Company towns are often portrayed as powerless communities, fundamentally dependent on the outside influence of global capital. Neil White challenges this interpretation by exploring how these communities were altered at the local level through human agency, missteps, and chance. Far from being homogeneous, these company towns are shown to be unique communities with equally unique histories.
Company Towns provides a multi-layered, international comparison between the development of two settlements—the mining community of Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia, and the mill town of Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada. White pinpoints crucial differences between the towns' experiences by contrasting each region's histories from various perspectives—business, urban, labour, civic, and socio-cultural. Company Towns also makes use of a sizable collection of previously neglected oral history sources and town records, providing an illuminating portrait of divergence that defies efforts to impose structure on the company town phenomenon.

White, Neil, 1976-

Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press

Canada - English Language, Canada

Toronto, Ontario, 2012

1, 2012

Cut-off text on some pages due to tight binding
Some of the text is skewed in the physical copy

Includes bibliographical references (p. [215]-229) and index.

xiv, 242 p. : 24 cm
"Company towns are often portrayed as powerless communities, fundamentally dependent on the outside influence of global capital. Neil White challenges this interpretation by exploring how these communities were altered at the local level through human agency, missteps, and chance. Far from being homogeneous, these company towns are shown to be unique communities with equally unique histories. Company Towns provides a multi-layered, international comparison between the development of two settlements--the mining community of Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia, and the mill town of Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada. White pinpoints crucial differences between the towns' experiences by contrasting each region's histories from various perspectives--business, urban, labour, civic, and socio-cultural. Company Towns also makes use of a sizable collection of previously neglected oral history sources and town records, providing an illuminating portrait of divergence that defies efforts to impose structure on the company town phenomenon."--Publisher's website
Includes bibliographical references (p. [215]-229) and index
Introduction -- The old order changeth: industrial development at Corner Brook -- Worth dominating? industrial development at Mount Isa -- Praying for a conflagration: planned and fringe towns -- Collaborators, communists and casanovas? labour at Corner Brook and Mount Isa -- If I had to get a factory job I'd be fired: civic life and resident-company negotiation -- Personal relationships and private worlds? structures of feeling in company towns -- Conclusion

"Company towns are often portrayed as powerless communities, fundamentally dependent on the outside influence of global capital. Neil White challenges this interpretation by exploring how these communities were altered at the local level through human agency, missteps, and chance. Far from being homogeneous, these company towns are shown to be unique communities with equally unique histories. Company Towns provides a multi-layered, international comparison between the development of two settlements--the mining community of Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia, and the mill town of Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada. White pinpoints crucial differences between the towns' experiences by contrasting each region's histories from various perspectives--business, urban, labour, civic, and socio-cultural. Company Towns also makes use of a sizable collection of previously neglected oral history sources and town records, providing an illuminating portrait of divergence that defies efforts to impose structure on the company town phenomenon."--Résumé de l'éditeur

Neil White challenges the common interpretation of company towns as powerless, dependant communities by exploring how these settlements were altered at the local level through human agency, missteps, and chance

2024-11-05