Beyond Polarisation versus Professionalisation? A Case Study of the Development of the Helsinki Region, Finland

Abstract

Starting from the polarisation (Sassen) versus professionalisation (Hamnett) discussion, the paper presents an analysis of the development of the Helsinki Metropolitan Region, the capital district of Finland. The analysis of new urban differentiation shows how modern ITC-based 'informational development' (Castells) seriously challenges the egalitarian basis of the Nordic welfare regime. The bimodal urban differentiation is not, however, regarded as a sign of polarisation, but rather as a new phase in economic development linked with a structural shift in the demand for labour that can result in very different outcomes in different cities and welfare regimes. In other words, both polarisation and professionalisation are interpreted as different versions or outcomes of a more fundamental structural shift combining both.

Economische groei zonder sociale vooruitgang: stand van zaken in Brussel

“…Daardoor worden hele bevolkingsgroepen uitgesloten van de arbeidsmarkt. De "professionalization" en polarisatie van de inkomens werden ook vastgesteld door onderzoek in Nederland (Hamnett), Parijs (Préteceille), Helsinki (Vaattovaara, Kortteinen, 2003) of in Amerikaanse steden (Kloosterman, 1996). Het verschil tussen de twee stellingen wordt deels verklaard door de context waarin ze werden geformuleerd: in Europa vlakt de voorzorgsstaat de inkomensverschillen niet alleen af, maar beperkt ook de mogelijkheid om het aantal tijdelijke en onderbetaalde banen te verhogen, wat de polarisatie van de (althans reguliere) arbeidsmarkt tegengaat.…”

Estrutura Social e Segregação em São Paulo: Transformações na Década de 2000

“…Segundo alguns autores, os diferentes regimes de Welfare medeiam a influência de processos globais (Hamnett, 1996a;Vaattovaara e Kortteinen, 2003). Como consequência, os mercados de trabalho podem sofrer processos de depreciação, melhora ou estabilidade das ocupações, assim como polarização propriamente dita .…”

Deindustrialization and the Polarization of Household Incomes: The Example of Urban Agglomerations in Germany

“…The idea expressed in these hypotheses-that income polarization is predominantly found in major cities-has prompted a multitude of studies analyzing the change in social structures in Western European cities. However, the majority of these studies, such as those conducted in Oslo (Wessel 2000), Helsinki (Vaattovaara/Kortteinen 2003), Amsterdam, and Rotterdam (Burgers/Musterd 2002), have drawn their conclusions from a very narrow empirical basis. Representative income data could only be used in a small number of cases, such as London (Hamnett 2003) and Zürich (Koll-Schretzenmayr et al 2005).…”