Max Haller – författare

Max Haller's impressive book presents an analysis of the process of European integration which keeps the relation between elites and citizens at the forefront. It is shown on the basis of new empirical data (surveys, interviews, analyses of documents and biographies) that European integration has been led since the beginning by the elites and that today there exists a considerable split between elites and citizens; this split is becoming more profound in the course of time. The book covers the following themes:- the structure, interests and behaviour of the different elites (political, economic, bureaucratic)- the expectations and perceptions of the populations concerning the integration process and the elites- the strategies of the elites to win the consent of the people, in view of widespread scepticism- proposals for reform of the EU, especially with regard to a strengthening of democratic elements which could reduce the split between elites and citizens.A timely and original read, this book will be a useful addition to the library of any political sociologist, political scientist or scholar of European integration.

The social sciences rely more on the comparative method than on experimental data mainly because the latter is difficult to acquire amongst human populations. The International Social Survey Programme has played a pioneering role in creating and sustaining methodologically-sophisticated mass attitude surveys across the globe. Starting in 1984 with five nations, it now encompasses forty-five nations spread over five continents, each administering an identical annual survey to a random sample of their population. Analyses of the data or descriptions of the methodology already appear in over 3,000 publications. This book contains new contributions from three dozen eminent scholars who analyse and compare the perceptions and attitudes of citizens across all five continents, nations and over time. Subjects range from inequality and the role of the state; ethnic, national and global identities; the changing relevance of religion, beliefs and practices; gender roles, family values and work orientations; household and society. Some chapters focus on methodological issues; others focus on substantive findings. This book sets new standards for cross-cultural research.

The social sciences rely more on the comparative method than on experimental data mainly because the latter is difficult to acquire amongst human populations. The International Social Survey Programme has played a pioneering role in creating and sustaining methodologically-sophisticated mass attitude surveys across the globe. Starting in 1984 with five nations, it now encompasses forty-five nations spread over five continents, each administering an identical annual survey to a random sample of their population. Analyses of the data or descriptions of the methodology already appear in over 3,000 publications. This book contains new contributions from three dozen eminent scholars who analyse and compare the perceptions and attitudes of citizens across all five continents, nations and over time. Subjects range from inequality and the role of the state; ethnic, national and global identities; the changing relevance of religion, beliefs and practices; gender roles, family values and work orientations; household and society. Some chapters focus on methodological issues; others focus on substantive findings. This book sets new standards for cross-cultural research.

Max Haller's impressive book presents an analysis of the process of European integration which keeps the relation between elites and citizens at the forefront. It is shown on the basis of new empirical data (surveys, interviews, analyses of documents and biographies) that European integration has been led since the beginning by the elites and that today there exists a considerable split between elites and citizens; this split is becoming more profound in the course of time. The book covers the following themes:- the structure, interests and behaviour of the different elites (political, economic, bureaucratic)- the expectations and perceptions of the populations concerning the integration process and the elites- the strategies of the elites to win the consent of the people, in view of widespread scepticism- proposals for reform of the EU, especially with regard to a strengthening of democratic elements which could reduce the split between elites and citizens.A timely and original read, this book will be a useful addition to the library of any political sociologist, political scientist or scholar of European integration.

Is there a typical European class structure? Have power patterns left any imprint in the European societies of today? Has the experience of socialist revolution in Eastern Europe created a distinctive social-structural pattern in that part of the continent? These are only a few of the questions taken up by the contributors to this collection of case studies and comparative research.

This text presents the work of scholars from all over Europe who examine processes of integration and disintegration at the level of nation states, federations, regions and Europe overall.

The enlargement of the European Union has had an enormous impact on migration within Europe. This book addresses the form of these effects, outlining the social, political and economic problems created by the free movement of people within the European Union.The eminent European contributors to this book explore the ways in which nation states and the EU seek to promote the benefits of migration but at the same time counter threats arising from dislocation. The advantages and costs of migration are considered, as is the crucial problem of who gains and loses from migration. Underpinning the analysis are studies on retirement migrants in Turkey and migrant workers in countries including Austria, Finland, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and the UK, which highlight the impact of immigration in the host states, the motivation for migration within the EU as well as the issues of societal integration of migrants and the need for control as a consequence of growing levels of migration.This timely and relevant study will strongly appeal to scholars and researchers in a wide range of fields including European studies, migration studies, social policy, human geography, international relations and sociology.

Die Studie basiert auf dem dritten "Sozialen Survey", einer sozialwissenschaftlichen Reprasentativerhebung, und vergleicht Daten uber einen Zeitraum von zwei Jahrzehnten (1986, 1993, 2003); sie entwirft ein umfassendes Bild des neueren sozialen Wandels der osterreichischen Gesellschaft.

Das Problem Am 29. Mai bzw. 1. Juni 2005 lehnten die Franzosen und Niederländer die neue »Verfassung für Europa« ab. Diese Ereignisse in zwei wichtigen Gründungsst- ten der Europäischen Gemeinschaft wirkten in ganz Europa wie ein Donn- schlag. Sie bestätigten ein Phänomen, das kritischen Beobachtern schon lange bewusst war: Die Tatsache, dass sich zwischen Eliten und Bürgern eine erheb- che Kluft im Hinblick auf die Bewertung des Integrationsprozesses aufgetan hat. In nahezu allen früheren, nationalen Entscheidungen über den Beitritt zur Union bzw. über wichtige Schritte der institutionellen Vertiefung war die Zustimmung in den nationalen Parlamenten sehr viel höher gewesen als unter den Bürgern, so ferne darüber auch Volksabstimmungen durchgeführt worden waren. In zwei der reichsten und demokratisch stabilsten westeuropäischen Länder, Norwegen und Schweiz, lehnten die Bürger den Beitritt zur EU ab, obwohl ihre Eliten diesen mit Nachdruck empfohlen hatten. Die Teilnahme an Europawahlen ist überall deutlich niedriger als jene bei nationalen Wahlen und sie nimmt in den meisten Mitgliedsländern signifikant ab.

Outstanding social scientists (economists, sociologists, political scientists, and policy researchers) discuss in this book the issue of the social aspects of European integration. For each field, they sketch out the main problems, provide a survey on the relevant literature, and point to areas wherein more research is needed. The science and research policy of the European Union is examined critically both in terms of relevant social issues and in terms of its organizational efficacy.

Outstanding social scientists (economists, sociologists, political scientists, and policy researchers) discuss in this book the issue of the social aspects of European integration. For each field, they sketch out the main problems, provide a survey on the relevant literature, and point to areas wherein more research is needed. The science and research policy of the European Union is examined critically both in terms of relevant social issues and in terms of its organizational efficacy.

Aktuelle gesellschaftliche Dynamiken führen zu vielfältigen Veränderungen in den Lebensbedingungen und Wertorientierungen in Österreich.

Die Zuwanderung der letzten Jahrzehnte stellt einen der zentralen Prozesse des sozialen Wandels in Österreich dar. In sozialwissenschaftlichen Erhebungen sind Personen mit Migrationshintergrund jedoch meist unterrepräsentiert. Der vorliegende Band präsentiert die Ergebnisse einer Zusatzerhebung zum Sozialen Survey Österreich 2016, mit dem Ziel, zentrale Werthaltungen, Einstellungen und Verhaltensweisen von Zugewanderten zu erfassen und mit jenen der heimischen Bevölkerung zu vergleichen. Dabei werden verschiedene Lebensbereiche wie Familie, Arbeit, Politik und Religion diskutiert. Die Ergebnisse werfen ein neues Licht auf die Frage der Integration der Zugewanderten in Österreich.

„Werte“ sind ein beliebtes Thema von politischen Sonntagsreden und sie dienen politischen Institutionen und ihren Vertretern immer wieder dazu, sich nach außen gut darzustellen und problematische Aktionen (wie Kriege) zu legitimieren.

Ein berühmter, immer wieder zitierter Satz von Max lautet: „Interessen (materielle und ideelle), nicht: Ideen, beherrschen unmittelbar das Handeln der Menschen. Aber: die ‚Weltbilder‘, welche durch ‚Ideen‘ geschaffen wurden, haben sehr oft als Weichensteller die Bahnen bestimmt, in denen die Dynamik der Interessen das Handeln fortbewegte.“ Die neuere Soziologie ist diesem Grundsatz allerdings nicht gerecht geworden. Werte und ihre Wirkung werden entweder als gegeben vorausgesetzt (so bei Talcott Parsons) oder überhaupt als irrelevant betrachtet (so in der Rational Choice- und Systemtheorie). Die umfangreiche, empirische Werteforschung hat vielfältige Ergebnisse erbracht, blieb jedoch weitgehend ohne theoretisches Fundament, sodass ihre Befunde vielfach anfechtbar sind. Weber selbst gab im Hinblick auf die Frage nach der Relevanz der Werte nur unbefriedigende Antworten: Die Entscheidung für bestimmte Werte sei eine rein individuelle Angelegenheit und zwischen den verschiedenenWerten gebe es einen unversöhnlichen Kampf. Im vorliegenden Buch wird diese Problematik erstmals in der deutschen Soziologie umfassend untersucht und es wird dafür (u.a. im Anschluss an Autoren wie Immanuel Kant, George H. Mead und Raymond Boudon), eine neue, konstruktive und erklärungsstarke Lösung gefunden. Unter Zuhilfenahme von Überlegungen aus Philosophie, Sozialtheorie und empirischer Sozialforschung sowie unter Einbeziehung historischer Kämpfe zur Anerkennung und Durchsetzung der Werte kann man feststellen, dass es gesellschaftliche Grundwerte gibt, dass deren Anzahl klar bestimmbar ist und dass zwischen ihnen keineswegs Konflikt, sondern Komplementarität besteht. Mit diesen Thesen und Befunden kann dieses Buch als neues soziologisches Standardwerk angesehen werden. Es hat auch für Vertreter vieler anderer geistes- und sozialwissenschaftlicher Disziplinen grundlegende Bedeutung.

A famous and frequently quoted sentence by Max Weber states: “Interests, not ideas, directly govern the actions of people. However, the ‘worldviews’ created by ‘ideas’ have often determined the paths in which the dynamics of interests propelled action.” Recent sociology, however, has not done justice to this principle. Values and their effects are either assumed to be given (as in the case of Talcott Parsons) or considered entirely irrelevant (as in Rational Choice and System Theory). Extensive empirical research on values has yielded many results but has largely lacked a theoretical foundation, making its findings often contestable. Weber himself provided only unsatisfactory answers regarding the relevance of values: The decision for specific values is a purely individual matter, and there is an irreconcilable struggle between different values.This book comprehensively examines this issue for the first time in sociology and finds a new, constructive, and explanatory solution - drawing on authors such as Immanuel Kant, George H. Mead, and Raymond Boudon. It is utilizing considerations from philosophy, social theory, and empirical social research, as well as incorporating historical struggles for the recognition and enforcement of values. It can be determined that there are fundamental societal values, that their number can be clearly defined, and that there is not necessarily conflict between them, but rather complementarity. With these theses and findings, this book can be regarded as a new sociological standard work. It is also of fundamental importance for students and researchers in many other humanities and social science disciplines.

Der Band bietet eine systematisch-kritische Diskussion der grossen theoretischen Paradigmen in der heutigen Soziologie sowie die Rekonstruktion des Paradigmas der Soziologie als Wirklichkeitswissenschaft nach Max Weber und Karl R. Popper.