A Tale of Two Towns: Globalization and Rural Deindustrialization in the U.S.
In: WorkingUSASearch for other papers by Peter Cole in
Current site
Google Scholar
This article examines the experiences of two rural communities that, since the advent of the North American Free Trade Agreement, lost major employers. Rural deindustrialization has struck the Midwest particularly hard. While the disappearance of hundreds or thousands of jobs is devastating, some small towns have adapted faster than others. Farmington, Missouri has, for now, weathered the storm far better than another small town, Galesburg, Illinois. This article seeks to do something other than retell a familiar, if generally accurate, story about the suffering caused by the current wave of globalization, facilitated by trade deals. Rather, it will explore the possibility that corporate-driven globalization is not an unmitigated disaster for rural America and rural Americans. Rather, some towns struggle but persevere, some suffer tremendously, while still others create jobs, although all jobs seem ever more insecure in the increasingly global economy.
Purchase
Buy instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Institutional Login
Log in with Open Athens, Shibboleth, or your institutional credentials
Personal login
Log in with your brill.com account
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 421 | 101 | 8 |
| Full Text Views | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 16 | 0 | 0 |
A Tale of Two Towns: Globalization and Rural Deindustrialization in the U.S.
In: WorkingUSASearch for other papers by Peter Cole in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
This article examines the experiences of two rural communities that, since the advent of the North American Free Trade Agreement, lost major employers. Rural deindustrialization has struck the Midwest particularly hard. While the disappearance of hundreds or thousands of jobs is devastating, some small towns have adapted faster than others. Farmington, Missouri has, for now, weathered the storm far better than another small town, Galesburg, Illinois. This article seeks to do something other than retell a familiar, if generally accurate, story about the suffering caused by the current wave of globalization, facilitated by trade deals. Rather, it will explore the possibility that corporate-driven globalization is not an unmitigated disaster for rural America and rural Americans. Rather, some towns struggle but persevere, some suffer tremendously, while still others create jobs, although all jobs seem ever more insecure in the increasingly global economy.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 421 | 101 | 8 |
| Full Text Views | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 16 | 0 | 0 |
