The words 'precarity' and 'precariousness' are widely used when discussing work, social conditions and experiences. However, there is no consensus on their meaning or how best to use them to explore social changes. This book shows how scholars have mapped out these notions, offering substantive analyses of issues such as the relationships between precariousness, debt, migration, health and workers' mobilizations, and how these relationships have changed in the context of COVID-19. Bringing together an international group of authors from diverse fields, this book offers a distinctive critical perspective on the processes of precarization, focusing in particular on the European context. The Introduction, Chapters 3 and 8, and the Afterword are available Open Access via OAPEN under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

The response of European Union institutions to the Eurocrisis demonstrated their fragile and failing commitment to the role of social policy in advancing European economies and societies. The present volume, exploring the positive scope for such policies, is therefore timely and welcome. While sharply critical of much of what goes on at both EU and several national levels, the authors are constructive in tone and point the way to sustainable alternatives to neoliberalism.' - Colin Crouch, University of Warwick, UK and External Scientific Member, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, Cologne, GermanyHighly valued by its citizens, the European social model is a defining feature of Europe and the European Union yet is under threat from the effects of both globalisation and the aftermath of the financial crisis. The Sustainability of the European Social Model addresses this issue in light of the current crisis that changed the landscape. It examines how social Europe responds to uncertainties that affect its development from a range of different disciplinary perspectives. The book begins by analysing interactions between EU law and national policies from a comparative perspective, highlighting the legal, social and institutional complexities that constrain the development of 'social Europe' It assesses the sustainability of EU law and policies in the areas of pensions and employment policy and then focuses on two crucial areas of EU social policy: the regulations on working time and the provisions of social services of general interest. The expert contributors compare the experiences of a range of Member States (and also bring in external comparison) to explore topics such as ageing, job quality, social protection and employment policies, social dialogue and the relationship between the various methods of European policymaking such as the 'community method' and the Open Method of Co-ordination. The analyses show that sustainability of the European social model will depend heavily on addressing failings in European governance. Insightful and comprehensive, this book is a detailed and timely resource for academic researchers. Its practical, policy-oriented insights into important issues in social and employment policy, as well as into European policymaking itself, will also be of great interest to practitioners and policymakers. Contributors: J.-C. Barbier, I. Begg, F. Colomb, C. Erhel, J. Gautie, B. Gazier, M. Hartlapp, M. Keune, A. Koukiadaki, P. Marginson, N. Ramos Martin, R. Rogowski, T. Sirovatka, E. Sol, M. van der Vos

In the wake of the Greek and Irish crises, and at a moment when solidarity between states is hotly debated on a daily basis at EU level, it is important to understand how 'solidarity' can happen at all. The Road to Social Europe reviews the development of political cultural processes since the nineteenth century, showing how social protection and social justice have gradually become interwoven with systems of social protection, or welfare states. Grounded on extensive empirical research conducted in many EU countries and in the European Commission's administration over twenty years, the book provides a cultural analysis of welfare systems in Europe. It also presents an original enquiry into the importance of languages for politics in Europe, for the politics of welfare, and for sociological research. It shows how sociological and ethnographic analysis can help in understanding the current and future challenges of European integration that rely unilaterally on functional economics. This in-depth sociological analysis of European diversity will appeal to a wide audience of students and scholars of sociology, political science, political economy and European studies.

Evaluation Cultures draws upon a sample of reflections, drawn from organizational practices, nationally centered political cultures, and ethnic cultures, as a framework for understanding how culture influences the work of evaluation. Two main conclusions seem to emerge: first, that there exists no single, uniform, and homogenous national evaluation culture; second, that the idea of a unified transnational culture of evaluation is an illusion.The evaluation community includes a diverse group of professionals; a diversity that is not just represented in national or ethnic culture but also in academic backgrounds, public and private sector allegiances, and personal character. The contributors to this book represent, in part, this diversity by reflecting a range of views.Evaluation Cultures draws upon the experience of senior evaluation practitioners, who share their reflections on their practice and experience, in order to put forth challenges to purely academic analysis. Evaluation Cultures presents a consistent, if not exhaustive, attempt to give analytical and empirical sense to all of the cultures of the evaluation community.

In the wake of the Greek and Irish crises, and at a moment when solidarity between states is hotly debated on a daily basis at EU level, it is important to understand how 'solidarity' can happen at all. The Road to Social Europe reviews the development of political cultural processes since the nineteenth century, showing how social protection and social justice have gradually become interwoven with systems of social protection, or welfare states. Grounded on extensive empirical research conducted in many EU countries and in the European Commission's administration over twenty years, the book provides a cultural analysis of welfare systems in Europe. It also presents an original enquiry into the importance of languages for politics in Europe, for the politics of welfare, and for sociological research. It shows how sociological and ethnographic analysis can help in understanding the current and future challenges of European integration that rely unilaterally on functional economics. This in-depth sociological analysis of European diversity will appeal to a wide audience of students and scholars of sociology, political science, political economy and European studies.

While the amount of cross-national comparative research has continued to grow, especially in Europe, remarkably little attention has been devoted to epistemological and methodological questions. Papers in this book by historians, sociologists, economists and political scientists aim to contribute to his insufficiently explored research topic. Drawn from various European countries, they explain how they construct their research objects. They address the role of languages in comparative research and they all try to reach beyond the opposition between universalism and culturalist relativism or particularism. The authors draw on their extensive empirical knowledge to produce a useful instrument for researchers. Their writing will also find important echoes among practitioners of social policies, who are increasingly confronted with international situations and need models to interpret the practical differences they experience.