230158 VO+SE The Social Structure of Europe (2009S)

The lecture is a systematic overview of the social structures of the European Union member states and an emerging European society. It focuses on comparing different dimensions of the social structure of European societies and highlighting differences and similarities. By including 27 countries and using up-to-date data (EU and OECD data), it gives a comprehensive picture of the European Union countries as well as of the specific forms of "unity within variety" Europe is characterized by. However, the lecture does not treat the European societies as being independent of each other, but is interested in the dynamics of boundary crossing and horizontal interaction between the different national societies, which are driven by the European integration process.