Thomas Kieselbach - Böcker

1 This volume is one of four book publications of the project "Social Convoy and S- tainable Employability: Innovative Strategies for Outplacement/Replacement Couns- ling" (SOCOSE). It is supported by the European Commission, DG Research, under the fifth Framework Programme, Key Action "Improving the Socio-Economic Knowledge 2 3 Base" and coordinated by Thomas Kieselbach at the University of Bremen . Starting point of our research is the increase in occupational transitions (Rodgers & Rodgers, 1989). This is caused by the ongoing globalisation of markets and eco- mies as a whole, but might also be considered the central aspect of globalisation: changes and flexibility which - on the part of the individual employee - means tran- tions in his or her occupational biography. These phases might include episodes of - employment as well as training or re-orientation. While transitions increase, employees experience insecurity with regard to their individual employment situation to a much larger degree than in the past. The formal 1 Kieselbach, T. (Ed.) (2004). Social Convoy in Occupational Transitions: Recommendations for a European Framework in the Context of Enterprise Restructuring.Bremen: University of Bremen, Ins- tute for Psychology of Work, Unemployment and Health (IPG). Kieselbach, T., Beelmann, G., Mader, S. & Wagner, O. (2005). Sozialer Konvoi in beruflichen Tran- tionen: Individuelle und organisationale Bewaltigung der Prekarisierung von Beschaftigung in Deutschland [Social convoy in occupational transitions: Individual and organisational coping with precarisation of jobs]. Munchen: Rainer Hampp.

This book addresses the links between unemployment, precariousnesswork and health risks from various scientific frames of reference as wellas those of policy-makers. The authors range from major classics in thefield to newcomers from several countries presenting their researchresults. The authors include also representatives of several internationalorganizations. The anthology is of a multidisciplinary character and itsarticles evaluate the contributions of various projects, programmes andstandard public services for persons at risk of labour market exclusion.It updates the research agenda, which is most topical during the financialcrisis and economic restructuring of today.

Thomas Kieselbach 1 Object and organisation of the study The present volume contains the first results of an international research project on youth unemployment and social exclusion describing the most up-to-date research of youth unemployment and health in six European countries. The project "Youth Unem­ ployment and Social Exclusion: Objective Dimensions, Subjective Experiences, and In­ novative Institutional Responses in Six European Countries" (YUSEDER) is supported by the Research Directorate General of the European Commission (DG XII) within the Targeted Socio-Economic Research Programme (TSER) of the 4th Framework Pro­ gramme. The YUSEDER research project tries to answer some crucial questions with regard to the risk of social exclusion associated with long-term youth unemployment. The European Commission launched a call for proposals looking for new know­ ledge of the key mechanisms linking the experience of long-term youth unemployment to various dimensions of social disintegration, conceived of in the theoretical frame­ work of social exclusion. In this context, not only the mechanisms exacerbating the stress of unemployment (vulnerability factors) but also the protective mechanisms pre­ venting or reducing the risk of social exclusion have to be taken into consideration. The second research question relates to new options of institutional and political inter­ vention and counteraction in different national contexts. These analyses will be underta­ ken in three Northern European countries (Sweden, Belgium, Germany) and three Sou­ thern European countries (Spain, Italy, Greece).

Thomas Kieselbach This volume is the third publication of the project "Youth Unemployment and Social Exclusion: Objective Dimensions, Subjective Experiences and Innovative Institutional Responses in Six European Countries" (YUSEDER) supported by the Directorate Gen­ eral Research of the European Commission (DG Research) within the Targeted Socio­ Economic Research Programme (TSER) of the 4th Framework Programme. The YU­ SEDER research project tries to answer some crucial questions with regard to the risk of social exclusion associated with long-term youth unemployment. The first volume de­ scribed the available empirical evidence on youth unemployment and health in the par­ ticipating six countries of the EU\ the second volume drew attention to the concept of social exclusion in the context of youth unemployment as well as to vulnerable groups 2 of young unemployed people • The 3'" YUSEDER volume includes the qualitative analyses of 300 young long­ term unemployed people (20-25 years old) regarding their experiences with their own unemployment and related processes of social exclusion in six European countries. The aim of the study is to analyse the content and extent of social exclusion among young unemployed persons including the specific courses and developments of processes of social exclusion, key mechanisms leading from unemployment to social exclusion (pro­ tective factors and vulnerability factors) and individual coping mechanisms with regard to unemployment and the risk of social exclusion.