A unique blend of memoir and public history, Packinghouse Daughter, winner of the Minnesota Book Award, tells a compelling story of small-town, working-class life. The daughter of a Wilson & Company millwright, Cheri Register recalls the 1959 meatpackers' strike that divided her hometown of Albert Lea, Minnesota. The violence that erupted when the company "replaced" its union workers with strikebreakers tested family loyalty and community stability. Register skillfully interweaves her own memories, historical research, and oral interviews into a narrative that is thoughtful and impassioned about the value of blue-collar work and the dignity of those who do it.

Comparing Income Distributions brings together John Creedy's recent original research and analyses of income distribution. The book is concerned with both static, or cross-sectional, comparisons, and dynamic aspects of income mobility. The author presents new methods of depicting and measuring income mobility and poverty persistence. Income mobility is explored in terms of individuals' relative income changes and their positional changes within the distribution. The first half of the book covers a range of technical aspects of inequality measurement, including less well-known properties of inequality indices, and the decomposition of inequality changes into component contributions. The second half explores various aspects of the graphical display and measurement of income mobility. While the focus of the book is on methods, illustrative examples are provided using New Zealand data. Graduate students, public sector economists, and researchers interested in income distribution will welcome this important work.

New information and communications technologies have revolutionized daily life and work in the 21st century. This insightful book demonstrates how telework has evolved in the last four decades, as technological developments have improved our capacity to work remotely. Based on a new conceptual framework, this book explores the global variations in telework, examining the effects on working conditions and individual and organizational performance. Breaking the traditional intellectual conception that telework is performed only in the home, this book surveys the full breadth of working environments, as technology allows employees increased working mobility. Contributors expose a profound ambiguity surrounding the effects of 21st-century telework, revealing that its advantages and disadvantages may simply be two sides of the same coin. This timely book is crucial reading for researchers of labour and employment interested in the evolution of contemporary telework and the influence of modern technologies in the workplace. Policy-makers will also benefit from this book's concrete policy recommendations to improve the practice of telework. Contributors include: S. Boiarov, P. D'Cruz, A. Dal Colletto, L. Gschwind, T. Harnish, K. Lister, A. Mello, J.C. Messenger, E. Noronha, A. Sato, O. Vargas

Sweden has gained a worldwide reputation for its family friendly policies and the high share of women in paid employment. This book discusses the particular importance of early activation policies in the increase of women's paid employment and in changing gender and family relations. It explores how the integration of women into paid work was actually accomplished: on what ideational grounds, and using what concrete measures, were the conditions created for increasing the employment ratio of women? A number of activation measures are analyzed in more detail: vocational training, opinion-shaping, persuading activities and the work done by activating inspectors, specially installed to initiate housewives into paid labor. The book showcases how early activation policies contributed to the transformation of gender and family relations and thus to a farewell to male breadwinning. The book will appeal to undergraduates as well as graduate students, lecturers and researchers in gender studies, social and public policy and across the fields of politics, European studies, and contemporary history.

The main original aim of the European Union was to promote convergence towards higher economic growth and social standards. However, EU countries have sometimes experienced different trajectories, due in part to their different starting points and the fact that their convergence on particular socio-economic indicators has varied. At the same time, little evidence has so far been presented on cross-country convergence within the EU. This book aims to answer a number of important questions. To what extent have European countries converged or diverged with EU-wide economic and social indicators over the past 20 years? What have been the drivers of convergence? Why do some countries lag behind, while others experience continuous upward convergence? Why are these trajectories not always linear? Particular attention is paid to the role of institutions, actors and industrial relations - focusing on the resources and strategies of governments, employers and trade unions - in nudging EU countries onto an upward convergence path. This book provides a unique analysis of socio-economic indicators to identify convergence trends in the EU. It defines a number of clusters that help to gauge the strengths and weaknesses of national socio-economic models and the European Social Model. Cross-country case studies help to identify the possible impact of global movements (migration, foreign investment) and policies (social protection, social dialogue, employment) on cross-country convergence. This book offers a timely assessment of convergence within the EU, identifying its drivers in the world of work and in institutions and industrial relations. It presents examples of where institutions and industrial relations can change convergence outcomes and proposes a range of useful policy options. Scholars and researchers will find it an invaluable reference for studies of European affairs and social policies. Contributors include: D. Anxo, B. Bembic, G. Bosch, V. Ciampa, P. Courtioux, C. Erhel, K. Espenberg, A. Figueiredo, P. Gonzalez, D. Grimshaw, I. Marx, J. Masso, I. Mierina, R. Munoz de Bustillo Llorente, P.J. O'Connell, W. Salverda, A. Simonazzi, V. Soloviov, D. Vaughan-Whitehead, R. Vazquez-Alvarez, L. Villamaina

In the neoliberal world, rising individualism has frequently been linked to rising inequality. Drawing on social theory, philosophy, history, institutional research and a wealth of contemporary empirical data, this innovative book analyzes the tangled relationship between individualism and inequality and explores the possibilities of rediscovering individualism's revolutionary potential. Ralph Fevre demonstrates that a belief in individual self-determination powered the development of human rights and inspired social movements from anti-slavery to socialism, feminism and anti-racism. At the same time, every attempt to embed individualism in systems of education and employment has eventually led to increased social inequality. The book discusses influential thinkers, from Adam Smith to Herbert Spencer and John Dewey, as well as the persistence of discrimination despite equality laws, management and the transformation of individualism, individualism in work and mental illness, work insecurity and intensification. This multi-disciplinary book will be essential reading for students and scholars of sociology, economics, philosophy, political science, management science and public policy studies, among other subjects. It will also be of use to policymakers and those who want to know how the culture and politics of the neoliberal world are unfolding.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution revolves around cyber-physical systems and artificial intelligence. Little is certain about this new wave of innovation, which leaves industrialists and educators in the lurch without much guidance on adapting to this new digital landscape. Society must become more agile and place a higher emphasis on lifelong learning to master new technologies in order to stay ahead of the changes and overcome challenges to become more globally competitive. Promoting Inclusive Growth in the Fourth Industrial Revolution is a collection of innovative research that focuses on the role of formal education in preparing students for uncertain futures and for societies that are changing at great speed in terms of their abilities to drive job creation, economic growth, and prosperity for millions in the future. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics including economics, higher education, and safety and regulation, this book is ideally designed for teachers, managers, entrepreneurs, economists, policymakers, academicians, researchers, students, and professionals in the fields of human resources, organizational design, learning design, information technology, and e-learning.

***Winner of an English PEN Award 2021*** In this sharp intervention, authors Luci Cavallero and Veronica Gago defiantly develop a feminist understanding of debt, showing its impact on women and members of the LGBTQ+ community and examining the relationship between debt and social reproduction. Exploring the link between financial activity and the rise of conservative forces in Latin America, the book demonstrates that debt is intimately linked to gendered violence and patriarchal notions of the family. Yet, rather than seeing these forces as insurmountable, the authors also show ways in which debt can be resisted, drawing on concrete experiences and practices from Latin America and around the world. Featuring interviews with women in Argentina and Brazil, the book reveals the real-life impact of debt and how it falls mainly on the shoulders of women, from the household to the wider effects of national debt and austerity. However, through discussions around experiences of work, prisons, domestic labour, agriculture, family, abortion and housing, a narrative of resistance emerges. Translated by Liz Mason-Deese.

Wages are the main determinant of living standards for the vast majority of workers and families around the world. This manual describes a new methodology to measure what constitutes a decent but basic standard of living and how much workers need to earn to afford this, making it possible for researchers to estimate comparable living wages around the world and determine gaps between living wages and prevailing wages. The new, practical methodology in this manual draws on 10 years of research and experience to clearly explain each step in the estimation process, based on standards for a low cost nutritious diet, healthy housing, and all other needs including decent health care and children's education. It stresses transparency and the need for time and place specific living wage estimates, and is replete with examples from country studies that have put it to the test. The authors describe how living wages can be estimated in locations and countries where secondary data are limited and make new, practical recommendations on how to value in kind benefits as partial payment of a living wage. An essential tool for Researchers and NGOs interested in wages, poverty, living standards, and corporate social responsibility issues, this manual will also serve company professionals responsible for corporate social responsibility and human resources. It is also an excellent tool for Bank governments and unions, and international organizations such as the United Nations, UNDP, ILO and World Bank involved in setting minimum wages, poverty alleviation programs and trade policies.

This innovative book provides the first in-depth analysis of participatory income and its potential role in countering endemic poverty and unemployment in high-income countries. Heikki Hiilamo reviews the concept of basic income and specific basic income experiments before presenting participatory income as a viable alternative in the fight against poverty. Highly topical, chapters explore pressing issues such as the effects of automation on the future of work and the links between social protection and eco-social transition. Putting forward the argument that any reform of social assistance should continue to enforce reciprocity with reduced means-testing, Hiilamo explores the practical advantages of the participation income model in reducing poverty and developing an eco-social welfare model. Tackling one of the most heated current debates in social policy, this book will be a key resource for scholars and students in this field, particularly those with a focus on welfare and labour economics, labour policy and the sociology of work. Its use of examples and case studies will also benefit practitioners and policy makers.

By examining the evolution of industrial relations institutions in the emerging economies of Brazil, China, India, South Africa and Turkey, the authors in this book assess the contribution of these institutions to inclusive development. Industrial Relations in Emerging Economies uses real world examples to assess the relevance of the conceptual frameworks used to examine employment relations. The chapters focus on the evolution of industrial relations institutions and the role these have played in periods of economic and political transition. They demonstrate that rather than acting as a constraint on development, trade unions can contribute to stability, security and equity. However, the contribution of industrial relations institutions to inclusive development is at best a contested pathway. At worst it is viewed as increasingly irrelevant to the vast numbers of workers in the informal economy. The authors reveal a continuing demand for independent collective interest representation in labour relations, whether in the informal economy or in rapidly industrialising districts. This book will prove an interesting and stimulating read for students, academics and researchers in the fields of human resources, industrial relations, sociology and labour economics, in addition to trade union researchers and policy-makers. Contributors include: J. Berg, A. Celik, S. Hayter, C.-H. Lee, N. Pons-Vignon, U. Rani, E. Schneider, R. Sen

Sustainable Work in Europe brings together a strong core of Swedish working life research, with additional contributions from across Europe, and discussion of current issues such as digitalisation, climate change and the Covid pandemic. It bridges gaps between social science and medicine, and adds emphasis on age and gender. The book links workplace practice, theory and policy, and is intended to provide the basis for ongoing debate and dialogue.

This insightful Handbook examines how labor unions across the world have experienced and responded to the growth of neo-liberalism.Since the 1970s, the spread of neo-liberalism across the world has radically reconfigured the relationship between unions, employers and the state. The contributors highlight that this is the major cause and effect of union decline and argue that if there is to be any union revitalisation and return to former levels of influence, then unions need to respond in appropriate political and practical ways. Written in a clear and accessible style, the Handbook examines unions' efforts to date in many of the major economies of the world, providing foundations for understanding each country. Policy makers, analysts, academics, researchers and advanced students in employment, industrial and labor relations as well as political economy will find this unique Handbook an important resource to understanding the contemporary plight and activity of labor unions. Contributors include: S. Ashwin, M. Atzeni, J. Bailey, D. Beale, B. Bruno, D.-o. Chang, S. Contrepois, F.L. Cooke, P. Dibben, H. Dribbusch, B. Fletcher Jr., G. Gall, P. Ghigliani, R. Hurd, J. Kelly, J. McIlroy, R. Munck, E. Noronha, D. Peetz, T. Schulten, R. Trumka, L. Turner, A. Wilkinson, G. Wood

This book provides a multidisciplinary analysis of the links between migration and remittances. The role of remittances in influencing migration decision is explored in relation to economic development, education, the labour market, and social factors. The impact of remittances on migration is examined from a global perspective, with a focus on both specific countries and larger regions, such as the European Union and the former Soviet states. The challenges in managing migration flows are also discussed, alongside the impact of COVID-19 on migration, and policy suggestions are made for the efficient management of labour migration. This book aims to offer a comparative analysis of the impact of remittances resulting from labour migration and foreign direct investment on the economic growth. It will be relevant to researchers and policymakers interested in labour and migration economics.

We are witnessing the development of new technologies that could have a dramatic impact on markets for both skilled and unskilled labour, including the use of Big Data. In addition, many welfare states have once again been restructured, sometimes weakening states? protection of employees. This timely book provides a systematic and vigorous analysis of the impact of new technology on the labour market and different kinds of welfare states. The book offers a novel contribution to the discussion of how welfare states can be maintained and developed to support groups in society who often need aid from a welfare state system. It also highlights the risk of increased social division as a consequence of these developments, and considers whether or not our response to this divide will have negative repercussions on the way societies function. With comprehensive analysis of the sharing and platform economies as well as new types of inequality, Technology and the Future of Work will appeal to academics and graduate students of social policy and readers interested in societal change more broadly.

Existent literature has identified the existence of some differences between men and women entrepreneurs in terms of propensity to innovation, approach to creativity, decision making, resilience, and co-creation. Without properly examining the current inequalities in social-economic structures, it is difficult to examine the results of corporate female leadership. The Handbook of Research on Women in Management and the Global Labor Market is a pivotal reference source that examines the point of convergence among entrepreneurship organizations, relationship, creativity, and culture from a gender perspective, and researches the relation between current inequalities in social-economic structures and organizations in the labor market, education and individual skills, wages, work performance, promotion, and mobility. While highlighting topics such as gender gap, woman empowerment, and gender inequality, this publication is ideally designed for managers, government officials, policymakers, academicians, practitioners, and students.