Description
Book SynopsisThis comprehensive textbook provides a thorough analysis of the nature of European societies across the expanded EU member states. Using a wealth of data, the authors compare the different dimensions of the territorial and social order of Europe and address a range of issues relating to Europeanisation and key topics such as inequality, migration, poverty, population and family, the labour market and education. Presented in a student friendly way, this book also helps unravel people's attitudes towards Europe, European integration and citizens of other European countries. It will be an essential read for under- and post-graduate students and academics of sociology, European studies, social stratification, social policy and political sciences.
Trade Review"Occupies a unique niche in the market in presenting a student-friendly overview of contemporary Europe and the societies that comprise it ... Faculty and students in courses examining contemporary Europe and the politics of EU are sure to find this book a valuable tool." International Journal of Social Welfare
"A joy to read....clear and helpful." Tim Gully, University of Winchester
"One of the first systematic texts on European society suitable for Undergraduates: an excellent teaching text" James Wickham, Trinity College Dublin
"This book takes seriously the properties of a society that emerges out of the increasing interaction of national societies in Europe. Based on an impressive grasp of comparative research the authors succeed in making sense of a "transnational" perspective on the emerging European society." Klaus Eder, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
"This is the first - and will probably for some time remain the only, so large is the task - book to cover systematically the social structure of the whole of Europe, east and west, written from the perspective of a single pair of authors. It manages to be highly accessible to students while not compromising at all its seriousness and academic integrity. " Colin Crouch, University of Warwick
Table of ContentsIntroduction and conceptual considerations; Part one: The European social model from a historical perspective: Commonalities and intra-European exchange; Socio-structural characteristics of European societies; Part two: European societies compared: Political-economic models and institutional arrangements; Population and family; Migration; Labour market and employment; Education; Social inequality; Quality of life; Part three: European integration and European society in the making: Institutional and political aspects of Europeanisation; The dynamics of inequality in Europe; Horizontal Europeanisation; Subjective Europeanisation; Conclusion: rise of a European society?
