Social Europe analyses the diverse dynamics of the lives of people across Europe. It is the first quantitative analysis of its kind to make a systematic comparison of life chances across the fifteen countries of the EU. This wide perspective enables the researchers to illustrate how social policy regimes interact with personal resources and circumstances to affect people's well-being. Assessing changes in individuals' lives over time, the study highlights variations in life-opportunities across the EU in the key domains of family, employment and income. The research is based on a new and powerful survey that has followed a large sample of families in each country over a period of years. This 'longitudinal' approach provides insights into the processes by which people acquire their social positions over time. The analysis identifies systematic differences between countries, and looks for explanations in terms of the welfare regime or other characteristics of the countries concerned. Thus the 'micro' dynamics of personal experience are related to 'macro' trends in institutions and policies, social norms and economic conditions. Identifying the effects of country and of social policy regime on individual outcomes, Social Europe will provide new insights for social scientists, especially those involved in European comparative research, or whose interests lie in the fields of family, employment, income or social exclusion. The book will also appeal to those engaged in the analysis or formulation of social policy, whether at national or international level.

'The family' is a subject of enormous academic, political and popular interest. It is a central feature of most people's lives, the framework within which other relationships, activities and events take place. This unique study provides important new insights into the dynamics of Britain's social and economic life - in family structures and relationships; in employment and household incomes; in housing, health and political affiliations. Most previous research has been limited to measuring an individual or family's position only at the time of the interview. This book presents a clearer picture by following the important events in people's lives, such as starting work, getting married, or falling into poverty. It reviews existing findings and presents new analyses of data from the British Household Panel Survey. The same 10,000 adults (in 5,000 households) have been interviewed every year between 1991 and 1997. Seven years in the lives of British families is a collaboration between members of the University of Essex's Institute for Social and Economic Research. Each of the authors is an expert in the field, but the work has been presented in an easy-to-read style to make these important research findings widely accessible. The book will be read by policy makers and all with an interest in the dynamics of modern society, as well as by academic sociologists, economists and demographers.