XIX ISA World Congress of Sociology (July 15-21, 2018)

945

Growing Joblessness, Virulence of Market Shocks, Spurt in the Growth of the Informal Sector, Marginalization, Widening Economic Divide and Accelerating Socio-Economic Conflicts with Global Repercussions

WG05 Famine and Society (host committee)

Language: English

With the world becoming a Global Village consequent to the communication and transport revolutions, Market competition across the world has become extremely severe. In order to be globally competitive, Companies have adopted the dictum of being “lean, strong and competitive” with focus on their core competencies and outsourcing all other functions. Franchising, distributorships and contracting repair cum maintenance are the order of the day. Many of the outsourced Companies rely heavily on the Informal Sector. With a few sub-sectors of national economies growing and many depleting consequent to the onslaught of global competition, the Employment Elasticity of the organised Corporate Sector is ext6remely limited. As a consequence, countries in the developed world are recording marginal or low rates of economic growth. This situation is much worse and grim in the southern part of the globe excluding a few countries especially amongst less and Least Developed Countries. Many of the LDCs are producers of primary commodities. This Session will focus on the following issues:

• Political Conflicts, Violence & Civil Wars in LDCs resulting from severe social & economic deprivations.
• Nature of Market Shocks and consequent marginalisation of retrenched workers.
• Growing Joblessness in the developed world and weakening sensibilities relating to secularism and social equality as well as heightening social discrimination and racist tensions.
• Intense Competition within the Informal Sector and growing under-employment, indebtedness and destitution.
• Accelerated out-sourcing and growth of the Informal Sector with negative impact on the implementation of ILO Conventions.