Die Moglichkeiten und Grenzen sozialvertraglicher Technikgestaltung treten im betrieblichen und administrativen Alltag meist in Zusammenhang mit nicht weiter erklarten "Sachzwangen" auf. In ihnen drucken sich unternehmerische Kalkule und soziale Interessen, aber auch spezielle Formen gesellschaftlicher Arbeit und die Wirkungen okonomischer Verwertungsstrukturen in der Produktion von Waren und Dienstleistungen aus. Sachzwange stehen deshalb auch jeder Technisierung im Weg, die den herrschenden Funktionsmechanismen von Betrieb und Buro in der bestehenden Gesellschaft nicht gerecht werden kann.Die in diesem Sammelband vorgelegten Arbeiten thematisieren die Grenze zum Reich der meist nicht erklarten Sachzwange. An Beispielen aus Okonomie und Betrieb sowie aus Staat, Verwaltung und Gesundheit wird der Existenz und den Folgen der problembeladenen Technisierung von Sachzwang und/oder sozialvertraglicher Technikgestaltung nachgegangen.

Das technisierte Sozialamt ist die Charakterisierung der Bedingungen und Folgen des mittlerweile in vielen kommunalen Sozialamtern vollzogenen Ubergangs von Batch-Verfahren zu Online-Verfahren. Es zeigte sich, dass eine nach wie vor ansteigende Verkomplizierung der Hilfegewahrung durch den Technikeinsatz in der Sachbearbeitung nicht annahernd aufgefangen werden konnte. Dies hatte negativeKonsequenzen fur die Sachbearbeiterinnen und Sachbearbeiter, furdie um Hilfe nachsuchenden Burgerinnen und Burger und nicht zuletzt fur die an rationalerer und rationellerer Arbeit interessierte Verwaltung selbst."

The dominant form of globalisation, i.e. financial globalisation, is the biggest challenge for employees and their representations of interest. If it remains largely unregulated, not only the natural resources will be destroyed, but also social sustainability will be prevented. The negative effects of this development are first of all to be felt on the local and regional level. It is here, therefore, where counter initiatives and strategies have to start. The quality of life and working-life has not necessarily increased through globalisation and the New Economy, though the possibilities of improved communication via email and Internet were positively acknowledged. The biggest challenge is the increasing inequality on a global scale, which is produced so far by the New Economy. As education contributes to enlarge this gap, it has to be adapted to the new social needs to overcome this polarisation. The ongoing development must be reversed: Real needs demand more spending for public than for private consumption. Intermediate organisations can play a positive role in this process.

This book is published during a phase of crisis and transformation for the automobile industry across the world; this crisis is particularly acute in Europe and the United States. The book is written especially for the non-specialist with more than a passing interest in the sector, such as experts of other sectors, trade unionists, representatives of the corporate world, policymakers and public managers who deal with industry, commerce and public planning. The authors provide up-to-date information and assessments of what is actually taking place, with particular attention paid to the sub-supply companies. The main focus lies on four European countries, Germany, Spain, Sweden and Italy, each of which is significant for its different experiences. Finally, three important non-European situations, the United States, Brazil and Japan, are examined.

This book presents the best contributions and some more invited papers of a Conference which was organised at the University of Durban-Westville in South Africa by the Research Committee 10 � Participation, Organisational Democracy & Self-Management of the International Sociological Association, and the South African Sociological Association, from 1 to 5 October 2000. The nineteen contributions come from Africa, America and Europe and cover the topic in an interdisciplinary way. A major concern within the process of globalisation being democratic participation and cultural diversity. A critique of this process and alternatives to it are presented with a number of case studies. Contents: Dasarath Chetty: Betwen Neo-Liberalism and Empowerment of the People in South Africa - Gyorgy Szell: Securing South Africa's Future - A View from Outside - Richard L. Harris: The Democratisation of the State and the State Bureaucracy: A Global Perspective - Antonio Lucas: El Trabajo en la Nueva Sociedad de la Informatcion (Work in the New Informational Society) - Johann Maree/Shane Godfrey: The Relationship between Participation and Performance in a South African Fish Processing Enterprise in a Context of Cultural Diversity and Globalisation - Claude Beauchamp: Cooperation, participation, culture et mondialisation en Afrique Noire (Co-operation, Participation, Culture and Globalisation in Black Africa) - Richard RuE; ika: Participation and Entrepreneurship: After Ten Years of Transformation - Volkmar Kreiig: Privatisation and the Development of New Middle Classes in Transforming Societies - A Comparison between the New Lander of Germany and Russia - Pitika P. Ntuli: Participation,Globalisation and Culture in the Era of the African Renaissance: An Overview - Heinz Sunker: Democracy, Participation and Education - Martina Hartkemeyer/Johannes F. Hartkemeyer: Dialogue - A Different Approach for Learning - Ari Sitas: Globalisation and Participation - the South African Dilemma - Louis Molamu: Black Exclusivism and Trade Unionism in South Africa: The Case of the Black Allied Workers' Union, 1973-1984 - David Hemson: Top Concord and Casual Labour - Globalisation and Livelihoods in the Durban Docks - Nora Tager: The Role of Information Technology in the Implementation of Poverty Alleviation Programmes - Priya Narismulu: On the Fringes of Democracy: Women's Participation in the Community Life of Urban Informal Settlements - Sultan Khan/David Hemson: Youth Participation in the Labour Force: Globalisation and some Critical Junctures for Youth Employment Policies in the Post-Apartheid South Africa - Fernand Sanou: La mondialisation et l'avenir de l'humanite (The Globalisation and the Future of Humanity) - Alain Chouraqui: Actors' Participation at the Core of Societal Changes and Global Challenges.