Dualism and Discontinuity in Industrial Societies

Originally published in 1980, the essays in this volume analyse a family of phenomena in advanced industrial societies for which neither liberal nor Marxist theories provide a systematic explanation. Berger and Piore argue that these phenomena represent a structural solution to the economic and political problems of distributing economic uncertainty and preserving political stability. The discontinuities in industrial societies are not the product of incomplete modernisation but of political and economic choices that perpetuate and recreate segmentation to protect critical political and economic mechanisms. Studies by Piore examine the labour market and its relationship to technological innovation and capital investment, whilst those by Berger explore the social foundation of political parties and the formation of state policy as it emerges from competitive political forces.

Preface; 1. Overview; Part I. An Economic Approach: 2. Dualism as a response to flux and uncertainty Michael J. Piore; 3. The technological foundations of dualism and discontinuity Michael J. Piore; Part II. A Political Approach: 4. The traditional sector in France and Italy Suzanne Berger; 5. Discontinuity in the politics of industrial society Suzanne Berger; Selected bibliography; Index.

The essays in this 1980 volume analyse the fundamental macroeconomic and political structures of contemporary society. Studies by Piore examine the labor market and its relationship to technological innovation and capital investment, whilst Berger's explore the social foundation of political parties and the formation of state policy.