The New Geography of Capitalism

Globalization is a dominant feature and force in the contemporary world, impacting all areas of business, economics, and society. This accessibly written overview of contemporary capitalism shows how the development of global supply chains, the global division of labour, and, in particular, the globalization of financial markets have become the drivers of this process, and assesses the consequences. Not only does this affect the way firms operate, it also presents challenges for the nation state. The changing geography of capitalism underpinned by an expanding global division of labour and the integration of financial markets has undercut the bordering logics necessary for the maintenance of national systems of production, national varieties of capitalism, and national systems of social protection. Reviewing a range of debates and theories across the contemporary social sciences - varieties of capitalism, financialization, global production networks - the book shows how the insights of economic geography can be usefully brought to bear in understanding current trends, and the changing relationships between global financial markets, multinational firms, and contemporary welfare states. Wide-ranging, accessibly written, and inter-disciplinary, this short book is a most useful guide for researchers and students across the social sciences. Capitalism isnt what it used to be. And Adam Dixons New Geography of Capitalism makes a bold case for thinking about capitalism in new ways too. Thinking about capitalism as a variegated system, but as a system nonetheless, allows Dixon to avoid the pitfalls of both flat-earth convergence theory and those of institutionalist accounts of national variety. His promising alternative takes the problematic of integration seriously, not least as an engine of new geographies. Jamie Peck, University of British Columbia While we have all been riveted on the financial crisis, a deeper story about the financialization of the global economy has been unfolding, with huge implications for social welfare and well-being in the advanced industrial countries. Adam Dixons book provides the essential guide to understanding this complex process. Erica Schoenberger, The Johns Hopkins University The New Geography of Finance is a tour de force. Its crystal-clear synthesis of the literatures on contemporary capitalist and financial systems, and its placement of financial-firm imperatives at the centre of global dynamics and national economic evolution, will shape debate on the evolution of finance for years to come. Gary A. Dymski, Professor of Applied Economics, Leeds University Business School, University of Leeds1. The Geography of Finance ; 2. One World of Production? ; 3. Variegated Capitalism and the Firm ; 4. Comparing Financial Systems in a Global Economy ; 5. Financialization and the Welfare State ; 6. Corporate Transformation and Employee Pensions ; 7. The Global Financial Crisis and Beyond