Capitalism Rebooted?

Work, Welfare, and the New Economy

Edited by Wayne Antony, Dave Broad

The so-called New Economy, based on huge advances in information and communication technologies, economic globalization and neoliberalism, promised to expand economic opportunities and growth, provide stimulating and well-paid jobs, reduce inequalities and develop the Third World. But the experiences of the past two decades have hardly been positive for workers and their families. While there have been significant economic and workplace changes, these changes have not been the boon to working people that was predicted. In fact, as the authors of this book show, there is significant unemployment and underemployment, including for knowledge workers. Management strategies continue to be authoritarian, and work presents new dangers to our health. Meanwhile, social services have been ripped apart. “New Economy” is simply the name being given to current attempts to reboot a very old and exploitative economic system. However, there are signs a truly new economy is possible, as trade unions, working people and progressive social movements continue the struggle for social justice.

Contents

• Introduction
• The New Economy: Are All Our Woes Virtually Solved? (Dave Broad and Wayne Antony)
• Capitalism Rebooted: Is the New Economy Really all that New? (Dave Broad and Wayne Antony)
• Where’s The Work? Labour Market Trends and the New Economy (Dave Broad, Jane Cruikshank, and James P. Mulvale)
• Managing Change: Organizational and Management Responses to the New Economy (Janice Foley)
• Lifelong Learning and the New Economy: Education or Ideology? (Jane Cruikshank)
• Stresses and Strains: Workers’ Health and the New Economy (Michael Polanyi)
• From Welfare to Workfare: Public Policy for the New Economy (Garson Hunter and Dionne Miazdyck-Shield)
• Solidarity Forever in Cyberspace? Responses of the Labour Movement to Information and Communication Technologies (James P. Mulvale)
• New Economy or New Society? A Change Is Gonna Come (Dave Broad)

About the Authors

Wayne Antony is a publisher at Fernwood Publishing. He is also a founding member of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives–Manitoba (CCPA-MB) and has been on the board of directors since its inception. Prior to becoming involved with the CCPA-MB, he worked with the Winnipeg political activist organizations, Socialist Education Centre and Thin Ice. Wayne also taught sociology at the University of Winnipeg for eighteen years. He is co-author of three reports on the state of public services in Manitoba (for CCAP-MB) and is co-editor (with Les Samuelson) of Power and Resistance: Critical Thinking about Canadian Social Issues  and Citizens or Consumers? Social Policy in a Market Society and Capitalism Rebooted? Work and Welfare in the New Economy (both with Dave Broad). He is also co-editor (with Julie Guard) of the up-coming book, Bankruptcies and Bailouts.

Dave Broad is a Professor of Social Policy in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Regina, Saskatchewan. His publications include (with Ron Bourgeault) 1492-1992: Five Centuries of Imperialism and Resistance; (with Wayne Antony) Citizens Or Consumers? Social Policy in a Market Society; and Hollow Work, Hollow Society? Globalization and the Casual Labour Problem.

Excerpt

Download PDF