New Divisions of Labour?: Comparative Thoughts on the Current Recession

Abstract

This article argues that it is useful to compare the current recession with that which occurred three decades ago. Drawing on research undertaken at that time by Ray Pahl, it is suggested that four questions are once again revealing in the study of the current economic downturn: ‘How have we come to be where we are currently?’, ‘Who gets what?’, ‘How do we know what we claim to know?’, and ‘What sorts of lessons can be drawn to inform thinking about the future?’ The usefulness of asking these questions is discussed, even though the answers must await further research.