International Issues in Social Economy: Studies in the United States and Greece

(Hardback)

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This groundbreaking contribution to the comparative development literature offers a cogent analysis of social development in the economies of two vastly differing nations--one a giant nation oriented toward capitalism, the other a small country oriented toward socialism. Taking specific cases of socioeconomic development in each country, the authors build a basis for analyzing and evaluating the success of related social changes in each country. The conceptual framework developed introduces the notion of social contract and the related concepts of worker participation and community development in the corporate economy of both nations. The authors address issues such as professional elitism, changes in the role of labor, and social policies for business--comparing and contrasting the experiences of each nation. Specific cases drawn from other countries, including Israel and Yugoslavia, further describe important traits of regional and community development in modern economies.

Reviews

In this comparative study of social change in the US (an advanced economy facing the challenges of postindustrial development) and in Greece (a much smaller developing nation that needs to adjust old institutions to new conditions), the authors are concerned about the corrosive power of the market system within the social economy. They explore the general question, How can we overcome the problems of the competitive market without increasing government growth' To proceed with their analysis, the authors examine developments in worker self-governance and community self-governance in both nations over the past 25 years. Although they see some progress in the US through such programs as employee stock ownership plans and voluntary business associations, they note that efforts of the socialist-oriented government in Greece since 1981 have had limited success in legislating wider worker involvement in economic development. Despite these somewhat negative conclusions, they remain hopeful of continued progress, and they urge all nations to design systems promoting participation and accountability that will contribute to the development of socially responsive systems governed by socially aware citizens in the years ahead. The volume is a useful introduction to aspects of international and comparative economics, and it could be of interest to readers unfamiliar with cooperative approaches to achieving increased worker involvement in the ownership and operation of business. Upper-division and graduate collections.-Choice
"In this comparative study of social change in the US (an advanced economy facing the challenges of postindustrial development) and in Greece (a much smaller developing nation that needs to adjust old institutions to new conditions), the authors are concerned about the corrosive power of the market system within the social economy. They explore the general question, How can we overcome the problems of the competitive market without increasing government growth' To proceed with their analysis, the authors examine developments in worker self-governance and community self-governance in both nations over the past 25 years. Although they see some progress in the US through such programs as employee stock ownership plans and voluntary business associations, they note that efforts of the socialist-oriented government in Greece since 1981 have had limited success in legislating wider worker involvement in economic development. Despite these somewhat negative conclusions, they remain hopeful of continued progress, and they urge all nations to design systems promoting participation and accountability that will contribute to the development of socially responsive systems governed by socially aware citizens in the years ahead. The volume is a useful introduction to aspects of international and comparative economics, and it could be of interest to readers unfamiliar with cooperative approaches to achieving increased worker involvement in the ownership and operation of business. Upper-division and graduate collections."-Choice

Author Bio

SEVERYN T. BRUYN is Professor of Sociology at Boston College. LITSA NICOLAOU-SMOKOVITI is Associate Professor at the Piraeus Graduate School of Industrial Studies.