Labor Parties in Postindustrial Societies (Europe and the International Order) - Softcover

9780195209273: Labor Parties in Postindustrial Societies (Europe and the International Order)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0195209273 ISBN 13: 9780195209273

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1992

The political landscape created by industrialization in the first half of the twentieth century has become increasingly unstable as the industrial labor force contracts, eroding support for labor parties on a global scale. This volume examines challenges faced by labor in the West over the
last decade, through a comparative study of labor-based political parties in the United States, England, France, West Germany, Sweden, Israel and Canada. The contributors, internationally-recognized sociologists and political scientists, examine factors contributing to the growth, maintenance or
decline of these parties, while Piven offers a comprehensive overview of labor politics and shows how the history of labor parties in other countries helps make sense of the postwar history of the Democratic party in the U.S.

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About the Author:

Frances Fox Piven is at Graduate Center, City University of New York.

Review:

"Indispensable to anyone interested in comparative political parties. Labor parties are in a dramatic transition period in the West, and Piven's effort here emphasizes the need to take steps to understand that transition."--Anthony R. Brunello, Eckerd College

"An excellent, well-balanced set of analyses of the situation in democratic left parties....Must reading for anyone interested in the subject."--Seymour Martin Lipset, George Mason University

"We possess no better guide to the predicaments currently faced by the political parties of the Left in western Europe and North America. This collection's learned essays by some of the most creative scholars in the field constitute a rousing brew of careful evidence and speculative theory.
Equally important, they present compelling ideas about how to restore the capacity of the Left, and in this way, widen the scope of democratic choice."--Ira Katznelson

"Most observers are aware of the dramatic changes in fortunes recently affecting labor and social democratic movements in the advanced countries, but few of us have a clear understanding of the sources and implications of those changes. This collection of essays makes great strides toward
helping to fill that gap. Neither fatalistic nor Panglossian, the essays provide sane and sober assessments of the plight and prospects of labor parties throughout the leading democracies. The book couldn't be more timely or more useful."--David Gordon

"A very useful collection of excellent papers by knowledgeable specialists on western political systems. This will be a valuable resource for advanced students of comparative politics in Europe and North America."--D. Bruce Marshall, University of South Carolina

"Provides an excellent overview of the fate of labor-based parties in a range of countries as they negotiate the uncertain waters of the resulting new postindustrial politics....A formidable accomplishment and well worth reading. This volume is a timely and much needed addition to the
literature on labor movements and political parties generally."--Labor History

"Piven's volume has a wealth of interesting case studies....A useful supplementary text for courses on European politics and social democracy."--Contemporary Sociology

"A very fine collection of essays that coheres well, and adds to our understanding of the Left in important ways."--American Journal of Sociology

"A provocative account of the consequences of sociological change and government policies for insider-outsider boundaries in the German welfare state. Its essays provide, the sharpness of many individual analyses, and in the conclusion that political responses to industrial and social change
continue to be both crucial and varied."--Steward Wood, Harvard University

"Excellent....A most stimulating and readable anthology."--Industrial and Labor Relations Review

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