ABSTRACT
One of the striking features of the emergence of minority nationalism concerns its relationship with the involvement of the state in economic activity. In the nineteenth century it was argued that, within a “free” market economy, no producer could ignore competition from other producers; consequently the only role of the state was to create the judicial bases for economic competition. The state has been predominantly responsible for the reorganization of capitalist space within both Britain and Wales and, as a consequence, for the reorganization of the social structure. The works of C. Wright Mills and N. Poulentzas have helped resolve this dilemma. They both emphasize the role of political and ideological relations in resolving the seemingly contradictory class locations, class not being determined simply by reference to economic criteria. This allows them to distinguish between mental and manual labor on the one hand, and to emphasize the importance of supervisory and decision-making functions on the other.
