Full Description
This book focuses on social transformations as one of the central topics in the social sciences. The study of European social transformations is very valuable in the context of universal discussions within social sciences: explaining invariable, universal attributes of societies and examining changing attributes. The book consists of 20 chapters on European social transformations, written from the perspectives of distinguished scholars from such disciplines as economics, political science, educational science, geography, media and communication studies, public management and administration, social psychology and sociology. The temporal and spatial range of the book is wide, including such global changes as time-space compression, focusing particularly on change processes in Europe during the last two decades. The book consists of four main parts, beginning with an overview of the theoretical and methodological approaches, and then focusing separately on post-communist transformations, institutional drivers of social transformations in the European Union, and European transformations in the context of global processes. The book presents current theoretical, empirical and methodological approaches that complement the scientific literature on social transformations.
This book is both an invaluable resource for scholars and an indispensable teaching tool for use in the classroom and will be of interest to students, academics, and policy-makers studying how this diverse region has changed over recent years.
Contents
List of Figures, List of Tables, Acknowledgements, Contributors, Introduction: Mapping European Social Transformations (Marju Lauristin, Anu Masso and Signe Opermann), PART I: Theoretical and Methodological Approaches, 1.1. Theoretical Approaches to Post-Communist Transformations in Europe (Raj Kollmorgen) 1.2. Evolving Approaches to the Analysis of Central and Eastern European Capitalism (Elena Iankova) 1.3. Methodological Solutions for Comparative Research on Transformations (Borut Rončević, Matej Makarovič, Matevž Tomšič and Victor Cepoi) 1.4. Varieties and Patterns of Post-Communist Transformations: A Qualitative Comparative Retrospective Scenario Analysis (Zenonas Norkus) 1.5. The Concept of Refraction and the Narrative Approach to Exploring Multi-Level Social Reform Initiatives: Conceptual and Methodological Issues (Rain Mikser and Ivor Goodson) PART II: Post-Communist Transformations 2.1. Capitalism by Design (Anders Åslund) 2.2. The Development of Political Systems in Post-Communist Countries (Vello Pettai) 2.3. Decline of Liberal Constitutionalism in East Central Europe (Grażyna Skąpska) 2.4. Social Stratification and Inequalities in Eastern and Central Europe (Ellu Saar and Avo Trumm) 2.5. Social Transformations, Housing and Socio-Economic Segregation in the Fast-Track Reform Countries (Tiit Tammaru, Szymon Marcińczak and Kristiina Kukk) 2.6. Lifestyle Governance: Micro-Level Social Transformation (Triin Vihalemm and Margit Keller) PART III: Institutional Drivers of Social Transformations in the European Union 3.1. Trajectories of Attitudes towards European Integration: The New Member States and beyond (Henri Vogt) 3.2. Environmental Problems as Drivers of Economic and Social Transformation in Europe (Peter Preisendörfer) 3.3. Notes on Spatial Transformation in Post-Cold War Europe and the Territory Work of the European Union (Sami Moisio and Juho Luukkonen) 3.4. Innovation (Policy) and Transformative Change in the European Union (Erkki Karo and Rainer Kattel) PART IIII: European Transformations in the Context of Global Processes 4.1. Time-Space Compression and the Remaking of European Topologies (Barney Warf) 4.2. Mediatisation: The Transformation of Everyday Life and Social Relations, Institutions and Enterprises, Culture and Society in the Context of Media Change (Friedrich Krotz) 4.3. Migration and Social Transformation (Thomas Faist, Mustafa Aksakal and Kerstin Schmidt) 4.4. Social Generations and Societal Changes (Raili Nugin and Veronika Kalmus) Index
