Author Description

This book is part of the series "The Library of Political Economy" which examines the interaction between economics and the technical, social, and political environment. In Social Innovation and the Division of Labour, Jonathan Gershuny proposes a new model of economic development for countries of the `First World`. Explaining all technical terms, he examines the way in which the increased use of `informal modes of production, for example, in domestic services, transport facilities, and entertainment, promoted economic growth in the 1950s and 1960s. Gershuny asks important questions about the future impact of technological changes on work patterns and the division of labour between the sexes, and the welfare state. He addresses the challenges of the future, such as the use of Information Technology to increase productivity in the public sector, and he raises the issue of securing full employment and the problems which this entails. Readership: sixth form and undergraduate students of economics, politics, sociology, and administration.