This topical and timely analysis of late career and retirement within nine European societies and the USA examines how social inequality structures have developed in an era of globalization and aging populations. For several decades, many European societies relied on pushing and luring older workers out of employment by using generous early retirement programs in order to relieve national labor markets in times of globalization. However, as this book argues, one of the major challenges facing European and Northern American societies today is their severe demographic aging, which in turn places pension systems under substantial pressure due to the rising imbalance between those claiming pensions and those contributing to the pension system. Indeed, it is observed herein that in the recent past, governments have tried to increase the labor market attachment of older employees by retrenching early retirement benefits. This study investigates how these developments have impacted on the situation of older workers and retirees in nine European societies and the USA. In particular, the book looks at how social inequalities in later life have developed in the light of recent pension reforms. This informative book will appeal to sociologists, demographers, political scientists and economists interested in many different aspects of research including: international comparative research, globalization, labor market, welfare state, social inequality and research on aging. Researchers in the field of retirement and globalization studies will also find this book helpful, as will academics in labor market research and comparative political studies.

Examining how youths in fourteen industrialized societies make the transition to adulthood in an era of globalization and rising uncertainty, this collection of essays investigates the impact that institutions working with social groups of youths have upon those youths' abilities to make adult decisions determining their life courses. Covering both Europe and North America, the book includes case studies, and contains country-specific contributions on conservative, social-democratic, post-socialist, liberal and familistic welfare regimes, as well as data from the GLOBALIFE project. Filling the gap in the market on the micro effects of globalization on individuals, and taking an empirical approach to the topic, this impressive volume brings the individual and nation-specific institutions back into the discussion on globalization.

Examining how youths in fourteen industrialized societies make the transition to adulthood in an era of globalization and rising uncertainty, this collection of essays investigates the impact that institutions working with social groups of youths have upon those youths' abilities to make adult decisions determining their life courses.

Covering both Europe and North America, the book includes case studies, and contains country-specific contributions on conservative, social-democratic, post-socialist, liberal and familistic welfare regimes, as well as data from the GLOBALIFE project.

Filling the gap in the market on the micro effects of globalization on individuals, and taking an empirical approach to the topic, this impressive volume brings the individual and nation-specific institutions back into the discussion on globalization.

Underpinned by the fact that the globalization process and the subsequent increased level of market uncertainty have paved the way for employment flexibility in modern societies, this book examines the labor market chances of young adults in the US and in ten European societies over the past three decades. As young adults represent a very vulnerable labor market group, flexible and insecure employment tends to be pronounced especially at labor market entry. The contributors therefore explore which groups of young adults are especially affected by increasing employment insecurities.Extending analysis to the early career phase, the book discusses whether flexible employment relationships in younger cohorts are a temporary phenomenon at the very beginning of people's careers, or if the labor markets of modern societies are currently fundamentally changing because flexible employment relationships are permanently succeeding in the labor market with the entry of new cohorts. Discussing the development of social inequality structures in an era of globalization, this book will be of interest to scholars and researchers focusing on international comparative research, globalization, labor markets, and social inequality.

Although a strong indicator of social status, home ownership has rarely emerged as a topic in social inequality research. This book compares twelve countries--the United States, Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Israel--to determine the interdependence of social inequality and homeownership attainment over the life course. Examining countries that are similar with respect to socioeconomic development, but different in regard to their housing policies, the authors show that housing policies matter and are largely consistent with a country's general approach in the provision of welfare.
This book presents a valuable contribution to the social stratification literature, which traditionally has neglected the dimension of home ownership. It goes beyond most housing studies by adopting a life-course framework and longitudinal approach. The empirical findings provide evidence that in all countries under study--even those of the social democratic welfare regime type--labor market position matters in one's chances to become a homeowner.

Die vorliegende Studie stellt die leicht uberarbeitete Fassung einer Disserta tion dar, die 1995 an der sozialwissenschaftliehen Fakultat der Universitat Mannheim angenommen wurde. Die Arbeit entstand hauptsachlich wahrend meiner Zeit als wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin am dortigen Lehrstuhl fur Me thoden der empirischen Sozialforschung und angewandte Soziologie (Prof. Dr. Walter Muller). Daneben wurde sie freundlicherweise unterstutzt durch das Mannheimer Zentrum fur Europaische Sozialforschung (MZES) sowie durch ein einjahriges DAAD-Stipendium an der University of Madison, Wis consin, USA. Die Abschlussarbeiten fur die Publikation wurden am Institut fur empirische und angewandte Soziologie (EMPAS) an der Universitat Bremen ermoglicht. Prof. Dr. Walter Muller mochte ich danken, dass er die Geduld nicht ver lor und mit konstruktiver Kritik und wertvollen Anregungen weiterhalf. Zu Dank verpflichtet bin ich auch Prof. Robert Hauser, Prof. Robert Mare und Prof. Judith Seltzer, die in einer fruhen Phase des Projektes wichtige Vor schlage machten. Wesentlich zum Abschluss der Arbeit trugen Prof. Dr. Jo hann Hand I, Wolfgang Karle, Dr. Kirsten Scheiwe und Prof. Dr. Rainer Schnell bei, die mich in der Endphase kraftig motivierten. Mein Dank gilt auch den (ehemaligen) studentischen Hilfskraften Silvia Luber, Stefanie Neu rauterund Thorsten Schneider fur ihre sorgfaltige und immer prompte Unter stutzung beim Korrekturlesen, Erstellen von Graphiken und all den anderen "technischen" Sachen. Nicht zuletzt mochte ich Michael Angierski fur seine praktische Unterstutzung im Alltag ganz herzlich danken."