INDUSTRIAL RESTRUCTURING IN A PERIOD OF CRISIS: AN ANALYSIS OF THE CANADIAN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY, 1973–83.*

The recent crisis in the North American economy is rooted in the disintegration of a particular model of capital accumulation known as Fordism. Using the empirical context of the auto industry in Canada the paper analyses the development and subsequent breakdown of Fordism and the forms taken by the restructuring which has occurred in response to the crisis.     

CONTROL OF RESOURCES AND THE RECENT DEVELOPMENT OF THE PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY IN ALBERTA

Recent petrochemical developments in Alberta are part of a global redistribution of the industry toward raw material locations. A small group of companies has secured control of these raw materials within Alberta and, as a consequence, the power to determine the future pattern of petrochemical development within the province. This pattern will reflect the requirements of the companies rather than the economic policy objectives of the Alberta government.
Les développements récents dans ľindustrie de la pétrochimie en Alberta font partie ďune redistribution globale de ľindustrie vers ses sources de matières premières. Un petit groupe de sociétés a réussi à prendre le contrle de ces matières premières en Alberta, et, par conséquent, le pouvoir de déterminer les directions dans lesquelles ľindustrie pétrochimique évoluera dans cette province. Dans une telle situation, la politique économique du gouvernement de ľAlberta cèdra la place aux besoins prioritaires déterminés par les sociétés elles-měmes.     

BEYOND THE GPN–NEW REGIONALISM DIVIDE IN CHINA: RESTRUCTURING THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY,REMAKING THE WENZHOU MODEL

This article attempts to advance the research on industrial districts and regional development through a study of the restructuring of the clothing industry in Wenzhou Municipality, a regional driver of the Chinese economy. Wenzhou is known for the Wenzhou model of development traditionally centred on family‐owned small businesses embedded in local institutions. The clothing industry is one of the leading industries in Wenzhou, and a cluster with national significance has emerged, where most of the production components can be purchased locally. However, the industry has been scaled up nationally and internationally, with the expansion of sales networks and production facilities across China, and to a lesser extent, abroad. This restructuring has changed the endogenous nature of industrial clusters/districts. The restructuring challenges the orthodox notion of the Wenzhou model and the New Regionalism literature, particularly the orthodox notion of Marshallian industrial districts that overly emphasizes small firms and local assets, and the global production network perspective that highlights coupling with global lead firms in regional development.     

SUBSTITUTION OF NATURAL GAS LIQUIDS FOR PETROLEUM IN THE SOVIET PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY

This paper examines the prospects for switching the Soviet petrochemical industry from an oil to a gas base, by substituting more natural gas liquids (NGL) for the light petroleum fractions currently used. In other countries with a large domestic gas industry, such as the United States, the petrochemical industry is based largely on natural gas liquids (NGL). Thus, with the accelerating development of its own gas industry (now the largest in the world), the USSR has the potential to change its feedstock mix to take advantage of increased NGL supplies, freeing more of the light petroleum fractions for other uses, such as transportation. However, changes in feedstock usage have been in the opposite direction, with increasing reliance on refined petroleum liquids, with little of the available NGL being used for petrochemicals. This is partly because of differences in regional availability of NGL: most of the Soviet petrochemical industry is concentrated in the Volga-Urals region, while most of Soviet hydrocarbons now are produced in West Siberia. Another factor is the small size and limited capabilities of the Soviet gas processing industry.     

沈阳市工业空间重组及其动力机制

在分析城市工业空间结构演进规律的基础上,对沈阳市改革开放以来工业空间结构的演变进行分析,发现沈阳市工业的空间扩散趋势明显,进入工业郊区化的发展阶段。城区传统工业企业外迁,优化了城区的土地利用结构。近郊工业化成效显著,成为沈阳市新的工业基地。指出工业发展和结构调整,城市土地使用制度改革,生态城市建设,跨国公司的FDI,文化观念的转变均是影响沈阳市工业空间重组的重要因素。     

NORTH AND SOUTH AT THE END OF THE MYCENAEAN AGE: ASPECTS OF AN OLD PROBLEM

Summary. The end of the Mycenaean age calls for an explanation outside the immediate Aegean area. The evidence is more likely to come from changes in habit than in the importation of objects of bronze or pottery. In order to understand events it is necessary to look beyond Greek frontiers to the Danube and Balkans. Among important changes are those in fighting tactics with a return to the sword in the Aegean and new workshop practice in Europe with more bronze forging against casting. Evidence for actual arrival of people is never likely to be conclusive; various alternatives are considered.