Handbook of Quality of Life in the Enlarged European Union

Handbook of Quality of Life in the Enlarged European Union PDF Author: Jens Alber
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134095937
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 590

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Book Description
Recent enlargement to the east made the European Union a more diverse social space and brought it into more direct contact with the social and cultural aftermath of communism. The purpose of this book is to help social scientists, policy makers and other observers cope with the unfamiliarity of this new world by bringing together a collection of informative analyses of key domains of social life in the new member states and candidate countries, viewed in comparison both to each other and to the 'old' EU-15. The focus is on social conditions, such as social exclusion, poverty and living conditions, work and labour markets, family and housing. But is also offers accounts of the institutional contexts within which these conditions arise. The analyses makes use of a range of data, including a new data source, the European Quality of Life Survey 2003.

Handbook of Quality of Life in the Enlarged European Union

Handbook of Quality of Life in the Enlarged European Union PDF Author: Jens Alber
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134095937
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 590

Get Book Here

Book Description
Recent enlargement to the east made the European Union a more diverse social space and brought it into more direct contact with the social and cultural aftermath of communism. The purpose of this book is to help social scientists, policy makers and other observers cope with the unfamiliarity of this new world by bringing together a collection of informative analyses of key domains of social life in the new member states and candidate countries, viewed in comparison both to each other and to the 'old' EU-15. The focus is on social conditions, such as social exclusion, poverty and living conditions, work and labour markets, family and housing. But is also offers accounts of the institutional contexts within which these conditions arise. The analyses makes use of a range of data, including a new data source, the European Quality of Life Survey 2003.

Handbook of European Societies

Handbook of European Societies PDF Author: Stefan Immerfall
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 038788291X
Category : Ethnology
Languages : en
Pages : 698

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Book Description
European integration is one of the most ambitious and socially far-reaching developments in world politics and in world economics. Against growing opposition and despite increasing social heterogeneity, the European Union continues to expand and to acquire new competences. But to what extent is the self-proclaimed "ever closer union among the peoples of Europe" a social reality? In which ways is the political European project anchored in social developments? How does social change impinge upon political integration? Societal trends in multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and socially diverse Europe have never been studied systematically. Handbook of European Societies: Social Transformations in the 21st Century sets to rectify this neglect of societal developments in Europe, providing a groundwork for the sociology of European integration. The book portrays social life and social relations in the enlarged Europe, and gives a perspective on the European Union as an evolving social entity. Handbook of European Societies is a pioneering source book analyzing the current social patterns on the continent. It covers a representative selection of major topics of social concern and sociological relevance, such as Collective Action, Consumption, Identity, Power Structure, Sexuality, Stratification and Well-being. Each contribution probes key developments in a strictly comparative manner. The Handbook thus offers a detailed look into the intricacies of the national societies of Europe and into the prospect of an emerging European society. The Editors have enlisted leading researchers to synthesize existing knowledge and to make use of many different data sources in a straight-forward style. The contributions stay away from jargon, simple labeling and sweeping assertions. Instead, they provide solid and accessible information on a wide variety of social trends and processes within and across European societies

Social Failures of EU Enlargement

Social Failures of EU Enlargement PDF Author: Guglielmo Meardi
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136575901
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 250

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Book Description
Is the EU enlargement the success EU institutions proclaim? Based on fifteen years of fieldwork research across Central and Eastern Europe and on migrants in the UK and Germany, this book provides a less glittering answer. The EU has betrayed hopes of social cohesion: social regulations have been forgotten, multinationals use threats of relocations, and workers, left without institutional channels to voice their concerns, have reacted by leaving their countries en masse. Yet migration, for many, increases social vulnerability. Drawing on Hirschman’s concepts of ‘Exit’ and ‘Voice’, the book traces the origins of such failures in the management of EU enlargement as a pure economic and market-creating exercise, neglecting the inherently political nature of labour relations. The reinforcement of market mechanisms without political counterbalances has resulted in an increase in opportunistic ‘exit’ behaviour by both employers and employees, and thereby in a worsening quality of democracy, at workplace, national and European levels. As a result of this process, the EU has become more similar to the North American Free Trade Agreement between USA, Canada and Mexico, where social rights are marginalized and economic integration does not translate into better development.

Sharing Lives

Sharing Lives PDF Author: Marc Szydlik
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317297644
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 221

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Book Description
Sharing Lives explores the most important human relationships which last for the longest period of our lives: those between adult children and their parents. Offering a new reference point for studies on the sociology of family, the book focuses on the reasons and results of lifelong intergenerational solidarity by looking at individuals, families and societies. This monograph combines theoretical reasoning with empirical research, based on the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The book focuses on the following areas: ● Adult family generations, from young adulthood to the end of life, and beyond ● Contact, conflict, coresidence, money, time, inheritance ● Consequences of lifelong solidarity ● Family generations and the relationship of family and the welfare state ● Connections between family cohesion and social inequality. Sharing Lives offers reliable findings on the basis of state-of-the-art methods and the best available data, and presents these findings in an accessible manner. This book will appeal to researchers, policymakers and graduate students in the areas of sociology, political science, psychology and economics. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781315647319, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

United in Diversity?

United in Diversity? PDF Author: Jens Alber
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0195376633
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 465

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Book Description
This is the first volume in the International Policy Exchange Series, edited by Douglas J. Besharov and Neil Gilbert.

Economic and Social Integration

Economic and Social Integration PDF Author: Dagmar Schiek
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN: 1781005176
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 348

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Book Description
'Dagmar Schiek has written a timely and vital book. Following financial and sovereign debt crises, the European Union is in crisis. As responses to crisis – for example fiscal union – appear to be couched in wholly technocratic terms, a European public is entitled to ask whether the European Union has any respect for established national traditions of social constitutionalism and social welfare. Dagmar Schiek addresses these questions, both in a historical and contemporary context of social constitutionalism, arguing forcefully for the need to establish social legitimacy within Europe. I recommend this book to all researchers and students of European Union.' – Michelle Everson, Birkbeck College, University of London, UK 'Is there a "European social space"? What is the place of "social integration" alongside "economic integration" in the EU? Has a "socially embedded constitutionalism" been developed in parallel with the internal market case law of the CJEU? Dagmar Schiek in her comprehensive and interdisciplinary study gives refreshing new answers under the recent Lisbon Treaty.' – Norbert Reich, Universität Bremen, Germany 'At a time of crisis and therefore a crucial juncture in European politics, Dagmar Schiek offers us an inspiring vision of the potential of the European Union. In her brilliant study, she exposes the obstacles that economic integration has posed for achievement of social justice, and provides a bold solution. Rejecting more limited models of constitutionalism, she presents a convincing alternative which is socially embedded, allowing space for action by manifold actors at multiple levels of governance.' – Tonia Novitz, University of Bristol, UK This well-researched book analyses the positioning of EU constitutional law towards economic and social integration by contrasting liberal and socially embedded constitutionalism. The book draws on a unique content and discourse analysis of all Grand Chamber decisions on substantive EU law since May 2004. It finds the EU's 'judicial constitution' to be more nuanced and more uniform than expected. While the Court of Justice enforces the constitution of integration, it favours economic freedoms under mainly liberal paradigms, but socially embeds constitutionalism in citizenship cases. The 'judicial constitution' contrasts with EU Treaties after the Treaty of Lisbon in that their new value base enhances European social integration. However, the Treaties too seem contradictory in that they do not expand the EU's competence regime accordingly. In the light of these contradictions, Dagmar Schiek proposes a 'constitution of social governance': the Court and EU institutions should encourage steps towards social integration at EU level to be taken by transnational societal actors, rather than condemn their relevant activity. Economic and Social Integration will appeal to academics and postgraduate students in EU law, EU politics, European sociology, international relations, international law, labour law, and welfare state theory. Undergraduate students in labour law, policy advisors on EU social policy and welfare state, government departments and EU Commission departments will also find much to interest them in this book.

Social Exclusion of Youth in Europe

Social Exclusion of Youth in Europe PDF Author: Marge Unt
Publisher: Policy Press
ISBN: 1447358732
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 408

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Book Description
EPDF and EPUB available Open Access under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.Policymakers throughout Europe are enacting policies to support youth labour market integration. However, many young people continue to face unemployment, job insecurity, and the subsequent consequences.Adopting a mixed-method and multilevel perspective, this book provides a comprehensive investigation into the multifaceted consequences of social exclusion. Drawing on rich pan-European comparative and quantitative data, and interviews with young people from across Europe, this text gives a platform to the unheard voices of young people.Contributors derive crucial new policy recommendations and offer fresh insights into areas including youth well-being, health, poverty, leaving the parental home, and qualifying for social security.

Horizontal Europeanisation

Horizontal Europeanisation PDF Author: Martin Heidenreich
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351189972
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 227

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Book Description
European integration has transformed the social life of European citizens. Daily life and work no longer take place primarily in a local and national context, but increasingly in a European and transnational frame – a process of ‘horizontal Europeanisation’ which, while increasing the life chances of European citizens, also brings about conflicts among them. This book focuses on processes of Europeanisation in the academic, bureaucratic, professional and associational field, as well as on the Europeanisation of solidarity, networks and social inequalities. Drawing on detailed empirical studies and attending to the reinforcement of centre‐periphery structures in Europe, it analyses the dynamics of horizontal Europeanisation processes, highlighting the crucial role of national practices and perceptions in a transnational context, as well as the related conflicts between the winners and losers in this process. As such, it will appeal to scholars of sociology and political science with interests in European integration, social change and social stratification. Chapter 8 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.

Welfare

Welfare PDF Author: Mary Daly
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0745637221
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 217

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Book Description
Welfare is an important concept in the social sciences. It is also challenged and contested not only by alternative concepts but also as a political goal in itself. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, this book takes a fresh look at the continuing relevance of welfare in the context of public policy, recent scholarly developments and changes in popular attitudes and behaviour. The book connects theory and practice. Tracing the concept's background in economics, political science and social policy, the book juxtaposes welfare with newer approaches, such as subjective well-being, capabilities, care, social exclusion and social capital. The links between welfare and political ideas are also elaborated. The welfare state, as it developed historically in Europe and as it is changing in different countries, is given an important place in the analysis. Drawing on a range of empirical work, the book in its final part considers how individuals and groups attain welfare and how this shapes people's decisions and actions in their everyday lives. Written in a lively style, the book provides students of sociology, social policy and political science with a valuable point of access to a range of debates and thinking in the field of welfare and related concepts.

Down and out

Down and out PDF Author: Saunders, Peter
Publisher: Policy Press
ISBN: 1847428401
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 297

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Book Description
This landmark study provides the first comprehensive assessment of the nature and associations between the three main forms of social disadvantage in Australia: poverty, deprivation and social exclusion. Drawing on the author's extensive research expertise and his links with welfare practitioners, it explains the limitations of existing approaches and presents new findings that build on the insights of disadvantaged Australians and views about the essentials of life, providing the basis for a new deprivation-based poverty measure.