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Social Polarisation or Professionalisation? Another Look at Theory and Evidence on Deindustrialisation and the Rise of the Service Sector

Author

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  • Jacqueline Borel-Saladin

    (Department of Sociology, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, Western Cape, 7701, South Africa, jsaladin@iafrica.com)

  • Owen Crankshaw

    (Department of Sociology, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, Western Cape, 7701, South Africa, Owen.Crankshaw@uct.ac.za)

Abstract

The debate over whether or not the deindustrialisation of cities is accompanied by the occupational and income polarisation of their working populations has been characterised by some confusion over the relationship between incomes and occupations in the service sector. Specifically, many scholars have misunderstood the significance of middle-income service-sector occupations for their interpretations of the post-industrial class structure of cities. Through a comparative study of deindustrialisation in Cape Town, evidence is presented to show that the growth of service-sector employment can produce a large middle-income occupational class of clerks, sales and personal services workers. The growth of this class can offset the decline of middle-income jobs caused by the loss of artisans, machine operators and drivers in the declining manufacturing sector. These results therefore suggest that many studies have overestimated the extent of occupational polarisation and underestimated the extent of professionalisation.

Suggested Citation

  • Jacqueline Borel-Saladin & Owen Crankshaw, 2009. "Social Polarisation or Professionalisation? Another Look at Theory and Evidence on Deindustrialisation and the Rise of the Service Sector," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 46(3), pages 645-664, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:46:y:2009:i:3:p:645-664
    DOI: 10.1177/0042098008100999
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Chris Hamnett, 1994. "Social Polarisation in Global Cities: Theory and Evidence," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 31(3), pages 401-424, April.
    2. Nicoli Nattrass & Richard Walker, 2005. "Unemployment And Reservation Wages In Working‐Class Cape Town," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 73(3), pages 498-509, September.
    3. Chris Hamnett, 1996. "Social Polarisation, Economic Restructuring and Welfare State Regimes," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 33(8), pages 1407-1430, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Chris Hamnett, 2011. "Urban Social Polarization," Chapters, in: Ben Derudder & Michael Hoyler & Peter J. Taylor & Frank Witlox (ed.), International Handbook of Globalization and World Cities, chapter 32, Edward Elgar Publishing.

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