This book analyses the political transition in West Bengal, India, which witnessed longest democratically elected Left regime of the world. It examines and compares micro-dynamics of political practices in India and delineates underlying political themes of state politics. The author explores the politics of land reform and the anti-land-acquisition movements which were critical points in the contemporary history of Bengal in independent India. The volume further delves into the caste and communal politics which had been latent until the Left Front's loss in the state, as well as the what sets apart politics in West Bengal from other Indian states. Based on thorough ethnographic research, this volume will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of South Asian studies, politics and political processes, sociology and social anthropology.

The construction industry is a microcosm of the economy as a whole, and as such the economics of the sector contains many of the aspects of the economy in general, albeit with fascinating and unique features. What are the implications of economic theory for the future of UK construction? How does the industry ensure innovation, quality and efficiency? What priorities might best serve the construction industry, those working in it and their customers? In seeking answers to these and other questions, the UK government has commissioned a number of reports on the construction industry including the Latham and Egan reports and more recently Construction 2025. These have invariably proposed time and cost targets for the construction industry. In this new book, Stephen Gruneberg stands in stark contrast to those reports and presents the relevant theoretical aspects of construction economics to account for the behaviour of construction firms and suggest a strategy for future growth and sustainability. He discusses the theory and data relating to the output of firms in relation to the type of firm, the market and how these firms behave as a result. The purpose of this book is to advocate the measures needed to create the kind of industry that must be fostered to ensure the quality of its output, sustainability and the fair terms and conditions of employment for its workforce. Gruneberg's new book is essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the economic forces that determine industry outcomes and who has a stake in the success of the UK construction sector.

This book takes a closer look at the societal functions of sports clubs by using the broad range of empirical data of a comparative study. There is a limited amount of up-to-date knowledge on the functions of sports clubs and their potential to promote public health, social cohesion and democratic participation through volunteering and thus contribute to public welfare in European societies. Most of the existing studies are country-specific and therefore do not allow for making comparisons from a cross-national perspective. In light of this, the project 'Social Inclusion and Volunteering in Sports Clubs in Europe' (SIVSCE) collected, analysed and discussed comparable data and knowledge across ten European countries and disseminated this knowledge to politicians, sports professionals and sports volunteers in Europe. The SIVSCE project contains comparative data of clubs as well as of members in selected sports clubs. In each country chapter, the comparative data from the SIVSCE project is put together in a coherent way. Particularly, the data of the member survey give in-depth information about the fulfillment of the different functions of sports clubs (e.g. extension of democratic participation, social integration). Providing in-depth data related to policy issues, structure and management of clubs and individual member surveys, this book will be useful for students particularly those in sports management programmes as well as researchers and practitioners in social science and economics.

Artificial intelligence will not necessarily create a super-intelligent "human robot"; however, it is very probable that intelligent robots and intelligent informats will bring about a form of super-globalization, in which money and goods are prioritized over people and democracy and where the widespread use of casual labour - that is, short-term contracts - will become the most common form of employment relationship. It is also very likely that artificial intelligence will bring about what is known as singularity. This term is used to describe a situation where intelligent robots, from a rational and logical perspective, are smarter than humans, i.e. the development of AI. This book explores the impact that these intelligent robots and intelligent informats will have on social and societal development. The author tackles the question of singularity from three distinct standpoints: technological singularity - the intelligence of machines compared to that of humans - which he argues will bring about a qualitatively new labour market; economic singularity - the consequences for work relationships, value creation and employment - which he asserts will promote full automation, result in precarious contracts with low salaries, and, in some countries, possibly lead to the introduction of a universal basic income; and social singularity - the consequences of technological and economic singularity for democratic processes, bureaucratic procedures for exercising authority and control, and the direction in which society will develop, in addition to the emergence of new social institutions - which Johannessen says will promote a transition from representative democracy to genuine democracy. The book will appeal to academics, researchers and students of economic sociology and political economy, as well as those focusing upon the emerging innovation economy. It will also find an audience among professionals and policymakers keen to understand the impact the Fourth Industrial Revolution will have on organizations, individuals and society at large.

Contributing to the debate on work performance evaluation in a time of technological transformation, this book explores the impact of digitisation on production and organisation models, as well as on the rights and interests of the stakeholders involved. As organisations down-size, merge with other companies and become decentralised, the boundaries in employer-employee-customer relationships are blurred and new models for the organisation and assessment of work performance have emerged. With these new models, innovative regulatory approaches are sorely needed. Taking an interdisciplinary approach and drawing on theoretical concepts from organisation studies, human resource management, sociology and labour economics, this all-encompassing collection is not only essential reading for academics and students, but also for policy-makers and employers who are looking for innovative and practical solutions to the challenges of modern employment relations.

Modern attitudes to work are closely interwoven with the ways in which people think about the temporal organization of their lives. In this important book, the authors examine the relations between work and time and explore the possibilities of developing new and more flexible working patterns.

Drawing on interviews with employees who have chosen to reduce their working hours from 40 to between 20 and 30 per week, the authors identify two categories of workers: first, the "time conformists" who see nothing unusual in their shorter working time and tend to fill their extra free time with familiar activities; and second, the "time pioneers." "Time pioneers" are people who strive to realize their ideas of time both at work and in their everyday private lives and succeed in introducing more flexibility into their working time.

The authors argue that "time pioneers" display as much - if not more - motivation, willingness and commitment to their work than "time conformists." But in order to avoid becoming appropriated by the rigid working hours imposed by some employers - who may not be easily persuaded to depart from the prevailing cultural paradigm of the employment society - they develop their own ideas of how to organize their work.

"Time Pioneers "is a significant and topical contribution to debates about the role of work in modern society.

Age Friendly: Ending Ageism in America is a rallying call to make the United States a more equitable and just nation in terms of age. "Age friendliness" means being inclusive towards older people as workers, consumers, and citizens, something that can't be said to exist today. The United States and, especially, Big Business, are notoriously age-unfriendly places, a result of our obsession with youth. Virtually all aspects of everyday life in America will be impacted by the doubling or tripling of the number of older people over the next two decades, more reason to adopt age friendliness as a cause. Age Friendly shows how large companies are in an ideal position to address the aging of America and, in the process, benefit from making their organizations more age friendly. Because of its economic power and commitment to diversity in the workplace, Big Business-specifically the Fortune 1000-has the opportunity and responsibility to take a leadership role in changing the narrative of aging in America. The book shows that age friendliness offers the possibility of bridging gaps not just between younger and older people, but those based on income, class, race, gender, politics, and geography. More than anything else, Age Friendly presents a bold and counterintuitive idea-aging is a positive thing for businesses, individuals, and society as a whole-and we should embrace it rather than fear it. While ageism is a pervasive force in America that, like racism and gender discrimination, runs contrary to our democratic ideals, there is some good news. An age friendly movement is spreading in America and around the world as a growing number of cities and towns strive to better meet the needs of their older residents. Aa well, a concerted effort is being made to convince Big Business that an intergenerational workforce is in the best interests of not just older employees but the companies themselves. Age brings experience, perspective, and wisdom-just the right skill set for both short- and long-term decision-making. The aging of America also presents major implications for businesses in terms of marketing to older consumers. Baby boomers are still the key to the economy despite marketers' focus on youth, much in part to their collective wealth and propensity to consume. Age friendly marketing thus makes much sense due to "the longevity economy," i.e., the billions of dollars that older consumers spend each year and the goldmine that looms in the future as they become an even bigger percentage of the population. Finally, Age Friendly discusses how more corporations are pursuing social responsibility in addition to maximizing profits-an ideal opportunity for corporations to demonstrate good citizenship by supporting age friendliness on a local, state, or national level.

Written by distinguished Keynesian and Post-Keynesian economists from diverse national backgrounds, this book examines the economic growth and employment experiences of both large areas of the world and specific economies. Dealing with critical issues in macroeconomic theory and policy, this book puts current issues in a historical perspective. Emphasising developments during and after the Great Recession, and paying due attention to the impacts of austerity policies, chapters explain that high growth of aggregate demand is as essential as ever to achieving full employment and rising living standards. Organised into three distinct thematic parts, the book moves from discussing theoretical considerations, to aggregate demand and employment in the EU, Latin America and the developing world, to individual country studies including Canada, India and Japan. Economics students, particularly those interested in heterodox economics and macroeconomics, will find the accessible language and perspectives on a range of major regions helpful. This will also be a useful read for macroeconomic policy-makers looking for a more in-depth understanding of the importance of boosting aggregate demand. Contributors include: H. Bougrine, J.K. Galbraith, B.K. MacLean, J.W. Mason, L. Osberg, L.-P. Rochon, M. Sawyer, M. Seccareccia, S. Sen, J. Toporowski, M. Vernengo

This book explores the daily survival strategies of people within the context of failed states, flourishing informal economies, legal uncertainty, increased mobility, and globalization, where many people, who are forced by the circumstances to be innovative and transnational, have found their niches outside formal processes and structures. The book provides a thorough theoretical introduction to the link between labour mobility and informality and comprises convincing case studies from a wide range of post-socialist countries. Overall, it highlights the importance of trust, transnational networks, and digital technologies in settings where the rules governing economic and social activities of mobile workers are often unclear and flexible.

This book explores the daily survival strategies of people within the context of failed states, flourishing informal economies, legal uncertainty, increased mobility, and globalization, where many people, who are forced by the circumstances to be innovative and transnational, have found their niches outside formal processes and structures. The book provides a thorough theoretical introduction to the link between labour mobility and informality and comprises convincing case studies from a wide range of post-socialist countries. Overall, it highlights the importance of trust, transnational networks, and digital technologies in settings where the rules governing economic and social activities of mobile workers are often unclear and flexible.

The near-ubiquitous spread of ICT offers unprecedented opportunities for social and economic agents, reshapes social and economic structures and drives the emergence of socioeconomic networks. This book contributes to the growing body of literature and present state of knowledge, offering the reader broad evidence on how new information and communication technologies impact women's economic and social empowerment and hence have an impact on overall welfare creation. More specifically, it concentrates on demonstrating how ICT may become "empowering technologies" through their implementation. The book is designed to provide deep insight into the theoretical and empirical evidence on ICT as a significant driver of women`s social and economic development. Special focus is given to examining the following broad topics: channels of ICT impact on women's development; the role of ICT in enhancing women's active participation in formal labor markets; examples of how ICT encourages education, skills development, institutions development et alia, and thus contributes to women's social and economic empowerment, as well as case-based evidence on ICT's role in fostering women's equality. The primary audience for the book will be scholars and academic professionals from a wide variety of disciplines but mainly those who are concerned with addressing the issues of economic development and growth, social development, the role of technology progress in the context of broadly defined socioeconomic progress. Chapters 1 and 3 of this book are available for free in PDF format as Open Access from the individual product page at www.routledge.com. They have been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

This volume challenges the concept of the 'new African middle class' with new theoretical and empirical insights into the changing lives in Sub-Saharan Africa. Diverse middle classes are on the rise, but models of class based on experiences from other regions of the world cannot be easily transferred to the African continent. Empirical contributions, drawn from a diverse range of contexts, address both African histories of class formation and the political roles of the continent's middle classes, and also examine the important interdependencies that cut across inter-generational, urban-rural and class divides. This thought-provoking book argues emphatically for a revision of common notions of the 'middle class', and for the inclusion of insights 'from the South' into the global debate on class. Middle Classes in Africa will be of interest to students and scholars across a range of disciplines, as well as NGOs and policy makers with an interest in African societies.

This book delivers a fresh and fascinating perspective on the issue of the minimum wage. While most discussions of the minimum wage place it at the center of a debate between those who oppose such a policy and argue it leads to greater unemployment, and those who favor it and argue it improves the economic well-being of low-income workers, Levin-Waldman makes the case for the minimum wage as a way to improve the well-being of middle-income workers, strengthen the US economy, reduce income inequality, and enhance democracy. Making a timely and original contribution to the defining issues of our time-the state of the middle class, the problem of inequality, and the crisis of democratic governance-Restoring the Middle Class through Wage Policy will be of interest to students and researchers considering the impact of such approaches across the fields of public policy, economics, and political science.

Marx expected the working class to create 'a movement of immense majority, in the interests of immense majority'. However, there is not and never has been such a movement. At least a part of the reason is that the traditional Marxist picture of a two-class polarisation bears little resemblance to the diverse and complex society of today's Western world. In this book, Michal Polak attempts to move beyond the austerity of the two-class model to come closer to the empirical realities. In the process, the author re-examines the very foundations of the Marxist theory, demonstrating how an important critique of the theory can in fact be fruitfully interpreted as a generalisation of it. While remaining true to the Marxian spirit, he comes up with original and innovative extensions of the traditional concepts, which finally allow for the explanation of the diverse class map of the advance capitalist societies.

Originally published in 1987, at a time of high unemployment, this book provides a critical analysis of the role played by education in solving unemployment. It examines the practical, social and psychological effects of unemployment on adults and argues that formal institutional responses are inadequate within any long term perspective, and that it is rather community, informal and often unofficial initiatives that will provide learning experiences for unemployed people.

This book explores structural changes in Greenland's economy and labour markets due to the transformative effects of climatic changes and growing international attention. It offers multidisciplinary perspectives from economists, sociologists, and political scientists to demonstrate how the Greenlandic economy works. Due to an increasing focus on the Arctic area and Greenland in particular, the book seeks to understand the functioning and dynamics of Greenland's labour economy, as well as the challenges that arise from the melting ice and internationalisation. It fills a substantive gap in the existing literature by compiling research on these critical subjects and exploring current and future opportunities for labourers. Today, Greenland is reliant on large financial subsidies from Denmark to provide for a large share of its national budget. This fuels Greenland's political ambition to gain greater independence from Denmark, which requires more private sector growth to develop a sustainable economy. This book thus contains an exhaustive introduction to important business development themes such as macroeconomics, markets, labour supply, labour market policies, and institutions and considers Greenland's colonial past, great Inuit heritage, and unique geography and nature to re-shape its economy and labour markets. Informed by a lucid writing style, each chapter casts light on different economic and social issues of Greenland. This is the first international book on Greenland's economy which discusses its geopolitical importance and prospects for the Arctic region. It will be a valuable point of reference for students and academics of economics, Arctic research and political economy.

This volume in "The SAGE Reference Series on Disability "explores issues facing people with disabilities in employment and the work environment. It is one of eight volumes in the cross-disciplinary and issues-based series, which incorporates links from varied fields making up Disability Studies as volumes examine topics central to the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families. With a balance of history, theory, research, and application, specialists set out the findings and implications of research and practice for others whose current or future work involves the care and/or study of those with disabilities, as well as for the disabled themselves. The presentational style (concise and engaging) emphasizes accessibility. Taken individually, each volume sets out the fundamentals of the topic it addresses, accompanied by compiled data and statistics, recommended further readings, a guide to organizations and associations, and other annotated resources, thus providing the ideal introductory platform and gateway for further study. Taken together, the series represents both a survey of major disability issues and a guide to new directions and trends and contemporary resources in the field as a whole.

The experience of an abrupt and often premature departure from work can leave individuals feeling disorientated and disappointed and can prevent their valuable economic potential from being tapped. This report explores the possibilities of more flexible forms of work that bridge the gap between a steady career job and retirement. It examines such jobs in the wider context of the types of transition that are being made by people leaving work early. Transitions after 50 series People are living longer, yet increasingly are leaving working life well before the state retirement age. The Joseph Rowntree Fountain programme, Transitions after 50, explores people's experiences, decisions and constraints as they pass from active labour market participation in their middle years towards a new identity in later life. Reports in this series look in particular at issues about work, income and activities beyond work during this period of transition. For other titles in this series, please follow the series link from the main catalogue page.

The aim of this book is to justify the importance of economic knowledge for every human being in a country with an economic system based on the market mechanism, and to explain and debunk the myths and stereotypes related to economic education and its effectiveness, particularly among young people. The book offers a comparative analysis of the economic education of young people in Poland and throughout the world. It examines the historical emergence of economies and economic thinking and decision-making as well as the different philosophies and educational systems in the EU and the USA. It thoroughly investigates the economic knowledge of Polish youth via an annual study, which the authors have conducted since 2012. The book outlines both the formal and informal methods of economic education, from education programs in general secondary schools and economic technical schools, as well as in vocational schools, and also examines school Business Incubators. It concludes with a summary, reviewing the implementation of research goals and issues and outlining directions for future research. The authors break down complex topics and provide readers with a base knowledge of economics at the micro and macro levels. The book will serve as a useful and practical guide for students and researchers, as well as policymakers concerned with rethinking the education system. Additionally, it will be a helpful resource for those wanting to acquire the knowledge needed to conduct a business, as the authors maintain that entrepreneurship can be learned.

The shipping industry is run by people and for people. Thus, the main element in shipping is the "human element" - the mariners at all levels. Since the human element aboard vessels - being in and coping with a very special environment - is the crucial point of every transport chain, it is important to take a closer look at maritime human resource management issues which are scarcely tackled in scientific literature. This book deals with topics such as the criminalization of seafarers, piracy as part of shipping companies' risk management, corporate social responsibility and human error in shipping.

Due to the sharp declines in trade union density and collective bargaining coverage post-1979, the shift by trade unions towards political action has had significant implications for employment relations regulation in contemporary Britain. Yet, there remains insufficient discussion of the factors of influence affecting changes in the political action process from a historical and contemporary perspective. Unions and Employment in a Market Economy will evidence how trade unions were able to offset environmental constraints through a progressive focus on political action, despite diminished power in the Labour Party's structures and the wider economy. The book presents four legislative events categorised as functional equivalents enacted in two different periods of Labour governance (1974-79 and 1997-2010). The selected events are the Social Contract (1974-79), National Minimum Wage (1998), Employment Relations Act (1999) and the Warwick Agreement (2004). The book's findings lend credence to the proposition that in a liberal market economy there is a valuable dividend associated with trade union political exchange through the Labour Party.

This book examines the linkages between exchange rates and India's merchandise trade since the 1990s. It looks at India's trade in the post-liberalisation period through its two main components: commodities and trading partners, and provides a bird's eye view through aggregate analyses accompanied by a historical narrative of the evolution of trade and exchange rate dynamics. Presenting a comprehensive analysis of bilateral and product-specific trade, the book explores the impact of exchange rate on labour intensive sectors and charts out major development. It also offers compelling evidence to suggest that if some commodities are identified as integral to India's export plans, then the impact of exchange rate must be weighed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) prior to a market intervention. This timely volume will be of interest to scholars and researchers of economics, business and finance, development studies, trade, business, and industry as well as practitioners, think-tanks, and policy makers.

Exploring how formal and informal education initiatives and training systems in the US, UK and Australia seek to achieve a socially diverse workforce, this insightful book offers a series of detailed case studies to reveal the initiative and ingenuity shown by today's young people as they navigate entry into creative fields of work. Young People's Journeys into Creative Work acknowledges the new and diverse challenges faced by today's youth as they look to enter employment. Chapters trace the rise of indie work, aspirational labour, economic precarity, and the disruptive effects of digital technologies, to illustrate the oinventive ways in which youth from varied socio-economic and cultural backgrounds enter into work in film, games production, music, and the visual arts. From hip-hop to new media arts, the text explores how opportunities for creative work have multiplied in recent years as digital technologies open new markets, new scenes, and new opportunities for entrepreneurs and innovation. This book will be of great interest to researchers, academics and postgraduate students in the fields of youth studies, careers guidance, media studies, vocational education and sociology of education.

The United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals include a specific target for full and productive employment. However, what constitutes full employment in developing countries is not yet clearly understood. And likewise, there is no clear direction for developing strategies and policies to address this challenge. Drawing on the author's deep knowledge of employment and inclusive development, this book presents a broad framework which could enable us to pursue the challenging goal of full, productive employment in developing countries. It revisits the conceptual foundations of full employment and carefully examines the issue of suitable indicators for monitoring progress. It also examines the challenges created by globalized production chains and labour market fluctuations caused by economic crises. This book throws light on a major lacuna in development thinking on how the challenge of creating productive employment for all in developing countries needs to be addressed. It provides a solution by re-examining relevant theories and empirical evidence, and by bringing out their implications for development strategies and policies. Finally, the focus falls on the effective implementation of employment strategies and policies. This authoritative work will appeal to a diverse readership of academic researchers, think-tanks, international organizations, and development partners.