the 21st Century.

First published in 1998, this volume initially focused on Chilean pension reform, on which the author has published elsewhere, before moving onto Latin America more widely, with coverage extending from 1990 to the reform in Costa Rica and the Mexican pension reform in 1997. It emerged in the wake of reforms including in Peru (1993), Argentina and Colombia (1994) and Uruguay (1996). Particular focus is given to the new individual capitalization pension plans, along with arguments on the ignoring of pension schemes and its consequences, the connection of pension schemes to the labour market and the impact of pension schemes on the least advantaged. The Chilean model in particular has received praise from the IMF and the World Bank and these Latin American pension reforms will be of interest as a paradigm for other countries.