عنوان

The political and social theory of 'flexible specialization' :

Number

TLets808626

Title Proper

The political and social theory of 'flexible specialization' :

General Material Designation

[Thesis]

First Statement of Responsibility

Evans, David J.

Title Proper by Another Author

a critical analysis

Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.

University of Warwick

Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.

1995

Dissertation or thesis details and type of degree

Thesis (Ph.D.)

Text preceding or following the note

1995

Text of Note

This thesis examines the contribution to social and political theory of the flexible specialization research programme (henceforth FSRP). It explores systematically the sociological and political underpinnings of this research programme, with a view to critically explicating its understanding of industrialisation and industrial transformations in the contemporary world. While examining the unity in diversity of the various researchers working with the FSRP it also contrasts the FSRP with other cognate research programmes (regulatory theory, post-Fordism, flexible accumulation, etc). The thesis explores further the FSRP and its relationship with political transformations, defined in the broadest sense to include meta-theoretical reflections on meaning of the political in the FSRP, the transformation in industrial relations, the trend toward economic and social dualism, polarisation, marginalisation and segmentation and the meaning of locality, industrial districts and regionalism in the FSRP. The thesis is sympathetic to the FSRP and views it as a progressively developing one (in both a political and epistemological sense) but is nevertheless critical of some of its foundational assumptions and policy prescriptions As a research programme that is still developing in a cumulative direction this thesis can only claim to be provisional in its problématisations.

HD Industries. Land use. Labor

University of Warwick

University of Warwick

Electronic name

p

[Thesis]

276903

a

Y