1 Introduction and conceptual considerations
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Steffen Mau
Abstract
This book is about European societies, their structures and change. The main objectives are to describe contemporary European societies along a broad range of dimensions, highlight commonalities as well as variations, understand processes of integration and characterise the ongoing transformation of the European social space. To talk about European societies in the plural means that we not only focus on European unity or ways to achieve it, as some scholars do, but view European societies as national and European at the same time. However, we emphasise that within the European context, and particularly with the nascent European polity, national societies have been challenged and transformed fundamentally and are no longer independent entities, but closely interwoven and connected.
Taking the national and European context into consideration poses a true challenge. Most research on patterns of social change, inequality and social stratification focuses on nation-states. Core concepts of research on social stratification, for example, class, profession, income distribution, mobility and education, have been developed within the framework of the nation-state and national society. By the same token, Favell (2007: 122) states that most sociological research is still wedded to national society and that it seems to be ‘very difficult to systematically study pan- or transnational social structures, because of the way nation-states have carved up the world and its populations, statistically speaking’. However, as a result of processes of European integration, globalisation and internationalisation, the world of European nation-states has been shaken up. Hitherto focused on national societies, social science is not equipped to do justice to these processes, and this is particularly true for the process of Europeanisation.
Abstract
This book is about European societies, their structures and change. The main objectives are to describe contemporary European societies along a broad range of dimensions, highlight commonalities as well as variations, understand processes of integration and characterise the ongoing transformation of the European social space. To talk about European societies in the plural means that we not only focus on European unity or ways to achieve it, as some scholars do, but view European societies as national and European at the same time. However, we emphasise that within the European context, and particularly with the nascent European polity, national societies have been challenged and transformed fundamentally and are no longer independent entities, but closely interwoven and connected.
Taking the national and European context into consideration poses a true challenge. Most research on patterns of social change, inequality and social stratification focuses on nation-states. Core concepts of research on social stratification, for example, class, profession, income distribution, mobility and education, have been developed within the framework of the nation-state and national society. By the same token, Favell (2007: 122) states that most sociological research is still wedded to national society and that it seems to be ‘very difficult to systematically study pan- or transnational social structures, because of the way nation-states have carved up the world and its populations, statistically speaking’. However, as a result of processes of European integration, globalisation and internationalisation, the world of European nation-states has been shaken up. Hitherto focused on national societies, social science is not equipped to do justice to these processes, and this is particularly true for the process of Europeanisation.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- List of tables v
- List of figures vi
- Acknowledgements viii
- List of EU countries ix
- Introduction and conceptual considerations 1
-
The European social model from a historical perspective
- Commonalities and intra-European exchange 9
- Political-economic models and institutional arrangements 49
-
European societies compared
- Political-economic models and institutional arrangements 49
- Population and family 87
- Migration 115
- Labour market and employment 135
- Education 173
- Social inequality 193
- Quality of life 225
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European integration and European society in the making
- Institutional and political aspects of Europeanisation 263
- The dynamics of inequality in Europe 285
- Horizontal Europeanisation 303
- Subjective Europeanisation 329
- Conclusion: rise of a European society? 349
- References 357
- Index 417
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- List of tables v
- List of figures vi
- Acknowledgements viii
- List of EU countries ix
- Introduction and conceptual considerations 1
-
The European social model from a historical perspective
- Commonalities and intra-European exchange 9
- Political-economic models and institutional arrangements 49
-
European societies compared
- Political-economic models and institutional arrangements 49
- Population and family 87
- Migration 115
- Labour market and employment 135
- Education 173
- Social inequality 193
- Quality of life 225
-
European integration and European society in the making
- Institutional and political aspects of Europeanisation 263
- The dynamics of inequality in Europe 285
- Horizontal Europeanisation 303
- Subjective Europeanisation 329
- Conclusion: rise of a European society? 349
- References 357
- Index 417
