The unification of Germany set in motion the transformation of a whole society. In the GDR, employment for men and women has been taken for granted, wages were low, housing cheap, childcare plentiful and child-benefits generous. After unification, former certainties turned into unknown risks of employment mobility, unemployment, income differentiation and in some cases poverty. This work examines key areas of transformation with special reference to the place and future of the family. The first part of the book evaluates family policy agendas while the second looks at income and employment change and the challenges faced by women, the young and older people in Germany's post-communist society.

This volume, Why Europe? Problems of Culture and Identity: Media, Film, Gender, Youth and Education , addresses a range of issues which underlie the notions of European identity. Among them are: what does it mean to be a European? What ideologies have shaped the political debate over the last two centuries? What place will minorities find in the Europe of the twenty-first century? What roles will women play in the future communities? Will Europe become more open to diversity, or become increasingly introspective, a 'fortress Europe'?

The unification of Germany set in motion one of the most interesting and uncharted developments of our era: the transformation of a whole society. This book examines key areas of transformation with special reference to the place and future of the family.