Social Work and the Hidden Victims of Deindustrialization

As the American economy changes from manufacturing to service industries, millions of workers are suffering the effects of "deindustrialization." Based on a joint union/university project, this article explores the impact of a plant closing and subsequent transition to a service based economy for more than 450 predominantly female textile workers. It suggests that many workers will suffer severe economic and social problems even after re-employment, but that these changes as well as the breakdown in community life once rooted in the mills of Ncw England tend to be "hidden" from view. The implications of deindustrialization for direct practice social work, for action-research, and organizing are discussed.