The contributions to this timely volume explore the social implications of labour market reforms, and assess the complex relationship between the economic and non-economic aspects of labour institutions. The authors ascertain that labour market systems have important social dimensions, including social benefits and effects on psychological well-being and on social relationships. They go on to argue that the evaluation of reforms should take into consideration this social impact. The book examines the requirements for increased flexibility in contractual associations whilst maintaining social protection and job security. Using new utility criteria, guidelines for evaluating labour market and social protection system reform policies are recommended. It is argued that policy evaluations should consider whether social benefits are compatible with the increased flexibility demanded by the marketplace, taking into account the complex social and cultural rules which affect human behaviour, and the fact that individuals are concerned with issues such as fairness, status and the well-being of their fellow citizens. Policymakers involved in government, international institutions, professional associations for social work and labour relations, unions and employer federations will find this book to be a useful and fascinating read. It will also be of great interest to academics involved in labour economics, industrial relations and industrial economics.

The Home in the Digital Age is a set of multidisciplinary studies exploring the impact of digital technologies in the home, with a shift of emphasis from technology to the people living and using this in their homes. The book covers a wide variety of topics on the design, introduction and use of digital technologies in the home, combining the technological dimension with the cognitive, emotional, cultural and symbolic dimensions of the objects that incorporate digital technologies and project them onto people's lives. It offers a coherent approach, that of the home, which gives unity to the discussion. Scholars of the home, the house and the family will find here the connection with the problems derived from the use of domestic robots and connected devices. Students of artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, big data and other branches of digital technologies will find ideas and arguments to apply their disciplines to the home and participate fruitfully in forums where digital technologies are built and negotiated in the home. Experts from various disciplines psychologists and sociologists; philosophers, epistemologists and ethicists; economists; engineers, architects, urban planners and designers and so on and also those interested in developing policies for the home and family will find this book contains well-founded and useful ideas to focus their work.

This book uses a multidisciplinary approach to examine the relationship between the quality of domestic life and the home environment, in its material and relational dimension, with individual and social happiness, in the context of current changes. The theme of happiness and well-being is framed within two significant changes, themselves affected by the recent COVID-19 pandemic: the relationship between the individual's quality of life and engagement within the community, and the role of new technologies in everyday life. The authors highlight the relational nature of happiness and the centrality of the home environment in its promotion. Three dimensions of psychosocial well-being in the home are analysed: the personal one, consisting of a sense of stability, intimacy and sharing; the social one, which considers the domestic environment as a place for civic education and, in times of pandemic, the site of professional activity and the physical one, consisting of spaces, services and architectural styles. This book is ideal for readers who wish to cross disciplinary boundaries and explore the topic of domestic happiness in its different facets. The target audience is both professional researchers and advanced graduate and undergraduate students.

Introducing novel theoretical, empirical and practical investigations with case studies from UK, Europe, South America and South East Asia, the book offers a novel global outlook on how contemporary homes are facing genuine challenges from operational, economic, spatial, social and wellbeing perspectives. The changing demographics of our modern society have inevitably impacted the dynamics and relationships within the home from being personal and private to that of multiple work relationships; domestic work, care for older people, or supporting people with special needs. Whilst the home is a concept universally experienced, permeating every aspect of our lives, it remains an entity whose influence on health and wellbeing is poorly understood. This book brings together 17 different contributions from scholars, researchers and practitioners from different disciplinary and professional backgrounds including three feature articles by leading figures, such as Lord Best and Baroness Hollins. The chapters are organised within three parts that look at the triangle of people + work + care in the home. At a time when homes are increasingly becoming local hubs for care and wellbeing, this volume is a critical and useful addition to current literature in the social sciences, humanities, economics, culture, care and wellbeing in the domestic sphere.

The Home in the Digital Age is a set of multidisciplinary studies exploring the impact of digital technologies in the home, with a shift of emphasis from technology to the people living and using this in their homes. The book covers a wide variety of topics on the design, introduction and use of digital technologies in the home, combining the technological dimension with the cognitive, emotional, cultural and symbolic dimensions of the objects that incorporate digital technologies and project them onto people's lives. It offers a coherent approach, that of the home, which gives unity to the discussion. Scholars of the home, the house and the family will find here the connection with the problems derived from the use of domestic robots and connected devices. Students of artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, big data and other branches of digital technologies will find ideas and arguments to apply their disciplines to the home and participate fruitfully in forums where digital technologies are built and negotiated in the home. Experts from various disciplines psychologists and sociologists; philosophers, epistemologists and ethicists; economists; engineers, architects, urban planners and designers and so on and also those interested in developing policies for the home and family will find this book contains well-founded and useful ideas to focus their work.

In the first major work to take the home as a center of analysis for global social problems, experts from a variety of fields reveal the multidimensional reality of the home and its role in societies worldwide. This unique book serves as a basis for action by proposing global legislative, political and institutional initiatives with the home in mind. The multidisciplinary and integrative approach taken by this book avoids simplistic accounts of the home, studies the value of the home, the service it offers, and its contribution to the wellbeing and prosperity of communities. Reviewing its internal functions and external relationships, the authors connect the themes of family, housing, income and wealth, community, relationships, family policies, socioeconomic setting, culture and history from across the world. Academics studying issues such as family, housing, public and social policy, sociology, urban studies and poverty will benefit from the range of insights this book offers into what the home means worldwide. Policymakers, social organizations and specialized networks working in the areas of family, education, poverty and housing will greatly benefit from the insight and breadth of this research. Contributors include: A. Argandona, M. Bertolaso, H. Burns, A. d'Entremont, M. do Ceu Patrao Neves, E.P. Davis, R. Lastra, A. Marcos, M. Regnerus, S. Zamagni

Introducing novel theoretical, empirical and practical investigations with case studies from UK, Europe, South America and South East Asia, the book offers a novel global outlook on how contemporary homes are facing genuine challenges from operational, economic, spatial, social and wellbeing perspectives. The changing demographics of our modern society have inevitably impacted the dynamics and relationships within the home from being personal and private to that of multiple work relationships; domestic work, care for older people, or supporting people with special needs. Whilst the home is a concept universally experienced, permeating every aspect of our lives, it remains an entity whose influence on health and wellbeing is poorly understood. This book brings together 17 different contributions from scholars, researchers and practitioners from different disciplinary and professional backgrounds including three feature articles by leading figures, such as Lord Best and Baroness Hollins. The chapters are organised within three parts that look at the triangle of people + work + care in the home. At a time when homes are increasingly becoming local hubs for care and wellbeing, this volume is a critical and useful addition to current literature in the social sciences, humanities, economics, culture, care and wellbeing in the domestic sphere.

Discussing ethics applied to finance can become a trivial and selfjustifying task if left to the practical men, or a task with no connection to reality, if performed by philosophers. This book, however, turns out to be an exciting piece of work, useful, provocative, full of ideas and suggestions, as experts in ethics discuss specific issues related to the financial institutions and markets, with the men and women that carry out the daily practice in such institutions and markets, as well as with scholars of economics and finance. Thus, the book covers everything from daily subjects to issues of a deeper nature, using a simple and clear language with solid foundations in economics and ethics, from a necessarily plural and open perspective.

Georges Enderle Before presenting some introductory remarks on the topic of this volume I should like to outline briefly the context from which this selection of articles originates. (It seems to me necessary to emphasise these circumstances in order to make clearer the contours of what is said and what is not said and to understand it better. ) This context involves, flrstly, a general evaluation of the state of the business ethics debate today and, secondly, considerations of the question of what attitude and strategy should be chosen in order to promote business ethics most effectively. On the present state of affairs of the business ethics debate Today, it is extremely difflcult, if not impossible, to gain even a rough overview of the business ethics debate in the different countries of Europe and North America. Many activities take place in informal circles and on a local and regional level; linguistic and other barriers impede the spread of information about them and, often, they are not even labelled "business ethics." At the same time, so many other things sail under the flag of "business ethics" that one sometimes wonders if it should not be replaced by another flag, for instance new methods of public-relations or better motivation of company's employees. Yet, in spite of these difflculties in deflning business ethics activities, one statement at least can be made with certainty.

Georges Enderle Before presenting some introductory remarks on the topic of this volume I should like to outline briefly the context from which this selection of articles originates. (It seems to me necessary to emphasise these circumstances in order to make clearer the contours of what is said and what is not said and to understand it better. ) This context involves, flrstly, a general evaluation of the state of the business ethics debate today and, secondly, considerations of the question of what attitude and strategy should be chosen in order to promote business ethics most effectively. On the present state of affairs of the business ethics debate Today, it is extremely difflcult, if not impossible, to gain even a rough overview of the business ethics debate in the different countries of Europe and North America. Many activities take place in informal circles and on a local and regional level; linguistic and other barriers impede the spread of information about them and, often, they are not even labelled "business ethics." At the same time, so many other things sail under the flag of "business ethics" that one sometimes wonders if it should not be replaced by another flag, for instance new methods of public-relations or better motivation of company's employees. Yet, in spite of these difflculties in deflning business ethics activities, one statement at least can be made with certainty.