Re-scaling, ‘scale fragmentation’ and the regulation of antagonistic relationships

Abstract

Recent years have seen the emergence of what might be called a ‘re-scaling’ literature. This paper tries to combine this literature with insights from regulation theory in order to identify some of the ways in which antagonistic relationships are regulated in the after-Fordist period. It is argued that re-scaling not only affects (anti-)regulatory forces by manipulating the power distribution among different agents but also manipulates the ways in which agents perceive their own positionality. The propositions are illustrated with evidence from The Netherlands.