Upstate Down: Thinking about New York and its Discontents

(Paperback)

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Upstate New York is in a malaise. This husband and wife team of sociologists, Alexander Thomas and Polly Smith, wanted to know why. They take the reader on a tour of New York in order to diagnose the problems affecting the state and what can be done to address the issues. New York was built on the strengths of its strategic location and growing population to become the 'Empire State' during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. But a combination of unfortunate decisions and the creation of new technologies in which New York was no more competitive than other states translated into New York losing its dominant position in the world economy. The result has been several decades of deindustrialization and population loss. This book includes recommendations for ideas that can be further developed by the public.

Author Bio

Alexander R. Thomas is associate professor of sociology at SUNY College at Oneonta, New York. He is the author of In Gotham's Shadow: Globalization and Community Change in Central New York and Gilboa: New York's Quest for Water and the Destruction of a Small Town.Polly J. Smith is assistant professor of sociology at Utica College, New York. She is the author of The Impact of Military Desegregation on Segregation Patterns in American Cities and co-author (with Alexander R. Thomas) of Spotlight on Social Research.