Uneven Development in Southern Europe : Studies of Accumulation, Class, Migration and the State

First published in 1985, Uneven Development in Southern Europe is an essential reference in the analysis of the significant changes that have taken place within southern Europe. The shifts within the region’s economic, political and social structures raise important questions about the nature of uneven development, the meaning of dependency and the political consequences of social change. These underlying processes are reflected in debates on issues such as the protracted process of the Mediterranean enlargement of the European Community, the plight of ‘guest workers’ in northern Europe and the competition presented by goods and produce from southern Europe.

Within the broad framework of tendencies in the movements of labour and capital that are outlined in the introduction, successive chapters examine the regional and national impact of labour migration and return, evaluate the social consequences of new forms of agricultural production or industrial investment and demonstrate the relationships between uneven development and the growing crisis of legitimacy of southern European states. The emphasis on detailed case studies ensures that the key theoretical questions are addressed with unusual precision, while individual chapters also provide useful insights for those interested in France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain or Turkey in their own right. The book will be of interest to students of development, economy, history and migration.

Ray Hudson, Jim Lewis