Unravelling the Rag Trade: Immigrant Entrepreneurship in Seven World Cities

The garment industry is one of the world's largest industries, yet there are few sustained examinations of its importance to the global economy and the very vital role that immigrant entrepreneurship has played. Focusing on the garment industry in seven world cities -Paris, London, Birmingham, Amsterdam, New York, Miami and Los Angeles- this book tackles the complex relationship between the development of immigrant entrepreneurship and the shift to global, post-industrial urban economies. The interconnections among immigrant entrepreneurs, social networks, market conditions and regulatory matters are thoroughly explored in a comparative way. Starting from the idea that general social, economic and political processes manifest themselves in ever changing, historically specific shapes, the contributors offer intriguing insights into the dynamics of entrepreneurial management against the backdrop of such processes as: the differential spatial impact of economic restructuring; the significance of governance at various levels; and the conditional use of social capital. With contributions from leading experts in the field, this is a must for those wishing to supplement their knowledge in globalization, labour, economics, immigration and the garment industry broadly speaking.

About the Author :
Jan Rath Associate Professor and Co-Director,Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies, University of Amsterdam

Review :
Confounding the predictions of prophets and social thinkers alike, the garment industry, that avatar of cut-throat capitalism, 19th century style, hangs on in the new millennium, and by more than a thread. Travel the global cities with the contributors to this book, and one sees why: drawing on the insights of historians, sociologists, and anthropologists, Unravelling the Rag Trade shows how markets, politics, and migration ensure that clothing is still made in the advanced, post-industrial West. A true effort at comparative, not parallel, analysis, this book deserves the attention of anyone interested in migration, urban change, and globalization. An innovative and fascinating comparison of parallel studies on the garment industry in seven major immigration receiving cities ... sets a new standard for research on the ethnic economy, and brings a range of new issues to the fore. The wealth of detailed information on the social, political and economic context of each world city provides a thorough and thought-provoking investigation and is essential reading for anyone interested in immigrant entrepreneurship, the garment industry and globalization. Unravelling the Rag Trade is an outstanding volume. Richly detailed and theoretically refined, it exemplifies what can be accomplished through the use of high-quality international comparison. It is a must-read for specialists, students, and policy makers interested in migrant networks, ethnic entrepreneurship, urban ethnography, and the contexts of industrial production in an economic activity noted for its internationalization. Unravelling the Rag Trade provides a coherent account of an industry in constant flux...this book presents a tightly integrated theoretical and empirical exposition of a key global industry, and in the process advances our understanding of immigrant entrepeneurship as well. The book provides an updated, readable text that is highly relevant both to those interested in the theory of immigrant enterprise, and to those engaged in the past, present and future of the garment industry in large urban centres of the developed world.