Place,exile and identity: the contemporary experience of Palestinians in Sydney

Statelessness, displacement and exile, far from being particular moments in history, continue to affect the lives of Palestinians living in Sydney, in the maintenance of national identity and community formation. The impacts that displacement and subsequent ‘statelessness’ have had on the ways in which Palestinians maintain a sense of national identity have similarities with those of other ‘displaced’ peoples. Without the recognition of national boundaries to secure national sovereignty (Palestine) and accommodate the continuation of a shared and inherited history, the most significant element through which Palestinian identity is kept ‘alive’ is the one thing that all Palestinians share: a communal sense of injustice which involves being denied the right to live in, or return to, their homeland. Statelessness, nationalism and the now ‘imagined community’ of Palestine are more crucial for Palestinians living in Sydney than more primordial elements of identity, such as language or local community. Statelessness and exile in Australia have constructed a particular sense of Palestinian nationalism. The continuity of Palestinian identity as a primarily political phenomenon is a situation analogous to that of other diasporic refugee communities.     

SPATIAL CONSTRAINTS ON RURAL WOMEN WORKERS

Rural women represent an increasingly differentiated labor force, but do they experience the “friction of distance” entailed by the emergence of distinct metropolitan and nonmetropolitan labor markets in different ways? This paper uses survey data to examine the differential impacts of spatial constraints on groups of women workers. Cluster analysis is used to differentiate the labor force experiences of our employed survey respondents; significant differences exist in the transportation resources and labor force participation decisions among the three clusters identified and there is some indication that these differences also pose problems for intermittent participants in the labor force. The paper presents conclusions about concrete ways that space intervenes to shape (rather than merely contain) labor-force participation.     

CONTAINMENT AND MISMATCH: GENDER DIFFERENCES IN COMMUTING IN METROPOLITAN LABOR MARKETS

The spatial containment of women relative to men remains a prominent theme in research on women's employment in American cities. Drawing on a dataset for all metropolitan areas in the United States in 1990, this research analyzes the contextual variability of containment effects and the link between localized commutes and the incidence of occupational sex segregation. Women's more localized commutes persist across most of the urban system, with particularly wide differentials in suburban labor markets in proximity to national service and finance centers. Treatment effects models confirm that differences in the extent of local labor markets among women reinforce occupational sex segregation, but the effect varies by mode of travel. Working close to home slightly increases the likelihood of segregation for women with access to private automobiles, suggestive of spatial containment. Among women reliant on bus transportation, spatial mismatch is so severe that even poorly paid secondary jobs require long commutes.     

Seasonal Migrant Labor in the Forest Industry of the Southeastern United States: The Impact of H-2B Employment on Guatemalan Livelihoods

Migrant labor is a global phenomenon and remittances of migrant workers from non-industrial nations can play an important role in improving quality of life at family, community, and national levels. We focus on workers from Guatemala who obtain visas from the United States (US) Department of Immigration’s H-2B program that allow them to spend six or seven months a year planting and maintaining pine plantations in the southeastern US. Forestry is economically important in this region and the industry has come to depend on migrant labor. Our specific interest is how the H-2B program affects livelihood strategies of these workers, their families, and their communities. Based on primary data from 49 interviews conducted in eight Guatemalan communities, we explain motivations to engage in seasonal migration and positive changes brought about by the H-2B program in nutrition, housing, healthcare and long-term investments in agricultural lands, microenterprise development, education, and family stability.     

Home-Work Links,Labor Markets,and the Construction of Place in Lawrence,Massachusetts, 1929–1939

This paper addresses the issue of how to combine, on one hand, the everyday links that are established and maintained between home and work, and on the other, the demand-driven social regulation of labor markets. It is argued that by taking an approach acknowledging the complexity of networks and the “constellations of relations” involved in forming local labor markets, we can better understand the meshing of divisions of labor at home and at work, in concert with the demands of local employers. In this respect, the roles of households, ethnic communities, and employers are taken to be critical and interdependent in forming local labor markets and, ultimately, constructing places. Census and archival data are used from Lawrence, Massachusetts to examine these issues through the situation of woolen mill workers of the 1920s and 1930s.     

Human capital requirements in Singapore's international financial centre

International financial centres (IFCs) are regarded as important nodes in governing global flows of money and capital. With increased globalization and rapid technological changes, the rivalry among IFCs has further intensified competition for financial labour—as a concentrated pool of highly skilled finance workers in an open and flexible labour market is crucial to sustaining the competitive dynamics of these urban financial hotspots. This study investigates the importance of different skills and tasks in financial work. Based on surveys and interviews conducted among Singapore's IFC workers, the findings show that cognitive, interpersonal communication and managerial-leadership skills and tasks are more important in financial work, whereas programming, mathematics and systems-based skills are perceived to be less important. Additionally, a network visualization of finance occupational skills obtained from Singapore's national skills database reinforces the importance of cognitive and relational skills in that sector. Higher-order cognitive and relational skills are expected to become even more critical as the financial sector undergoes rapid digital transformation, reinforcing the importance of IFCs as agglomerations of skilled finance talent.     

International knowledge mobility and urban development in rapidly globalizing areas: building global hubs for talent in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

This paper examines the processes through which the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai attract and integrate knowledge workers into their labor markets. It focuses on how the UAE has acquired the human capital to create post-oil economies, deploying its oil windfalls into massive urban development strategies in order to create global hubs for talent. More significantly, it analyzes how the UAE’s strategies and frameworks for attracting global knowledge flows ultimately determine the degree to which expatriate knowledge embeds locally. Presentation of results from a large-scale human capital survey of firms in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as key-informant interviews with senior human resource administrators at these firms, demonstrate these processes.     

After the 1997 financial crisis in Bangkok: The behaviour and implications of a new cohort of street vendors

After the 1997 financial crisis, many retrenched workers preferred not to return to provincial homes but remained in Bangkok to establish informal retail businesses in branded and other consumer products. In contrast to traditional street vendors, who specialized in food items primarily catering for low‐income customers, and focused on high volume, these ‘new generation’ street vendors also adopted more formal business practices. Given their greater sophistication and better education, we hypothesized that they would be more organized advocates of vendors' rights and thus more prone to conflicts with municipal authorities. Based on interviews, however, we found that new generation vendors are adaptive to location and business strategy, and prefer a low profile in dealing with officialdom. By contrast, traditional vendors remained more tied to particular spaces, are more likely to stand up for their rights to use public space and, because they expect more from government, are more prone to conflicts with municipal authorities. Our findings relate to ongoing discussion on the rights and needs of street vendors to access urban public space and the responsibilities of authorities to meet and provide for these informal sector livelihoods that make up a significant share of the national economy in Thailand, as elsewhere in the global South.     

FARM LABORERS AND THE “NEW URBAN POLITICS”: BRIDGING THE URBAN-RURAL DIVIDE

This paper examines the provision of services to farm labor as an extension of the “new urban politics.” The new urban politics have focused on the position of cities in the emerging global economy and the efforts of elite agents in cities to manipulate that position. The issues involved in service provision, however, blend the scale and economic development questions currently at the center of debate in urban political analyses with questions of identity and of the changing meaning of “urban.” Concern for farm workers on the urban-rural fringe enhances understandings of local politics in three ways. First, it draws attention to the wide array of political agents operating at the local level. Second, the role of scale in creating uneven development within metropolitan areas is highlighted. Third, attention to the politics of service provision for farm labor makes clear the need to re-evaluate urban-rural dichotomies and their role in shaping local politics. Incorporating these issues into theories of local politics makes it possible to examine the ambiguity, political contentiousness, and new spaces for identity formation posed by the changing morphology and meaning of metropolitan areas.     

从跨国广告业看全球化和全球城市——以中国广告业为例

本文从广告业的视角出发 ,分析了伴随全球生产者服务业空间布局的扩张而来的区域市场和空间结构的重塑。研究的主要发现为 :(1)在跨国公司的支配下 ,中国广告业在生产组织上逐渐向专业代理演化 ,在行业规范上也逐渐向 4A的主流靠拢 ;(2 )中国广告业在上海、北京、广州三大城市的集中 ,体现了在全球化过程中形成的“区域性服务业市场” ;(3)由于市场规模大 ,中国广告业有可能向“前端” (产品定位和沟通策略 )发展 ;(4 )由于中国幅员广大 ,进入区域市场需要不同的媒体计划 ,也使得广告的全球标准化产品产出更多的地方版本。在理论争论方面 ,本文认为全球城市是都市区域全球化制度和空间的中介。     

THE URBAN LABOR MARKET IN MEXICO: GLOBAL CHANGE,INFORMALITY, AND SOCIAL POLARIZATION

In this study I argue that Mexico's integration into the global economy has increased the dependent nature of its capitalist development and has resulted in the weakening of organized labor and growth of the informal sector. Neoliberal policies in Mexico have accentuated the disparities between the formal and informal sectors and between highly paid skilled workers and those working in unskilled and poorly paid occupations. New forms of geographic dispersion and agglomeration of economic activities contribute to the reproduction of differentiated labor markets in various regions and cities. This is particularly true in those areas most affected by the global economy, such as the major metropolitan areas and the northern regions of the country.

The main changes in the urban labor market associated with economic restructuring in Mexico during the 1980s are analyzed. The paper makes three main points: (1) the ability of the formal sector and especially industry to absorb labor has declined, and there is a clear trend toward a tertiarization of the economy; (2) the informal sector has experienced rapid growth, particularly in small firms and other less productive economic activities; and (3) the occupational structure displays more marginal employment and signs of polarization between the proportions of jobs with the highest and lowest levels of skill.     

中国三大城市化区域劳动力市场结构分割研究

本文考察了长三角、珠三角和京津唐三大城市化区域的中国劳动力市场空间与结构类型。基于劳动力市场分异和分割理论．本研究利用全国综合社会调查数据显示了研究区域内劳动力市场分异分割存在的大量证据。劳动力市场以性别、户口性质、企业所有制等为分异轴线的特征十分明显。文章还进一步指出了中国劳动力市场不仅是由劳动力的供求市场关系来塑造。同时也受制于各种制度性因素的作用。人力资本因素如教育等虽然是中国劳动市场分异的重要因素,但户口等制度性要素仍然严重地塑造着劳动力市场的分割。     

青岛城市道路邻近中心性及其应用方法

以青岛为实证研究区域,从理论角度探讨了道路全局和局部邻近中心性的地理含义及其各自优缺点,认为全局邻近中心性(GCC)反映的是网络上各点到网络“质心”的距离,可从全局角度反映区位重要性;局部邻近中心性(LCC)反映小范围空间区域的重心,与局部路网密度相关。进一步根据核密度估计(KDE)的机理证明,在城市地理空间结构的实际应用案例中适宜采用KDE法来进行空间分析。本文以手机话务量数据反映的城市居民活动空间结构为例讨论了邻近中心性核密度估计(CC-KDE)的应用,发现与居民活动相关性最高的是核密度全局邻近中心性(GCC-KDE),因为全局邻近中心性核密度估计(GCC-KDE)综合了到网络“质心”距离与道路网络局部密度双重因素,故反映城市人口等与道路密度相关的社会经济现象更有效。     

McDonald's or Golani Junction? A Case of a Contested Place in Israel

This paper investigates the conflict that arose as the result of opening a McDonald's restaurant adjacent to a national shrine in Israel. This conflict transformed Golani Junction, previously associated with the meanings assigned to the Golani memorial, into a contested place and a controversial issue. The paper outlines the conflict and the attempts to reach a compromise solution. The main argument is that the conflict reflects the notion prevalent among those dedicated to the memorial site and to the values it enshrines that the restaurant defies the sacred character of the place and marginalized the memorial in the local landscape. The conflict of meaning is also associated with McDonald's being construed as a prominent symbol of the alleged Americanization of Israeli society and culture. With this, the controversial character of the Golani Junction is also an aspect of a wider debate concerning cultural identity in Israel. Beyond the local context and specific issues involved, the controversies that transform the Golani Junction into a contested place demonstrate how conflicting interpretations of place and the politics of its meaning are formulated in terms of landscape features and architectural details.     

世界核电工业发展及地理格局综合解析

核电工业的发展和布局,与国际气候变化谈判、地缘政治和国家安全、以及国家竞争优势等密切相关,对全球核电工业空间格局演变及国家核电产业竞争力的研究具有重要的理论与实践意义。基于世界34个核电国家和198座核电厂数据,本文首先梳理了世界核电工业的发展阶段和空间布局;进一步运用综合评价指标体系、弦图、网络拓扑关系图,从产业链和贸易网络角度综合评价国家核电产业竞争力,从而对世界核电工业地理格局进行了多维度剖析。结果表明:核电在发达国家能源生产中的比例总体呈下降趋势;核电工业宏观布局现以欧美为主,但亚洲正成为全球核电工业布局的重心区域;全球核电厂微观区位布局主要靠近电力需求集中的人口和经济密集区;国家间核电产业竞争力差异显著,国家地位呈现明显的等级体系和中心-外围结构,地缘邻近性和集团化特征明显,美国、俄罗斯等核电强国居垄断地位。本研究以期为中国核电产业发展提供国际经验借鉴,并从增强核电产业链核心环节竞争力的角度提出建议。     

The spatial distribution of occupational prestige in metropolitan Tel Aviv

Summary Occupational prestige is the social value attributed to occupation, and in most instances indicates socio-economic status. It is obtained at the workplace and manifested in one's lifestyle in a specific place of residence, and its spatial distribution therefore follows the repetitive flow of commuters. The geography of such prestige has not previously been studied; this study uses the 1983 census to examine the spatial distribution of occupational prestige in metropolitan Tel Aviv, Israel. It was found that most workers use short, local commuting routes, which point to relatively closed secondary spatial labour markets. Common generalizations in research regarding commuting length and occupational status reflect the social composition of the entire workforce, with workers of higher occupational status tending towards longer commutes. Yet, this study shows that such commuting is also undertaken by workers of lower occupational status, while short commuting is also undertaken by workers of higher status. In addition, the results show that such generalizations are spatially differentiated.     

Older People and Transitions from Employment to Nonemployment: International Perspectives and Policy Issues

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has identified population aging as one of the most important challenges facing OECD countries and has highlighted the need for people to work longer and for job prospects for older workers to be enhanced. This article provides a summary review of a recent OECD report, Ageing and Employment Policies—Live Longer, Work Longer, as a platform to highlight differences between countries in demographic profiles and projections and in patterns of formal labor market participation among older workers. Drawing on selected information from a broader evidence base, it unveils important differences between countries in the scale of demographic and associated labor market challenges. It also explores factors affecting labor market transitions among older workers and age-related and other barriers to paid work among older people, emphasizing the diversity of experience between individuals. Finally, it highlights some strategic challenges for policy.     

广州市北京路步行街旅游形象策划

商业步行街是当今城市旅游购物和休闲的一个重要场所。广州市北京路是广州历史和现代有名的商业街之一,也是广州的一个著名景点。为了更好地包装广州市北京路的旅游形象,在详细分析其旅游文脉和旅游发展现状的基础上,采用企业识别系统的相关理论,对该区旅游形象MI、BI、VI三个方面进行了较为科学的策划。认为广州市北京路应突出“岭南第一街”的特点,对步行街的企业行为系统、市民行为系统等进行有效管理和规范,并改善现有的视觉景观和视觉标志,着力塑造一个集旅游观光、购物消费和休闲娱乐于一体的旅游形象。     

能动性视角下中国新工人空间生产的研究框架与展望

新马克思主义空间政治理论对劳动力地理的研究经历了从阶级斗争地理到劳工地理的转变。阶级斗争地理强调资本主导的空间生产发源于资本主义阶级斗争,劳工地理研究则将劳动力视为与资本一样具有“时空修复”能力的行为主体,工人能动性开始受到广泛关注。中国正在崛起的新兴产业工人——农民工群体,随着社会进步和代际变迁,其在权益焦点、表达方式及实践效能等方面都在不断发生变化,并不断以其特有的“时空修复”改变既有的劳动关系和塑造自身的经济地理景观。论文将研究视角接续到新马克思主义空间生产理论中,尝试构建能动性视角下的中国新工人空间生产研究框架。能动性视角是一种批判性视角,在日常空间实践过程中,抗争的生产与再生产政治、融入的生活政治和创造的身份政治构成新工人空间生产的能动机制,并在全球化、在地等外部机制推动下,三元机制互动形成新工人感知空间、构想空间、生活空间等3类空间生产的基本过程,以及这一过程中社会关系格局和地方劳动力市场管制体制的重构。最后,论文展望了未来的研究方向：新工人空间生产的机制及其经济地理重构的关系研究、新工人能动性的区域差异研究、新工人能动性与地方劳动力市场管制体制的互动研究、乡村回流劳动力的能动性研究。     

世界城市网络研究方法论

20 世纪70 年代以来,随着全球贸易自由化的进程、多国公司逐渐确立了其经济全球化主要组织载体的地位以及国家决策权向城市的分散,国家作为独立的经济单元的重要性下降,国际竞争日渐被具体化为以城市为核心的区域间的竞争;城市作为经济单元的重要性迅速上升,成为全球治理体系中的重要行动者。作为全球经济的组织节点,世界城市按其在全球生产过程中的作用与地位的不同而构成具有一定经济控制能力和社会经济联系的网络体系。世界城市网络研究立足于世界/全球城市和世界城市体系中的城市间关系研究,经由基础设施、企业组织和社会文化等多个研究途径,以定量化的分析方式揭示了世界城市间的关系并探讨了世界城市网络形成的多重动力机制,是学术界对当代交通和通讯技术变革、企业组织变革及全球治理方式变革等对世界城市发展所施加影响的积极回应。最后,本文从城际关系秩序、空间组织逻辑、关系型数据的生产和获取、空间尺度和城市经济类型对城市网络的影响等5个方面探讨了世界城市网络研究对中国相关领域研究的借鉴和启示。