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Middletown No More? Globalization and the Declining Positionality of Muncie, Indiana

Malone, Aaron M.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1276001819

Abstract Details

2010, Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, Geography (Arts and Sciences).
Globalization has transformed the economic landscape, as activities have become increasingly organized into networked spaces. Positionality, the relative power of actors within these networks, becomes an important element in understanding globalization. This study employs network positionality as a guiding framework to analyze the decline of Muncie, Indiana, a small city typical of the U.S. manufacturing region. Analysis of the city positionality is based on an examination of key companies that led the city economy, and provided its main connection point to economic networks. As in many small cities, Muncie’s leading companies have been mostly branch plants of larger firms, so the city positionality is mediated first through firm networks, then industries, and wider economic networks. Examining the decline of the city’s leading companies through this framework allows added nuance in understanding the city’s deindustrialization. I conclude that Muncie’s positionality has weakened, and connections have been severed.
Yeong-Hyun Kim (Advisor)
Risa Whitson (Committee Member)
Harold Perkins (Committee Member)
95 p.
Geography
positionality; globalization; deindustrialization; small cities; branch plants; Muncie, Indiana

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Malone, A. M. (2010). Middletown No More? Globalization and the Declining Positionality of Muncie, Indiana [Master's thesis, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1276001819

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Malone, Aaron. Middletown No More? Globalization and the Declining Positionality of Muncie, Indiana. 2010. Ohio University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1276001819.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Malone, Aaron. "Middletown No More? Globalization and the Declining Positionality of Muncie, Indiana." Master's thesis, Ohio University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1276001819

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ohiou1276001819
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© 2010, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Ohio University and OhioLINK.
Release 3.2.12