Diane Perrons – författare

Austerity has dominated the policy agenda in the past decade. Although it appeared to end with the COVID-19 pandemic, a return to harsh cutbacks in the future cannot be ruled out.

In this incisive analysis, Diane Perrons shows that while austerity policies have devastating effects on people''s lives, their gendered dynamics are particularly conspicuous: budget cuts have been overwhelmingly aimed at services used by women. She shows how the gender aspects of this economic and social catastrophe intersected with a range of other factors, making the experience of austerity very different for different groups - and highly unjust. Not only that, it undermined responses to COVID-19.

She finishes by critiquing the justifications for austerity policies and asks whether there are compelling alternatives that can re-invigorate economies and societies after the pandemic, and avoid a return to austerity. This compelling book will be essential reading for activists, policymakers and students of feminist political economy everywhere.​

Globalization and Social Change takes a refreshing new perspective on globalization and widening social and spatial inequalities. Diane Perrons draws on ideas about the new economy, risk society, welfare regimes and political economy to explain the growing social and spatial divisions characteristic of our increasingly divided world.

Combining original argument with a clear exposition of the underlying processes, Perrons illustrates her points through a series of case studies linking people in rich and poor countries. She places strong emphasis on the socio-economic aspects of change, particularly changes in working patterns and living arrangements, and makes reference to the new global division of labour, declining industrial regions and widening social divisions within what she terms ''superstar regions''. Wide in scope, this new study also focuses on changing family structures, the feminization of employment, migration, work life balance and new conceptions of gender identity and gender roles.Diane Perrons'' enlightening book concludes that divisions by social class and gender are in some ways becoming more significant than divisions between nations, and suggests that new systems of social and economic organization are necessary for social peace in the new millennium.

Globalization and Social Change takes a refreshing new perspective on globalization and widening social and spatial inequalities. Diane Perrons draws on ideas about the new economy, risk society, welfare regimes and political economy to explain the growing social and spatial divisions characteristic of our increasingly divided world.

Combining original argument with a clear exposition of the underlying processes, Perrons illustrates her points through a series of case studies linking people in rich and poor countries. She places strong emphasis on the socio-economic aspects of change, particularly changes in working patterns and living arrangements, and makes reference to the new global division of labour, declining industrial regions and widening social divisions within what she terms ''superstar regions''. Wide in scope, this new study also focuses on changing family structures, the feminization of employment, migration, work life balance and new conceptions of gender identity and gender roles.Diane Perrons'' enlightening book concludes that divisions by social class and gender are in some ways becoming more significant than divisions between nations, and suggests that new systems of social and economic organization are necessary for social peace in the new millennium.

Through detailed comparative analysis and case studies from France, Norway, Sweden, the UK and the US, this collection demonstrates how, despite globalisation and the spread of neo-liberalism, states still exercise some autonomy in terms of the implementation of equalities and ''city time'' policies. These policies affect people''s capacity to organise their daily lives and ameliorate the adverse impact of new working patterns. However, the authors also show that, despite the proliferation of work-life balance policies which potentially encourage a greater reconciliation of caring and paid work, inequalities in the distribution of paid work and caring between men and women remain remarkably resilient.

Bringing together academic analysis and policy studies, Gender Divisions and Working Time in the New Economy will appeal to students and scholars of comparative social policy, economic sociology, economic geography and sociology. In particular, those with an interest in issues of employment relationships, gender, welfare states, working time, work-life balance and ''city time'' will find the book to be of great value.