The late twentieth century has seen profound changes in the character of the international economic order. According to the authors of this study, Canada has failed to come to terms with those changes. Our industrial policy is diffuse, ad hoc, and sectoral. Michael Atkinson and William Coleman argue that in order to analyse Canada's industrial policy effectively, particular attention must be given to industry organization, state structures, and systems of interest intermediation at the sectoral level.To make such an analysis they introduce the concept of policy network, and apply it to three types of industrial sectors: the research-intensive sectors of telecommunications manufacturing and pharmaceuticals; the rapidly changing sectors of petrochemicals and meat processing; and the contracting and troubled sectors of textiles, clothing, and dairy processing.Through the lens of these sectors Coleman and Atkinson shed considerable light on the intersection of political considerations and policy development, and offer a new base on which to move forward in planning for economic growth.

Tattoos have become increasingly popular in recent years, especially among young people. While tattooing is used as a symbol of personal identity and social communication, few have examined it through a sociological lens. In Tattooed: The Sociogenesis of a Body Art, tattoo enthusiasts share their stories about their bodies and tattooing experiences. Michael Atkinson shows how enthusiasts negotiate and celebrate their 'difference' as it relates to the social stigma attached to body art -- how the act of tattooing is as much a response to the stigma as it is personal expression, and how a generation has appropriated tattooing as its own symbol of inclusiveness. Atkinson further demonstrates how the displaying of tattooed bodies to others - techniques of disclosure, justification, and representation - has become a part of the shared experience. Cultural sensibilities about tattooing are contextualized against broader trends in body habits, and Atkinson brings to fore research on a wide variety of body projects such as cosmetic surgery, dieting, piercing, branding, and cutting in order to conceptually analyze the enduring social significance of body art. He further employs historical and contemporary theories of the body while also illustrating the general benefit of examining body modification practices through integrated sociological theories.