El. knyga: Comparing European Workers: Policies and Institutions

This second of two companion volumes places the labor markets, workplaces, jobs and workers of Europe in comparative perspective. It focuses on the politics, economics, sociology, and history of work and workers in Europe. It contains both qualitative and quantitative studies as well as explicitly theoretical work, and compares contemporary patterns and the recent history of European workers with other models of work worldwide. Authors contribute a variety of methodological and theoretical perspectives, with papers that push the boundaries of evidence and argument. Specific topics in "Comparing European Workers Volume 2: Policies and Institutions" include: the political economy of active social policy in postindustrial democracies; social protection dualism, deindustrialization and cost containment; organized labor in Europe; and, unionization in East European ex-communist countries. It asks such questions as 'does European-style welfare generosity discourage single mother employment?', 'whose interests do unions represent?' and 'are trade unions still redistributive?'.

Focuses on the politics, economics, sociology, and history of work and workers in Europe. This title places the labor markets, workplaces, jobs and workers of Europe in comparative perspective, and compares contemporary patterns and the history of European workers with other models of work worldwide.

The first volume--Part A--looked at experiences and inequalities of workers, identifying many problems and challenges they face across Europe. Here contributors, mostly from the US but also Britain and Switzerland, explore policies and institutions and consider possible solutions. The environment of security and protection workers once enjoyed is now gone, they find, but many of the core social policies remain intact and the labor market institutions are still stronger in Europe than anywhere else in the world. Among the topics are the political economy of active social policy in post-industrial democracies, whether European-style welfare generosity discourages single-mother employment, unionization in East European ex-communist countries 1990-2006, and European workers as meaning-making beings. There is no index. Distributed in North America by Turpin Distribution. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)