Explorations in comparative history : economy and society in Malmo and Newcastle since 1945

Abstract

This thesis explores the themes of economy and society in the cities of Newcastle upon Tyne in Britain and Malmö in Sweden after 1945. It is particularly concerned to examine the shared experience of industrial decline since 1970. In this latter concern, this research is distinguished by its attempt to discern the relationship between the international, national and local process of historical change. It also aims to establish the advantages and drawbacks of the comparative approach in historical study. This thesis makes an important contribution to existing research on Malmö and Newcastle, which have not been compared in a scholarly fashion previously. It also aims to make a contribution to historical methodology where, as yet, there exists little concrete analysis of the potential benefits of the comparative historical approach. This work is wide ranging, extending the analysis of economy and society to include chapters on the experience of local politics, social housing, cultural policy, regional identity and regionalism in both cities since 1945. In addition to comparing local research material, this thesis draws upon existing work at the national level comparing social democracy, labour relations and industrial organisation in Britain and Sweden. Much of this scholarship has utilised comparison to explain the differences between Britain and Sweden. This case study of two cities can be distinguished from national comparisons because the perspective is local, and the most important question concerns the shared experience of industrial contraction. In seeking to understand local similarities, in the context of national Anglo-Swedish differences, this thesis contributes a new understanding both to the history of Malmö and Newcastle, and to the comparative historical approach