Studies in European Sociology – serie
Visar alla böcker i serien Studies in European Sociology. Handla med fri frakt och snabb leverans.
46 produkter
46 produkter
Häftad, Engelska, 2021
693 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
The fact that post-socialist European Union (EU) countries are struggling with implementation of the EU's social inclusion policy is well known. But why is that so? Are the problems solely connected with how inclusion policies are enforced, or could it just as likely be the way policies are designed that creates challenges? This book explores experiences with inclusion policy implementation in seven different post-socialist EU countries. It focuses particularly on two groups of people in constant danger of social exclusion: people with Roma background and people with disabilities. So far, researchers have studied these issues primarily through policy analysis, and thus not provided knowledge on what actually happens in local contexts where welfare services are produced. This book sheds light on implementation processes at different levels, both at the policy level and in local welfare production. The picture painted here is one of complex and conflicting considerations in inclusion policy implementation, between historical and cultural heritage from the communist period, and EU inclusion policy based on Western European political principles. This book will appeal to undergraduate and post-graduate students, as well as postdoctoral students in social science, disability studies, educational science, and others. The book will also be useful for researchers and others interested in the development of inclusion policies and EU integration issues.Open Access Chapter 2 available at:https://www.routledge.com/EU-Social-Inclusion-Policies-in-Post-Socialist-Countries-Top-Down-and/Fylling-Baciu-Breimo/p/book/9781138352803
Häftad, Engelska, 2019
763 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
German–Turkish relations, which have a long history and generally unrecognized depth, have rarely been examined as mutually formative processes. Isolated instances of influence have been examined in detail, but the historical and still ongoing processes of mutual interaction have rarely been seriously considered. The ruling assumption has been that Germany may have an impact on Turkey, but not the other way around.Religion, Identity and Politics examines this mutual interaction, specifically with regard to religious identities and institutions. It opposes the commonly held assumption that Europe is the abode of secularism and enlightenment, while the lands of Islam are the realm of backwardness and fundamentalism. Both historically and contemporarily, Germany has treated religion as a core aspect of communal and civilizational identity and framed its institutions accordingly; the book explores how there has been, and continues to be, a mutual exchange in this regard between Germany and both the Ottoman Empire and modern Turkey. The authors show that the definition of identity and regulation of communities have been explicitly based on religion until the early and since the late twentieth century; the period in between– the age of secular nationalism– which has always been treated as the norm, now appears more clearly as an exception. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of sociology, politics, history and religion.
Häftad, Engelska, 2019
646 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
Collective identity, the emotionally powerful sense of belonging to a group, is a crucial source of popular legitimacy for nations. However efforts since the 1990s to politically support European integration by using identity mechanisms borrowed from nationalism have had very limited success. European integration may require new, post-national approaches to the relationship between culture and politics.This controversial and timely volume poses the logical question: if identity doesn't effectively connect culture with European integration politics, what does? The book brings together leading scholars from several of the disciplines that have developed concepts of culture and methods of cultural research. These expert interdisciplinary contributors apply a startling diversity of approaches to culture, linking it to facets of integration as varied as external policy, the democratic deficit, economic dynamism and the geography of integration. This book examines commonalities and connections within the European space, as well as representations of these in identity discourses. It will be useful for students and scholars of sociology, geography, anthropology, social psychology, political science and the history of European integration.
Häftad, Engelska, 2019
665 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
Fairness of wage distribution – or the perception of such – is a phenomenon crucial for the stability of new democracies. While theories exist about how change of the political system trickles down to the attitudinal level, the systematic analysis of the effect of economic transition on public attitudes has been neglected to a large extent.Wage Distribution Fairness in Post-Socialist Countries proposes a conceptual framework to measure the fairness of wage distribution. Indeed, looking particularly at wage distribution fairness in three post-socialist societies (Hungary, East Germany, Czech Republic) since the transition in 1989, this challenging monograph also aims to understand if, and to what extent, the experience of a socialist regime motivates individuals to consider wage distribution as fair.Contributing to our understanding of the relevance of socialization and other situational factors influencing economic legitimacy, Wage Distribution Fairness in Post-Socialist Countries will appeal to undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as postdoctoral researchers, interested in fields including: Sociology, Eastern European Studies and Political Economics.
Inbunden, Engelska, 1999
735 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
Are the recent developments in Europe bringing countries together or pulling them apart? The leading experts in this book (including Sheila Allen, Marlis Buchmann, Piotr Sztompka, and Patrick Ziltener) cover a wide range of subjects, including the move towards political democracy and market economy in Central and Eastern societies, the project of the European Union, ethnic conflict, the rise of nationalism, social exclusion and women's role in public life.
Inbunden, Engelska, 1999
3 446 kr
Skickas inom 5-8 vardagar
The ageing of Western societies has provoked extensive sociological debate, surrounding both the role of the state and whether it can afford the cost of an ageing population, and the role of the family, especially women, in supporting older people. In this important book, the authors examine how changes, such as cuts in welfare provision, migration, urbanization and individualisation influence intergenerational relations. The collection addresses theoretical and policy issues connecting age and generation with the family and social policy, and focuses both on cross-cultural comparison within societies and analysis based on a range of societies.This edited collection brings together a range of leading researchers and theorists from across Europe to advance a sociological understanding of generational relations, in terms of the state and the family and how they are interlinked. It will be of interest to academics and researchers in sociology, social policy and ageing, and to policy makers concerned with the implications of demographic and policy changes.
Inbunden, Engelska, 1999
2 640 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
Throughout the world, politicians from all the main parties are cutting back on state welfare provision, encouraging people to use the private sector instead and developing increasingly stringent techniques for the surveillance of the poor. Almost all experts agree that we are likely to see further constraints on state welfare in the 21st Century. Gathering together the findings from up-to-date attitude surveys in Europe East and West, the US and Australasia, this revealing book shows that, contrary to the claims of many experts and policy-makers, the welfare state is still highly popular with the citizens of most countries. This evidence will add to controversy in an area of fundamental importance to public policy and to current social science debate.
Inbunden, Engelska, 2001
1 758 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
Based on qualitative research carried out with young people aged from 18 to 30 in five European countries, Young Europeans, Work and Family examines young people's pathways to adulthood, and their perspectives on their future work and family lives. This enlightening book investigates young people from a range of social classes and at various phases in their life: in training, in higher education, in insecure work and in steady jobs, including high- and low-status employment. The study was carried out by a cross-disciplinary team of researchers from Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and the UK, countries that represent a variety of economic profiles and welfare state regimes.
Inbunden, Engelska, 2001
2 416 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
In the post war years European integration was driven by nation states attempting to stimulate economic growth and social cohesion through European trade and cooperation. The results were prosperous, and unified Western European societies were based on full employment and redistributive welfare states. However, in today's Europe - a Europe subject to increasing international competition fuelled by both economic and cultural globalization - the European social model needs to be re-examined, yet its emphasis on cohesion remains crucial for the future of Europe as a unified polity. Investigating this issue in depth, this outstanding collection is divided into three key sections. These parts:* ask how recent developments have changed the old European model of employment and social protection, and outline a possible new European social model* focus on the questions of European identity and European borders, with special emphasis on cultural divisions such as ethnicity* concentrate on institutions such as citizenship and language, and reflect on sociology's ability to address European integration and the new European social order.Will Europe Work? brings together some of the leading names in European sociology to look at the construction of this new European social order through changing patterns of employment and Welfare and changing definitions of citizenship and identity.
Inbunden, Engelska, 2001
2 640 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
European social development over the last century has been characterized by an increasing inclusiveness of people into the ever-larger collectives of the nation state, the European Union and categories of welfare entitlement. Yet recent empirical data suggests that income gaps are growing and that within the physical borders of Europe there is a greater cultural and ethnic heterogeneity than ever before. Effectively, many of the processes of inclusion are accompanied by exclusion and the creation of new borders, identities and rights.Inclusions and Exclusions in European Societies features eminent contributors from across Europe addressing the problems of inclusion and exclusion as they affect European societies today. Amongst the topics addressed are:to what extent classical theory provides useful ways of reframing European societieswhich inequalities in work and welfare persist today and in what ways they have been transformed in processes of European integrationhow considerations of new identities and the pressure of globalisation affect the forms of inclusion and exclusion in Europe.This book constitutes a unique stock-taking of many of the central issues in European social integration or disintegration today.
Inbunden, Engelska, 2005
3 648 kr
Skickas inom 5-8 vardagar
Autobiographies of Transformation is a completely unique history of sociology in Central and Eastern Europe in the post-Communist era. Through the autobiographies of ten key sociological witnesses from the region, the sociological imagination is turned upon itself, resulting in a compelling and revealing account of the struggles, triumphs, and continuing challenges faced. The sociologists examined fall into three cohorts: early, mid and late career. As participants, each of the sociologists included has witnessed the intersection of history and biography in Central and Eastern Europe. As sociologists, they have tried, and continue to try, to connect the two so that they and their fellow citizens may better understand their circumstances and the futures that may follow.This revealing book, ideal for students and researchers of sociology, and Central and Eastern Europe studies, provides powerful and compelling autobiographical accounts, relating them to the current interest in this area's transformation.
Inbunden, Engelska, 2006
2 948 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
This major new book tackles key questions on Europe in the context of shifting parameters of East and West. The contributors - sociologists, anthropologists, philosophers and historians - show, from a variety of different perspectives, that the conventional equation of Europe with the West must be questioned. Featuring four thematically organized chapters, the book looks at: a post-Western worldAsia in Europe: encounters in historybetween Europe and Asiaotherness in Europe and Asia.Exploring new expressions of European self-understanding in a way that challenges recent ideological notions of the ‘clash of civilizations’, this outstanding work draws on recent scholarship that shows how Europe and Asia were mutually linked in history and in contemporary perspective. It argues that as a result of current developments and the changing geopolitical context, both Europe and Asia have much in common and that it is possible to speak of cosmopolitan links rather than clashes. This book will be of great value to students and researchers in the fields of sociology, European politics and history and cultural theory.
Inbunden, Engelska, 2007
1 545 kr
Skickas
Within a few years the European Union will be enlarged from fifteen to twenty-eight member states, including Turkey. Cultural Overstretch investigates whether the new countries culturally fit into the European Union. Interpreting the European treaties and the European Law, Gerhards describes in a first step what he calls 'The value script of the European Union'. Using survey data from twenty-eight countries the author examines in a second step whether citizens support the value script of the European Union and whether there are significant differences between old and new member states and candidate countries. The book also highlights cultural differences by referring to modernization theory and forecasts in the concluding chapter the political consequences of a possible cultural overstretch of the European Union.
Inbunden, Engelska, 2009
2 948 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
This timely volume introduces a new social class schema, the European Socio-economic Classification (ESeC), which has been specifically developed and tested for use in EU comparative research. Social Class in Europe aims to introduce researchers to the new classification and its research potential. Since socio-economic classifications are so widely used in official and academic research, this collection is essential reading for all users of both government and academic social classifications. While primarily aimed at researchers who will be using the ESeC, the book’s contents will also have a wider appeal as it is suitable for students taking substantive courses in European studies or as a supplementary text for undergraduates studying the EU, Sociology and Economics. Because of its inherent methodological interest, the book should prove a valuable tool for undergraduate and graduate courses that discuss how social scientists construct and validate basic measures. It will also be required reading for policy makers and analysts concerned with social inequality and social exclusion across Europe.
Häftad, Engelska, 2007
721 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
Throughout the world, politicians from all the main parties are cutting back on state welfare provision, encouraging people to use the private sector instead and developing increasingly stringent techniques for the surveillance of the poor. Almost all experts agree that we are likely to see further constraints on state welfare in the 21st Century. Gathering together the findings from up-to-date attitude surveys in Europe East and West, the US and Australasia, this revealing book shows that, contrary to the claims of many experts and policy-makers, the welfare state is still highly popular with the citizens of most countries. This evidence will add to controversy in an area of fundamental importance to public policy and to current social science debate.
Häftad, Engelska, 2007
721 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
The ageing of Western societies has provoked extensive sociological debate, surrounding both the role of the state and whether it can afford the cost of an ageing population, and the role of the family, especially women, in supporting older people. In this important book, the authors examine how changes, such as cuts in welfare provision, migration, urbanization and individualisation influence intergenerational relations. The collection addresses theoretical and policy issues connecting age and generation with the family and social policy, and focuses both on cross-cultural comparison within societies and analysis based on a range of societies.This edited collection brings together a range of leading researchers and theorists from across Europe to advance a sociological understanding of generational relations, in terms of the state and the family and how they are interlinked. It will be of interest to academics and researchers in sociology, social policy and ageing, and to policy makers concerned with the implications of demographic and policy changes.
Häftad, Engelska, 2007
357 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
Are the recent developments in Europe bringing countries together or pulling them apart? The leading experts in this book (including Sheila Allen, Marlis Buchmann, Piotr Sztompka, and Patrick Ziltener) cover a wide range of subjects, including the move towards political democracy and market economy in Central and Eastern societies, the project of the European Union, ethnic conflict, the rise of nationalism, social exclusion and women's role in public life.
Häftad, Engelska, 2007
721 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
European social development over the last century has been characterized by an increasing inclusiveness of people into the ever-larger collectives of the nation state, the European Union and categories of welfare entitlement. Yet recent empirical data suggests that income gaps are growing and that within the physical borders of Europe there is a greater cultural and ethnic heterogeneity than ever before. Effectively, many of the processes of inclusion are accompanied by exclusion and the creation of new borders, identities and rights.Inclusions and Exclusions in European Societies features eminent contributors from across Europe addressing the problems of inclusion and exclusion as they affect European societies today. Amongst the topics addressed are:to what extent classical theory provides useful ways of reframing European societieswhich inequalities in work and welfare persist today and in what ways they have been transformed in processes of European integrationhow considerations of new identities and the pressure of globalisation affect the forms of inclusion and exclusion in Europe.This book constitutes a unique stock-taking of many of the central issues in European social integration or disintegration today.
Inbunden, Engelska, 2010
2 416 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
Muslims in 21st Century Europe explores the interaction between native majorities and Muslim minorities in various European countries with a view to highlighting different paths of integration of immigrant and native Muslims. Starting with a critical overview of the institutionalisation of Islam in Europe and a discussion on the nature of Muslimophobia as a social phenomenon, this book shows how socio-economic, institutional and political parameters set the frame for Muslim integration in Europe. Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden are selected as case studies among the 'old' migration hosts. Italy, Spain and Greece are included to highlight the issues arising and the policies adopted in southern Europe to accommodate Muslim claims and needs. The book highlights the internal diversity of both minority and majority populations, and analyses critically the political and institutional responses to the presence of Muslims.
Häftad, Engelska, 2012
743 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
This major new book tackles key questions on Europe in the context of shifting parameters of East and West. The contributors - sociologists, anthropologists, philosophers and historians - show, from a variety of different perspectives, that the conventional equation of Europe with the West must be questioned. Featuring four thematically organized chapters, the book looks at: a post-Western worldAsia in Europe: encounters in historybetween Europe and Asiaotherness in Europe and Asia.Exploring new expressions of European self-understanding in a way that challenges recent ideological notions of the ‘clash of civilizations’, this outstanding work draws on recent scholarship that shows how Europe and Asia were mutually linked in history and in contemporary perspective. It argues that as a result of current developments and the changing geopolitical context, both Europe and Asia have much in common and that it is possible to speak of cosmopolitan links rather than clashes. This book will be of great value to students and researchers in the fields of sociology, European politics and history and cultural theory.
Inbunden, Engelska, 2013
2 640 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
German–Turkish relations, which have a long history and generally unrecognized depth, have rarely been examined as mutually formative processes. Isolated instances of influence have been examined in detail, but the historical and still ongoing processes of mutual interaction have rarely been seriously considered. The ruling assumption has been that Germany may have an impact on Turkey, but not the other way around.Religion, Identity and Politics examines this mutual interaction, specifically with regard to religious identities and institutions. It opposes the commonly held assumption that Europe is the abode of secularism and enlightenment, while the lands of Islam are the realm of backwardness and fundamentalism. Both historically and contemporarily, Germany has treated religion as a core aspect of communal and civilizational identity and framed its institutions accordingly; the book explores how there has been, and continues to be, a mutual exchange in this regard between Germany and both the Ottoman Empire and modern Turkey. The authors show that the definition of identity and regulation of communities have been explicitly based on religion until the early and since the late twentieth century; the period in between– the age of secular nationalism– which has always been treated as the norm, now appears more clearly as an exception. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of sociology, politics, history and religion.
Häftad, Engelska, 2012
721 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
This book provides readers – students, researchers, academics, policy-makers, activists and interested non-specialists – with a sophisticated understanding of contemporary discussion, analysis and theorizing of issues pertaining to conflict, citizenship and civil society. It does so through thirteen pieces of most recent in-depth sociological research that delve on: challenges to citizenship, civil society and citizenship in early and late modernity, the reflexive imperative in transformations of civil society, social conflict challenges to social science approaches, methodology and explanatory power, gender, minorities-immigrants-refugees and the extension of citizenship, violence in modernity, the place of civil society for sociology, and postcolonialism, trauma, and civil society.
Häftad, Engelska, 2012
889 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
Muslims in 21st Century Europe explores the interaction between native majorities and Muslim minorities in various European countries with a view to highlighting different paths of integration of immigrant and native Muslims. Starting with a critical overview of the institutionalisation of Islam in Europe and a discussion on the nature of Muslimophobia as a social phenomenon, this book shows how socio-economic, institutional and political parameters set the frame for Muslim integration in Europe. Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden are selected as case studies among the 'old' migration hosts. Italy, Spain and Greece are included to highlight the issues arising and the policies adopted in southern Europe to accommodate Muslim claims and needs. The book highlights the internal diversity of both minority and majority populations, and analyses critically the political and institutional responses to the presence of Muslims.
Häftad, Engelska, 2012
721 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
This timely volume introduces a new social class schema, the European Socio-economic Classification (ESeC), which has been specifically developed and tested for use in EU comparative research. Social Class in Europe aims to introduce researchers to the new classification and its research potential. Since socio-economic classifications are so widely used in official and academic research, this collection is essential reading for all users of both government and academic social classifications. While primarily aimed at researchers who will be using the ESeC, the book’s contents will also have a wider appeal as it is suitable for students taking substantive courses in European studies or as a supplementary text for undergraduates studying the EU, Sociology and Economics. Because of its inherent methodological interest, the book should prove a valuable tool for undergraduate and graduate courses that discuss how social scientists construct and validate basic measures. It will also be required reading for policy makers and analysts concerned with social inequality and social exclusion across Europe.
Inbunden, Engelska, 2010
2 416 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
Internationalisation of Social Sciences in Central and Eastern Europe explores the way in which social sciences, in comparison with other sciences in Europe, have been divided by the political orders of West and East. As part of the field of science policies in Europe, this book contributes to the creation of a new understanding of the European academic landscape of social sciences with particular focus on CEE countries.In its investigation of the emergence of social sciences in Central and Eastern Europe following the collapse of the totalitarian systems, this book discusses how the internationalisation of the social sciences and the convergence between Western and Eastern social scientific life is hindered by factors including funding, academic contacts, and curriculum development. The issues addressed within the text serve to prompt the realisation that coherence in European social sciences can be reached only if new academic traditions and cultures are developed, and science policies harmonised.This book is essential reading for undergraduate and graduate students of European Integration, CEE or Transitional Studies, and any courses related to science policies. It is also relevant to science administrators and policy makers at national and European level.
Inbunden, Engelska, 2009
2 416 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
This book provides readers – students, researchers, academics, policy-makers, activists and interested non-specialists – with a sophisticated understanding of contemporary discussion, analysis and theorizing of issues pertaining to conflict, citizenship and civil society. It does so through thirteen pieces of most recent in-depth sociological research that delve on: challenges to citizenship, civil society and citizenship in early and late modernity, the reflexive imperative in transformations of civil society, social conflict challenges to social science approaches, methodology and explanatory power, gender, minorities-immigrants-refugees and the extension of citizenship, violence in modernity, the place of civil society for sociology, and postcolonialism, trauma, and civil society.
Inbunden, Engelska, 2013
2 348 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
Collective identity, the emotionally powerful sense of belonging to a group, is a crucial source of popular legitimacy for nations. However efforts since the 1990s to politically support European integration by using identity mechanisms borrowed from nationalism have had very limited success. European integration may require new, post-national approaches to the relationship between culture and politics.This controversial and timely volume poses the logical question: if identity doesn't effectively connect culture with European integration politics, what does? The book brings together leading scholars from several of the disciplines that have developed concepts of culture and methods of cultural research. These expert interdisciplinary contributors apply a startling diversity of approaches to culture, linking it to facets of integration as varied as external policy, the democratic deficit, economic dynamism and the geography of integration. This book examines commonalities and connections within the European space, as well as representations of these in identity discourses. It will be useful for students and scholars of sociology, geography, anthropology, social psychology, political science and the history of European integration.
Inbunden, Engelska, 2012
1 463 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
Regional development strategies are becoming more similar all around Europe, even though regional differences are more pronounced than ever and many European regions have become more autonomous actors. This thesis of a peculiar standardized diversification of sub-national space in the modern European Union is the point of departure of this book. Based upon the analytical premises of Stanford School Sociological Institutionalism, Sebastian M. Büttner studies regional mobilization in contemporary Europe from a new and innovative perspective. He highlights the importance of scientific expertise and global scientific models in contemporary regional development practice, and exemplifies their significance with the example of region-building in Poland in the course of EU integration. This new wave of regional mobilization is not just conceived as an effect of local, national or European politics, but as an expression of a larger conceptual shift in governing society and space. This well researched and clearly argued book not only provides fresh insights into region-building and regionalization in contemporary European space, but also contributes to the new sociology of Europeanization. It will be an illuminating read for scholars and students in Sociology, European and EU studies, International Relations, Cultural Studies, Geography, Regional Science, Polish Studies and related subject areas.
Inbunden, Engelska, 2011
1 507 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
This book brings together life stories from five generations of Balts, living through the diverse and recurring transformations of the twentieth century: occupations, war, independence, totalitarianism, and democratic rule and market economy. The twentieth century history of the Baltic countries has often been deeply tragic. Lying on the coastline of the Baltic Sea, these rather small but strategically well located territories have historically found themselves in the middle of many power struggles between larger states, empires and other power-holders: the Teutonic Knights, Swedish kings, Tsarist Russia, Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union. Today, they are once again forced to stand up to the Russian Federation.Biographical interviewing is a field focused on individuals, and on how those individuals choose to re-create and present their lived lives, make meaning of it through the narratives they tell. To interpret the biographical narrations of Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians, shaped by complex and controversial historical background, the authors use Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of social and cultural capitals, the principles of Erving Goffman’s framing analysis and Alessandro Portelli’s distinction of private and public spheres, Anton Steen’s investigations of post-Socialist elites and Piotr Sztompka’s theory of cultural trauma, etc. Given analyses of particular biographical narrations are supplemented by brief historical and sociological overviews, which allow the reader to better understand the contexts of lived lives, and the mental atmosphere in which the interviews were conducted.
Inbunden, Engelska, 2012
2 488 kr
Skickas inom 10-15 vardagar
In the wake of the Greek and Irish crises, and at a moment when solidarity between states is hotly debated on a daily basis at EU level, it is important to understand how ‘solidarity’ can happen at all. The Road to Social Europe reviews the development of political cultural processes since the nineteenth century, showing how social protection and social justice have gradually become interwoven with systems of social protection, or welfare states. Grounded on extensive empirical research conducted in many EU countries and in the European Commission’s administration over twenty years, the book provides a cultural analysis of welfare systems in Europe. It also presents an original enquiry into the importance of languages for politics in Europe, for the politics of welfare, and for sociological research. It shows how sociological and ethnographic analysis can help in understanding the current and future challenges of European integration that rely unilaterally on functional economics.This in-depth sociological analysis of European diversity will appeal to a wide audience of students and scholars of sociology, political science, political economy and European studies.