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  - Recently published: Social Quality: From Theory to Indicatorsí by Palgrave Macmillan, edited by Laurent J.G. van der Maesen and Alan Walker, December 2011. >>>

     
  - Social Quality: A Vision for Europe (2001)      
       
  - The Social Quality of Europe (1997)      
       


  Sustainable Welfare Societies and overall Sustainability (forthcoming Summer 2011)      
  Forthcoming in 2010 the third study of the European Foundation on Social Quality. Working title: 'Sustainable Welfare Societies and overall Sustainability'. In this study 'the social' as a forgotten theme in social science after the Second World War will be a central theme to debate social cohesion, socio-economic security, social inclusion and social empowerment.    

  With contributions by:
  • Dr. Wolfgang Beck, advisor European Foundation on Social Quality
  • Dr. Yitzhak Berman, External Research Associate, European Centre for Social Welfare Policy Research, Vienna
  • Prof. Dave Gordon, Townsend Centre for International Poverty Research, University of Bristol, UK
  • Dr. Peter Herrmann, University of Cork, Ireland
  • Drs. Margo Keizer, External Research Associate, The Netherlands
  • Dr. L.J.G. van der Maesen, European Foundation on Social Quality, The Netherlands
  • Dr. Tetsuo Ogawa, University of Chiba, Japan
  • Dr. David Phillips, Department of Sociological Studies, University of Sheffield, UK
  • Prof. Alan Walker, Department of Sociological Studies, University of Sheffield, UK
 


  Social Quality: A Vision for Europe (2001)      
  Ed. by Wolfgang Beck, Laurent van der Maesen, Fleur Thomése and Alan Walker Published by Kluwer Law International, The Hague, January 2001, hardbound    

  Introduction

This volume represents the outcome of two years of intensive debate about the future of Europe. It aims to provide the European Union with a vision: one that will unite all of its citizens and help to create the democratic legitimacy that the EU currently lacks. It builds on the first book on social quality, The Social Quality of Europe, which introduced the concept and which has been enthusiastically received by both the scientific and policy communities.

The book develops three crucial elements of social quality: the theoretical validity of the concept, its practical application, and its identity or `genetic code'. It establishes an independent identity for social quality, with a unique focus on the quality of the social, which enables it to act as the rationale for economic, social, and cultural policies and, therefore, an escape route from the dominance of narrow economic thinking in policy making.

This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the future of Europe: policy makers, scientists, NGOs, and students of social policy, law, economics, sociology, and political science. 		 

  'This makes the book an important and original contribution to the shaping of a new Europe. It will be a valuable resource as we take up the challenges of the 21st Century.'
 R. Prodi, President of the European Commission.

 'This book extends and deepens our understanding of social quality and , therefore, will be an invaluable resource in both the implementaion of the new Social Policy Agenda and in the modernization of the European social model.'
 A. Diamantopoul, Member of the European Commission, responsible for Social Affairs and Employment. 		 


  Contents

1. Introduction: Who and What is the European Union for? - Wolfgang Beck, Laurent van der Maesen and Alan Walker

Part One: The Social Quality of Europe: Assessing the Concept
2. On the Politics and Policy of Social Quality - Göran Therborn
3. A Juridical approach to the European Model of Social Quality - Antonio Ojeda-Avilés
4. Identification of the 'Problematique' - Denis Bouget
5. Gender Relations and Daily Life: Towards a Cross-Cultural Approach - Marina Calloni
6. Welfare State Theory and Social Quality - Kees van Kersbergen
7. The Empirical and Policy Relevance of Social Quality - Denis Bouget
8. Definitional, Conceptual and Operational Issues- David Phillips and Yitzhak Berman
9. The Concept Revisited: Preparing a New Perspective- Wolfgang Beck, Laurent van der Maesen, Fleur Thomése and Alan Walker

Part Two: Tendencies in Europe: Developing the Concept
10. Urban Transformations, the French Debate and Social Quality - Jan Berting and Christiane Villain-Gandossi
11. Social Market, Social Quality, and the Quality of Social Institutions - Ota de Leonardis
12. Welfare Dynamics, the Third Sector and Social Quality - Adalbert Evers
13. Social Quality from Basic Security: A Redistributive Strategy - Guy Standing
14. Coping with Drastic Social Change: Europe and the US in Comparison - Georg Vobruba
15. Democratic Modernity and Social Quality - Svein Andersen and Kjell Eliassen
16. Processes Challenging the Concept of Social Quality - Wolfgang Beck, Laurent van der Maesen and Alan Walker

Part Three: Creating a New Perspective
17. Theorizing Social Quality: The Concept's Validity - Wolfgang Beck, Laurent van der Maesen, and Alan Walker
18. The Concept's Empirical and Political Applicability - Wolfgang Beck, Laurent van der Maesen, and Alan Walker

Epilogue:
The Social Quality of Europe is Culture - George Konrád 		 


  Authors

  • Svein Andersen ARENA/ Norwegian School of Management, Oslo, Norway
  • Wolfgang Beck European Foundation on Social Quality, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • Yitzhak Berman External Research Associate, European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research, Vienna, Austria.
  • Jan Berting emiritus, Jouques, France.
  • Denis Bouget Maison des Sciences de l'Homme Ange Guépin, Nantes, France.
  • Maria Calloni London School of Economics, London, United Kingdom.
  • Kjell Eliassen Norwegian School of Management, Oslo, Norway.
  • Adalbert Evers Institüt für Wirtschaftslehre des Haushalts, Justus-Liebig-Universität, Giessen, Germany.
  • Christiane Villain-Gandossi University of Provence, Aix-en-Provence, France.
  • Kees van Kersbergen Department of Social and Political Sciences, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
  • George Konrád literator, Budapest, Hungary.
  • Ota de Leonardis Department of Sociology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
  • Laurent J.G. van der Maesen European Foundation on Social Quality/SISWO, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • Antonio Ojeda-Avilés Faculty of Law, University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.
  • David Phillips Department of Sociological Studies, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom.
  • Guy Standing Socio-Economic Security Programme, International Labour Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
  • Göran Therborn Swedish Collegium for Advanced Studies, Uppsala, Sweden.
  • Fleur Thomése Department of Social and Cultural Studies, Vrije Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • Georg Vobruba Institut fur Sociologie, Leipzig, Germany.
  • Alan Walker Department of Sociological Studies, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom.
 


  How to order

For obtaining a copy of this book you can use the order form on Kluwer's website or contact :

Kluwer Academic Publishers
Customer Service Department
P.O. Box 989
3300 AZ Dordrecht
The Netherlands

Tel : (+31) 78 639 23 92
Fax : (+31) 78 639 22 54
E-mail : services@wkap.nl 		 


  The Social Quality of Europe      
  Ed. by Wolfgang Beck, Laurent van der Maesen and Alan Walker Published by Kluwer Law International, The Hague, June 1997, hardbound and Policy Press, 1998, paperback    

  Introduction

This book brings together leading European social scientists to focus on the essential questions concerning the future of the European Union (EU).

The Social Quality of Europe contains the most comprehensive and detailed analysis conducted so far of the relationship between EU economic and social dimensions. It introduces an entirely new concept to European discourse-social quality-which will inspire examination and debate from a unique perspective.

This work consists of specially commissioned original chapters-from experts in the fields of economics, law, political science, social policy, and sociology-together with critical commentaries and syntheses focusing on employment, social protection, social exclusion, and provision for older people. It provides a unique source of reference on current economic and social policies in the EU and sets the agenda for a new debate about the quality of life aspired to by European citizens.

The book is essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students in the social sciences; policymakers at local, national, and state-of-the-art assessment of European social and economic policies. 		   

  'The volume is an exceptionally clear and useful account of an important social science incursion into the character of European policy.'
Joe Bailey, Kingston University, UK in European Societies, 1:2 (1999) 		 


  Contents

1. Introduction W. Beck, et al.

Part One: Economic, Legal, Political and Social Dimensions‚ Analyses and Commentaries.
2. European Economic Policies and Social Quality - D. Meulders, R. Plasman
3. The Maastricht Treaty and Social Quality: A Divorce? (Commentary on Chapter 2) - D. Bouget
4. Juridical Instruments of the European Union and the European Communities - B. Schulte
5. Qualitative European Social Security Legislation (Commentary on Chapter 4) - D. Pieters
6. Social Aspects of the European Model and Its Economic Consequences - I. Gough
7. Social Policy and Competitiveness (Commentary on Chapter 6) - A. Bruto da Costa
8. Social Policy for Europe - G. Vobruba
9. Do the Spending and Finance Structures Matter? (Commentary on Chapter 8) - G. Esping-Andersen
10. Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion in Europe - P. Abrahamson
11. The Importance of the Concept of Social Exclusion (Commentary on Chapter 12) - C. Saraceno
12. A Central European Perspective on the Social Quality of Europe - Z. Fergev
13. Boxing the Shadow? 'Neoliberals' and Social Quality after Communism (Commentary on Chapter 12) - J.M. Kovács
14. Political Participation, Political Rights and the Politics of Daily Life - A. Showstack Sassoon
15. Political Capabilities of Citizens and the Politics of Daily Life (Commentary on Chapter 14) - J. Hartl

Part Two: Syntheses
16. Social Security and the Unemployment-Poverty Trade-Off - C. De Neubourg
17. Social Protection and Social Quality in Europe - J. Berghman
18. Beyond the Veil of Macro-Economic, Social and Political Integration: Care for the Dependent - J. Pacolet
19. Social Quality in Europe: Perspectives on Social Exclusion - G. Room

Part Three: Towards a Concept of Social Quality
20. Social Quality: From Issue to Concept - W. Beck, et al.
21. Conclusion: Towards Social Quality in Europe - J. Baars, et al. 		 


  How to order

For obtaining a copy of this book you can use the order form on Kluwer's website or contact :

Kluwer Academic Publishers
Customer Service Department
P.O. Box 989
3300 AZ Dordrecht
The Netherlands

Tel : (+31) 78 639 23 92
Fax : (+31) 78 639 22 54
E-mail : services@wkap.nl