Olejar Books

"European integration is one of the most ambitious and socially far-reaching developments in world politics and in world economics. Against growing opposition and despite increasing social heterogeneity the European Union continues to expand and to acquire new competences. But is there actually ""an ever closer union of the people of Europe"" going on? To what extent and how is the political European project socially anchored? How does social change impinge upon political integration? Societal trends in multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and socially diverse Europe have not been much studied systematically. Handbook of European Societies sets to rectify this neglect of societal developments in Europe, providing groundwork for the sociology of European integration. The book portrays social life and social relations in the enlarged Europe, and gives a perspective on the European Union as a collective social entity. Handbook of European Societies is a pioneering source book analysing current social patterns on the continent. It covers a representative selection of major topics of social concern and sociological relevance, such as Collective Action, Consumption, European Identity, Power Structure, Sexuality, Stratification or Well-being. Each contribution probes key developments in a strictly comparative manner. The Handbook thus offers a detailed look into the intricacies of the national societies of Europe and into the prospect of an emerging European society. The editors have enlisted leading researchers to synthesize existing knowledge and to making use of many different data sources in a straight-forward style. The contributions stay away from jargon, simple labelling, and sweeping assertions. Instead, they provide solid and accessible information on a wide variety of social trends and processes within and across European societies."