any1 know of a ctry in europe where, gap between the ruling & working class is growin

[bigslammer]

well everywhere the gap between rich and poor is growing but for my research paper i need to compare the states' social stratification and that of a country in europe. where in europe is there a considerable change/tension betweeen these two groups. thx

[socalgal]

Someone here posted this link once, and it's pretty awesome. Hopefully you'll find some info here.

Reference Desk (http://www.refdesk.com/)

Good luck on your paper. /forum/smile.gif

[bigslammer]

thx socalgal wouldn't know what to do without you. my GPA owes you one /forum/smile.gif.

[U-96]

I would suggest either England or Italy as starting points. Both have democratic political systems and strong economies, but there is a pronounced North/South divide in wealth, education, central funding, and prospects.
In the case of the England, it stems from the collapse of traditional manufacturing and heavy industry in the north, and success and prosperity of service industries in the south. In Italy, the split is based upon the success of manufacturing and finance centres in the north, while the rural south suffers.
Indeed, a couple of years ago I shared a house with an Italian student who was a member of Lega Nord, a radical political movement which advocates the partition of Italy into north and south, so the north can prosper without subsidising what is seen as a corrupt and work-shy south.
In both cases, there is also commonplace stereotyping and racism along regional lines. It is also of note that both countries' finance and government is located in the prosperous region, or its policies are controlled by them.
I would suggest looking at England, if only because all the sources will be in English.
Try here for official information: there are various national offices that will give the figures you are probably looking for. Many local councils also have statistics online now. www.open.gov.uk (http://www.open.gov.uk)

On a city-by-city case, London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds or Bradford would all make good studies in social strata, exclusion, and immigration, as well as economy. All had strong manufacturing industries which have declined. Only a few have made up for that with successful service industries, and even then somewhere like London has a greater percentage of people living below the poverty line than some cities traditionally regarded as economic black holes.
Hope that little discourse helps... the north/south divide is gaining media attention in the UK at the moment. /forum/smile.gif

U-96




[This message has been edited by U-96 (edited 12-01-1999).]

[bigslammer]

thx U-96 you're always well informed on this stuff /forum/smile.gif.

[U-96]

My BA was in Modern History... I don't get much opportunity to use it in database admin /forum/smile.gif
Glad to be of assistance.

U-96