The Deindustrialization Of The Northern Industrial Districts Of The United States, 1960s-1980s

In1960-1980s, underlying the high rates of unemployment, a widespread, systematic disinvestment happened in the United States, which Barry Bluestone and Bennett Harrison called "deindustrialization". Actually, deindustrialization not only means high rates of unemployment and the sluggish growth in domestic economy of the U. S., but also means the transformation of economy and employment structure in this period. Currently, the study of the issue in US is very thorough, but much less in China.This paper will start from the development of the theories of this issue, the development and the social influence of the process of deindustrialization.The first part analyzes the background and causes of the deindustrialization. The economic growth of America after Worlds War II and the process of globalization caused the process of restructuring and decentralization of the traditional manufacturing in the industrial districts in the northern America. As the growing centralization and concentration of the organization of production, many manufacturing plants moved from industrial districts in the northern America to the South or the West, even overseas. The plant closings and retrenchments in the most basic industries in northern America, lead to the process of deindustrialization.The second part introduces the essence of deindustrialization by the view of restructuring and regional redistribution of manufacturing, taking Detroit, Cleveland, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles City as examples. High technology reshaping the industrial and spatial structure, it is the key to analyzing deindustrialization.The third part analyzes the influence of deindustrialization, concerned about the restructuring of employment and class structure in the U.S. In 1960-1980s, Deindustrialization also caused the dualism of the industrial cities in the northern America. Population redistribution shifts in the U.S. The process of suburbanization and de-concentration of population contributes to the process of SCSAs.In the end summarize the influence and the real meaning of deindustrialization, taking out the viewpoints of the author.