Handbook Of Quality Of Life In The Enlarged European Union

Description:
Recent enlargement to the east made the European Union a more diverse social space and brought it into more direct contact with the social and cultural aftermath of communism. Sound empirical knowledge on heterogeneity and homogeneity in European societies after the EU enlargement is lacking. By bringing together a collection of informative analyses of key domains of social life in the new member states and candidate countries, viewed in comparison both to each other and to the 'old' EU-15, this handbook will help social scientists, policy makers and other observers cope with the unfamiliarity of this new world. In particular, it examines the implications of the new member states' membership for the future course of EU integration. This substantial text contains seventeen chapters with a focus on social conditions, such as: poverty and living conditions social inclusion, life satisfaction work and labour markets; family and housing. Making use of a range of data, this handbook will be an essential resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students and researchers of Sociology, Social Policy and Welfare, European Studies and European Union Policy.

Table of Contents:
Preface by Robert Anderson, European Foundation 0. Editors' introduction: EU - Enlargement and Quality of Life: The context and purpose of this book Part 1 Fertility, families and households 1. Fertility Patterns and Aspirations in Europe 2. Patterns of Family Living in an Enlarged Europe 3. Is There a Generational Cleavage in Europe? Age-specific perceptions of elderly care and of the pension system 4. Family Policy Patterns in the Enlarged EU Part 2 Employment and working conditions 5. Employment Patterns in the Enlarged European Union 6. Wprking Conditions and Quality of Work: A comparison of Easter and Western Europe 7. Extension Through Dilution? European integration, enlargement, and labour institutions Part 3 Material living conditions 8. Poverty, Deprivation and Economic Vulnerability in an Enlarged EU 9. Minimum Income Policies in Old and New Member States 10. Housing Conditions 11. Institutional Drivers of Housing Inequalities in an Enlarged Europe Part 4 Social capital and social cohesion 12. Patterns of Sociability in the Enlarged Europe 13. Feeling Left Out: Patterns of social integration and exclusion 14. The Perception of Group Conflicts: Different challenges for social cohesion in new and old member states Part 5 Processes of Europeanization 15. Migration and Mobility Culture: An analysis of mobility intentions 16. Where we stand in Europe: Citizen perceptions of European country rankings and their influence on subjective well-being 17. Assessing the Quality of European Surveys: Towards an open method of coordinatino for survey data