Shift from Indusrtrialization to Global Supply Chains: From US Towns and Cities to the Country

• In Event: 41020 - Section on Political Economy of the World-System Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 2: Hegemony and its Decline

Abstract

SHIFT FROM INDUSTRIALIZATION TO GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS: FROM US TOWNS AND CITIES TO THE COUNTRY David A. Smith, Sociology, UC-Irvine
The main theme of societal change and growth early in social science/sociology described how industrialization led to the rise of economic growth and prosperity. The reality today in 2025 is the rise of globalization and world supply chains. This “delivers” to people at the top but leads to difficulties and struggles for many others (including the old blue collar workers). Even giant online e-firms like Amazon are immensely profitable (and less accommodating to their own increasingly racialized and migrant labor) Today, while rising industry is now in other world regions, the entire system is inextricably linked to global supply chains, with vast networks of logistics is now a crucial locus for work and labor (even here in the US).
The paper focuses on this gigantic, transformative, shift. Back in the mid-20th century, the US (and many other well-off countries) were centers of manufacturing and industrialization. However, there was a major economic devolution in the final few decades that eroded (and, ultimately, destroyed) the processes of manufacturing in some familiar firms and big factories. A new distinct pattern arose that emphasized ports, logistics, and transportation in these societies. This meant the decline of massive firms like US Steel and General Motors, concomitant with the emergence of dominant corporations like Wal-Mart in the late 20th century or Amazon in more recent times. This change reflects the shift away from the old pattern of rich countries dominated by huge and immensely profitable manufacturing enterprises to the rise of new e-commerce firms in the form of direct to consumer-driven worldwide supply chains.
The paper discusses some place-based examples of cities and towns where this happened. It also explores how this new shift raises a plethora of questions for future research.

Author

• David A. Smith, University of California-Irvine