Distributed for University of British Columbia Press
Solidarity First
Canadian Workers and Social Cohesion
"An important and timely book that engages a uniquely critical perspective on the liberal ideology of social cohesion from a labour perspective. I can think of no other source with the depth of analysis and range of case studies."
– Colin Mooers, editor of The New Imperialists: Ideologies of Empire
As working people’s lives become increasingly fragmented, competitive, and unequal, debates about social cohesion capture the unease of contemporary society over growing economic restructuring. Solidarity First examines the concept and practice of social cohesion in terms of its impact on, and significance for, workers in Canada. It will be of interest to students and scholars in the fields of public policy, political science, sociology, and labour studies.
252 pages | © 2008
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
1 Introduction: Canadian Workers and Social Cohesion / Robert O’Brien
Part 1: Conceptualizing Social Cohesion
2 Gendering the Concept of Social Cohesion through an Understanding of Women and Work / Belinda Leach and Charlotte Yates
3 Social Cohesion, International Competitiveness, and the "Other": A Connected Comparison of Workers’ Relationships in Canada and Mexico / Holly Gibbs
Part 2: Constructing Social Cohesion
4 Workplace Cohesion and the Fragmentation of Solidarity: The Magna Model / Wayne Lewchuk and Don Wells
5 Working Time and Labour Control in the Toyota Production System / Mark Thomas
6 Cultural Production and Social Cohesion amid the Decline of Coal and Steel: The Case of Cape Breton Island / Larry Haiven
Part 3: Internationalizing Social Cohesion
7 Civil Society Targets the International / Robert O’Brien
8 International Labour Norms and Worker Disorganization in Canada / Roy Adams
9 ILO Action on "The Scope of the Employment Relationship": Lessons from Canada on the Gendered Limits of Fostering Social Cohesion / Leah F. Vosko
10 Conclusion: Beyond Social Cohesion / Robert O’Brien
Notes
References
List of Contributors
Index