The end of full employment : a comparative study of the social and political implications of unemployment in Great Britain and France, 1973-1979
The end of full employment : a comparative study of the social and political implications of unemployment in Great Britain and France, 1973-1979
In this thesis the implications of increases in unemployment between 1973 and 1979 are examined in relation to the British and French experience. The two main areas of concern are the British and French states' changing definition of unemployment, as manifested through economic and unemployment policies, and different forms of opposition which emerged in response to these processes. After an initial consideration of theories of the state and the significance of ideology and legitimation, these areas are linked to a discussion of the nature of 'oppositional groups' and their alternatives to state policies. The changing nature of employment and increasing unemployment are considered within the context of industrial decline and restructuring. It is argued that state intervention and reactions to these phenomena led to the abandonment of 'full employment' as a definer of economic and employment policy. State policy after 1973 became increasingly concerned with the unemployed rather than unemployment. In terms of opposition to unemployment, it is argued that the failure of opposition in Britain and France was determined by the different structures and alternatives of oppositional groups; no overall alternative, equivalent to the state's policy, was forthcoming. As a focus for these themes, the examples of the steel industries of Britain and France are examined. Throughout the thesis the element of comparison is used to illustrate differences between Britain and France but also to point to the underlying similarity of responses to unemployment by both the state and oppositional groups.
University of Southampton
Thomas, Gareth David
18c0b184-f1f1-4fe1-9447-dc6bea19d1f7
1983
Thomas, Gareth David
18c0b184-f1f1-4fe1-9447-dc6bea19d1f7
Thomas, Gareth David
(1983)
The end of full employment : a comparative study of the social and political implications of unemployment in Great Britain and France, 1973-1979.
University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.
Record type:
Thesis
(Doctoral)
Abstract
In this thesis the implications of increases in unemployment between 1973 and 1979 are examined in relation to the British and French experience. The two main areas of concern are the British and French states' changing definition of unemployment, as manifested through economic and unemployment policies, and different forms of opposition which emerged in response to these processes. After an initial consideration of theories of the state and the significance of ideology and legitimation, these areas are linked to a discussion of the nature of 'oppositional groups' and their alternatives to state policies. The changing nature of employment and increasing unemployment are considered within the context of industrial decline and restructuring. It is argued that state intervention and reactions to these phenomena led to the abandonment of 'full employment' as a definer of economic and employment policy. State policy after 1973 became increasingly concerned with the unemployed rather than unemployment. In terms of opposition to unemployment, it is argued that the failure of opposition in Britain and France was determined by the different structures and alternatives of oppositional groups; no overall alternative, equivalent to the state's policy, was forthcoming. As a focus for these themes, the examples of the steel industries of Britain and France are examined. Throughout the thesis the element of comparison is used to illustrate differences between Britain and France but also to point to the underlying similarity of responses to unemployment by both the state and oppositional groups.
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Published date: 1983
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Local EPrints ID: 459877
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/459877
PURE UUID: b4c0819a-e491-4418-bab4-33dc3b23c2a4
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Date deposited: 04 Jul 2022 17:21
Last modified: 23 Jul 2022 00:58
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Author:
Gareth David Thomas
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