Urban segregation, inequalities and local welfare: the challenges of neoliberalisation

The central argument of this chapter is twofold: the transformation of social structures and that of welfare-state regimes have to be considered together; urban inequalities and segregation are crucial in relating these two processes. The first part discusses the relevance of social class analysis in the face of the fragmentation produced by changing work relations, the growth of the service sector, the expansion of the middle classes, and changes in the gender and ethno-racial composition of the workforce. The second part discusses the effects of urban segregation first on the cohesion of social groups and the relations between them, secondly