'Drawing on the development of economic sociology over the past 40 years, this book brings together leading scholars to explore the relationship between social institutions on economic processes. Inspired in particular by the innovative and creative dimensions of Colin Crouch's work, they signpost directions for future research. It will be an important reader for international scholars exploring the unfolding dimensions of contemporary relations in economy and society.' Jacqueline O'Reilly, University of Brighton Business School, UK 'Improving our understanding of how economy and society interrelate in Europe is of paramount importance. The rigorous and thought-provoking analyses about the interaction between markets and the institutions of society contained in this book undoubtedly represent an excellent example of how this improvement can be achieved, especially in these times of crisis.' Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, London School of Economics, UK 'This book offers a refreshing account of the deep changes occurring over recent years in the relationship between economy and society in Europe. This is of course a classical theme since Max Weber's work, but the social institutions which shape economic performance have profoundly evolved, as have the analytical categories used to understand them. The contributions in this volume provide a broad and interesting perspective, dealing with issues as varied as industrial relations, welfare regimes, families and the labour market, universities, local governance and many others. In the wake of the financial crisis, the major theories on the role of such institutions are found partly unsatisfactory, as the boundaries between economy and society are constantly shifting. Everyone interested in improving our analytical tools to understand the direction of change in Europe should welcome this book.' Marino Regini, University of Milan, Italy While an economy is always 'embedded' in society, the relationship between the two is undergoing profound changes in Europe, resulting in widespread instability which is emphasised by the current crisis. This book analyses these changes, and in particular pressures of intensifying international competition, globalization and financialization within Europe. Combining the perspectives of economic sociology, political economy and political science, the expert contributors offer an in-depth, multidisciplinary insight to the functioning of a number of institutional arenas around which European economies and societies are organized. Areas explored include the state and public policy at European national and regional level, the welfare state, industrial relations systems, education systems and the family. This challenging and thought provoking book will be of great interest to a wide-ranging audience across a number of disciplines, including European studies, political science, comparative political economy, economic sociology, industrial relations and social policy.

Politics and Society in Western Europe is a comprehensive introduction for students of West European politics and of comparative politics. This new edition has been extensively revised and updated to meet with the new needs of undergraduate students as they come to terms with a changing social and political landscape in Europe. This textbook provides a full analysis of the political systems of 18 Western European countries, their political parties, elections, and party systems, as well as the structures of government at local, regional, national and European Union levels. Throughout the book, key theoretical ideas are accessibly introduced and examined against the very latest empirical data on civil society and the state.

This book examines pressures for convergence and divergence in contemporary societies focusing on the rapidly changing relationship betwen work and welfare. The countries selected for in-depth comparative analysis are Germany, Spain, Sweden and the UK, each representative of different labour market and welfare regimes. Beginning with an overview of those departmenst in the post-second world war period which shed light on the different social and institutional structures, economic directions and policy orientations of the countries concerned, the book goes on to explore changing patterns of work and employment in particular in relation to labour market reforms, new forms of production and women's participation in paid work. In its last section, it looks at current issues of social policy in Europe, including gender and poverty. Integrating material from sociological perspectives on work and employment with comparative welfare analysis, feminist critiques and recent debates on social exclusion, the book will be of particular relevance and usefulness to students of European Studies, Sociology and Social Policy.

This book takes stock of the lessons to be learned from the experiences of different countries on their way to a transition into a unified Europe. It demonstrates how the project of a unified Europe is a social pilot project that is unique in human history, both with respect to the sheer number of people involved and with respect to the cultural diversity it aims to turn into a progressive advantage. With no historical experience at hand, the transition into a unified Europe is an exploratory process, often risky but sometimes also surprisingly successful. To improve the chances of establishing a successful unification it is particularly important that we learn from the mistakes made so far; and that we learn rapidly, since the forces working against the pilot project of Europe will gain power very fast if the unification success slows down. And as the recent developments in Greece show, the vision of the final goal itself can well change during this exciting quest. Apart from providing the pieces of a mosaic on which a more general theory can be built, this book can be read as a collection of experiences – mistakes as well as triumphs – which should help the European learning process. The structure of the book mirrors Europe’s diversity: specific country studies are combined with more general chapters, and quantitatively oriented econometric work is combined with qualitatively oriented sociological studies.

Europe and World Society offers a distinctive critical approach to understanding European transformations, exploring both the progress and limitations of integration on various key policy areas such as agricultural policy, education reform, migration, and external relations, as well as the relationship between European regionalism and globalization. Due to its innovative theoretical framework, based on macro perspectives including ‘World Polity Theory’, developed by Stanford sociologist John W. Meyer, this collection contributes to both the recent ‘sociological turn’ in European studies, and to the constructivist critiques of rational choice accounts of modern Europe. At a time when the European integration project has been severely challenged by multiple economic, political, and social crises, this book offers a timely, global perspective that sheds light on the dynamism and multiplicity of the actors, discourses, and processes which underlie contemporary Europe. The book’s distinctive global approach allows it to move the debate beyond state- and EU-centrism, and establish the ‘missing link’ between Europe and its global context. This book was published as a special issue of the Journal of Contemporary European Studies.

This comparative book draws on the European Social Survey to examine what kinds of societal forces shape an individuals' relationship towards political life and develops a theoretical perspective on the relationship between social structure and democracy, linking this to research on social capital and political behavior.

Europe and Civil Society provides an in-depth examination of how public interest groups and social movements seek to influence the European policy-making process. The book is based on a comparison of the role of networks of activists and their allies--broadly defined as Movement Advocacy Coalitions--in influencing decision-making at the European Union level in three specific areas of policy-making: environmentalism, anti-racism and ethno-nationalist regionalism. It draws on systematic documentary analysis and an extensive series of interviews with activists and institutional actors to examine the role of public interest organizations in these three areas. This focus reflects topical societal concerns and facilitates new insights into the study of European policy-making, political sociology, and social movement research.