| The United States has experienced a profound change during the past several decades, namely economic restructuring. This shift has been defined by a loss of manufacturing jobs (deindustrialization) and an increase in service-sector positions (postindustrialization). During the same period, many American cities fell into distress. Many scholars and politicians blamed the rise in urban distress on economic restructuring. Others identified deindustrialization as a cause of the urban crisis and growth in the service sector as a chance of recovery. This study examined the effect of deindustrialization and economic restructuring on economic and social distress from 1970 to 1980 and 1980 to 1990. It also tested the relationship between economic distress and social distress. All U.S. cities with populations of 25,000 or more in 1970, 1980, and 1990 were included in the analysis. I examined effects for all cities first. I then examined size effects by dividing cities into large and small. Finally, I accounted for regional 1 differentiation by analyzing cities of the Rustbelt, Old South, and New Sunbelt separately. Structural equation models with latent variables were used to analyze the data.; Results of the measurement model demonstrate that social distress is reliably measured with rates of crime, female-headed families, high school noncompletion, and crime. Economic distress may measured reliably with rates of unemployment and family poverty as well as median family income. Though economic restructuring may be reliably measured with change in manufacturing jobs and change in service-sector jobs, these variables were considered separately to avoid the obscuring of effects.; The causal models revealed several general findings. First, economic distress was causally prior to social distress. Second, deindustrialization led to an increase in economic distress across all categories of cities. Third, growth in service-sector employment alleviated economic distress. Finally, economic restructuring did not have a direct effect on social distress. The effect of economic restructuring on social distress occurred through its effect on economic distress. |
