Unravelling the Rag Trade

"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." --Roger Waldinger, UCLA

"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." --Jeffrey Reitz, University of Toronto

"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." --Environment and Planning C

"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." --American Journal of Sociology

"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." --American Journal of Sociology

"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." --Environment and Planning