Professional paper
Understanding funcionality: Privatization of the railway in Great Britain
Matko Krce-Ivančić
; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
This paper deals with the concept of functionality using the example of privatization of the railway in Great Britain. The time period from 1948 onwards is analyzed focusing on the three phases which the railway has undergone: "social railway", "business railway" and "profitable business". Special attention is paid to the last two phases since they mark an important shift in the understanding of functionality. Therefore, this paper shows how the changes in the understanding of functionality or dysfunctionality of certain social practices came about, with the aim of better understanding of their meaning. Functionality is also studied with regard to the transition of the railway from a segmental to a fragmentary organization, that is, by examining the process of general fragmentation which characterizes twentieth century societies. Further research should be
undertaken to explore functionality as a variable.
Keywords
fragmentation; functionality; privatization; calculability; Great Britain; railway
Hrčak ID:
105807
URI
Publication date:
1.5.2013.
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