The Deindustrialized World: Confronting Ruination in Postindustrial Places

Scholars from France, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States share personal stories of ruin and ruination and ask others what it means to be working class in a postindustrial world. Part 1 examines the ruination of former workplaces and the failing health and injured bodies of industrial workers. Part 2 brings to light disparities between rural resource towns and cities, where hipster revitalization often overshadows industrial loss. Part 3 reveals the ongoing impact of deindustrialization on working people and their place in the new global economy.

Together, the chapters open a window on the lived experiences of people living at ground zero of deindustrialization, revealing its layered impacts and examining how workers, environmentalists, activists, and the state have responded to its challenges.