Steeltown USA

Steeltown , USA

In this richly disturbing look into American deindustrialization through the lens of Youngstown , Ohio , authors Sherry Lee Linkon and John Russo explore the diverging visions that shaped and defined the role of industry through representations of labor , landscape , and community life . The memories of Youngstown 's inhabitants and workers illustrate the different class conceptions in an effort to re-imagine the future of this once vibrant and flourishing American industrial city built upon a foundation of steel

Youngstown 's pride was once the Jeanette Blast Furnace industry that led

American fabrication of steel manufacturing until it closed its doors in 1978 and left over 50 ,000 employees out of work . However these employees were more than just laborers - they were representatives of the disintegrating manufacturing base of American industry as factories and jobs moved overseas in a quest for cheaper labor and cheaper operating costs

The aftermath of this economic meltdown has had a lasting impact on both business and everyday life in this close-knitted community bound by middle class values and visions . With the base of the local economy effectively shattered , Youngstown fell into a downward spiral of debt and rampant organized crime scandals all the while holding on to its past glory as a model industrial town that was built with hard work and community involvement

Linkon and Russo do a great job of balancing statistics and industrial frameworks against the personal and community identities of its citizens . After all , as the authors point out , the pride...