Trade Unions and Social Research.

These 15 papers originate from a conference that brought together researchers and trade unionists from a number of countries to examine the potential for a more democratic, active, and participative form of collaboration or "research as engagement." The first half contains chapters that explore, theoretically, the nature of research within a collaborative framework. In the second half, trade union members and researchers use concrete examples to discuss either their experience of working collaboratively or to review the links between both sides in specific areas. The papers are as follows: "Research as Engagement" (Forrester, Thorne); "Trade Unions and Social Research: The Casualties and Victims of Social Research" (Fryer); "Research as Engagement: Trade Unions in the 1990s" (Waddington, Whitston); "Notes towards the Development of a Liberatory Research Project" (Gottfried); "The Unions and Research on Working Life in Sweden: What Can We Do Together?" (Danvind, Mortvik); "The Canadian Experience: Establishing and Strengthening Links between Trade Unions and Researchers" (Kumar); "Unions and Technological Change: Labor Research Strategies and Structures in the USA and Canada" (Haddad); "The Research Circle: A Way of Cooperating" (Holmstrand); "Developing Workers' Research Skills: Collaborative Research and Trade Union Education" (Somerton, Vulliamy); "A Programme for Collaboration between Trade Unions and University in Workplace Development" (Jarnegren); "Research as Engagement: Political Questions in Collective Research with the Rank and File" (Grossman);"Working with Researchers: Stress at Work" (McDonald); "Developing Research Initiatives in a Local Economy" (Sivorn, Watson); "Action Research with Homeworkers in West Yorkshire" (Tate); and "New Technology and Trade Union Activities: Experiences from Two Projects" (Winterton). A list of contributors with addresses precedes the papers. An index concludes the book. (YLB)