On Fri, 2 Feb 1996, dilek cetindamar karaomerlioglu wrote:

> 
> I really don't understand how to draw a line between services and
> manufacturing and how it is used as if they are rival developments in an
> economy. I am trying to find a way to express the sectorial differences and
> understand the dynamic changes they are undergoing. If you share your
> opinions, comments on the following questions with me, I will be happy.
> 
> 1) it is widely told that the employment on services is increasing, and it
> is declining in manufacturing. But don't many services, in fact, directly
> related to production? For example, very crudely transportation (SIC 4);
> trade (SIC 5); finance, insurance and real estate (SIC 6); and  business
> services (SIC 75 & 87) may be defined as the complentary to manufacturing.
> By adding these sectors to manufacturing, I found out that for example the
> broadened manufacturing employment of Ohio has increased in the 1980's
> instead of general belief that manufacturing sector lost employment. Then we
> can comment that manufacturing is reshaped not lost its importance to services. 
> 
> Moreover, there are some services which are not directly related to
> manufacturing but themselves evolved into a new phase which became as if
> they are manufacturer. For example, McDonalds shops reminds me factories,
> since they are so much specialized and highly labor-intensive activities
> (like assembly lines). So should we count them also manufacturers?
> 
> What about health services, don't they supply the reproduction of labour (an
> input in manufacturing production) or repair of labour! (similar to the
> maintenance of machines).
> 
> I read that the biggest input suppliers to GM(general motors) is insurance
> companies, and the largest GM products is financial services(to sell its
> cars, it gives financial aid to people). So what is the difference between
> GM and a bank? 
> 
> In short, I am not sure what kind of a criteria could be developed to
> include which services in order to have a "broadened manufacturing sector"
> (or a different name!)? For example, under "finance, insurance and real
> state sector" is real estate connected to manufacturing? My answer is no, or
> similary food stores under trade sector doesn't sound as manufacturing
> related. So can there be some criteria for it?
> 
> 
> 2) In fact, perhaps we don't need to think of in terms of manufacturing and
> services at all but as the whole economy. But, then, in terms of economic
> policies, what should economists propose for economic development (favour
> and support manufacturing against services?)?  How to respond the arguments
> like [services increase, manufacturing dies, high-technology production is
> good, rustbelt is dying, sunbelt is rising] ? 
> 
> 
> 3) How is the surplus-value created in services and how can be measured? Is
> there a surplus-value when a movie star earns millions of dollars only with
> one movie? Is this a redistribution of surplus-value created somewhere???
> 
> 
> before getting boring, let's stop.
> 
> dilek
> 
> 
> Dilek Cetindamar Karaomerlioglu
> The Center for Regional Economic Issues
> Weatherhead School of Managament
> Case Western Reserve University
> 311 Wickenden Hall
> Cleveland, Ohio 44106
> 
> Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> 
> 
Dilek, I think one of the things that has contibuted to the 
questionable notion that the manufacturing sector is being eclipsed by, 
say,  the services sector, is the increasing frequency of terms such as  
"post-industrial" in the titles of so many works.  It is true that the 
service sector has grown in the last 15-25 years.  I think many have 
inferred that this phenomenal growth, particularly in relation to the 
manufacturing sector, represents a break, as it were, from the centrality 
of manufacturing in monopoly capitalist societies.


Shawgi Tell
University at Buffalo
Graduate School of Education
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

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