Contemporary Capitalism and its Crises
Social Structure of Accumulation Theory for the 21st Century

This volume analyses contemporary capitalism and its crises based on a theory of capitalist evolution known as the SSA theory.

Terrence McDonough (Edited by), Michael Reich (Edited by), David M. Kotz (Edited by)

9780521515160, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 11 January 2010

374 pages, 27 b/w illus. 17 tables
23.6 x 15.8 x 2.5 cm, 0.61 kg

'… an excellently written exposition of the current state of one of the major currents of contemporary radical political economy. Additionally, it offers intuitive analyses of many aspects of contemporary capitalist reality. As such it is necessary reading for all those interested in these crucial issues.' Stavros D. Mavroudeas, Science and Society

This volume analyses contemporary capitalism and its crises based on a theory of capitalist evolution known as the social structure of accumulation (SSA) theory. It applies this theory to explain the severe financial and economic crisis that broke out in 2008 and the kind of changes required to resolve it. The editors and contributors make available new work within this school of thought on such issues as the rise and persistence of the 'neoliberal' or 'free-market' form of capitalism since 1980 and the growing globalization and financialization of the world economy. The collection includes analyses of the US economy as well as that of several parts of the developing world.

Introduction to the volume Terrence McDonough, Michael Reich and David Kotz
Part I. The Theory of Social Structures of Accumulation: 1. The state of the art of social structure of accumulation theory Terrence McDonough
2. Social structure of accumulation theory Victor Lippit
3. A reconceptualization of social structure of accumulation theory Martin H. Wolfson and David M. Kotz
Part II. Globalization and the Contemporary Social Structure of Accumulation: 4. Global neoliberalism and the contemporary social structure of accumulation David M. Kotz and Terrence McDonough
5. Globalization of spatialization? The worldwide spatial restructuring of the labor process Michael Wallace and David Brady
6. Financialization in the contemporary social structure of accumulation William K. Tabb
7. Global neoliberalism and the possibility of transnational state structures Emlyn Nardone and Terrence McDonough
Part III. The Contemporary Social Structure of Accumulation in the United States: 8. Labor in the contemporary social structure of accumulation Sam Rosenberg
9. The rise of CEO pay and the contemporary social structure of accumulation in the U.S. Robert Boyer
10. Social structures of accumulation and the criminal justice system Susan M. Carlson, Michael D. Gillespie and Raymond J. Michalowski
Part IV. Social Structure of Accumulation Theory and Transformations of the Capitalist Periphery: 11. The social structure of accumulation in South Africa James Heintz
12. Social structures of accumulation and the condition of the working class in Mexico Carlos Salas
13. Social structures of accumulation for the Arab world: the economies of Egypt, Jordan and Kuwait in the regional system Karen Pfeifer.

Subject Areas: Political economy [KCP], Development economics & emerging economies [KCM], Economic theory & philosophy [KCA], Economics [KC], Political science & theory [JPA], Sociology [JHB]