Models Of European Civil Society

The following volume is devoted to the issues of European models of civil societies. The aim of the authors is not to exhaust the whole topic but to bring forward some studies related to the civil society, both in the historical but also present perspective. Civil society is an important factor in a well-functioning state and crucial for developing a real, active and conscious community, which is able to control the state and its’ servants. Even more importantly, when the state fails to react to negative developments or leaders misuse their power to enforce it in fulfilling its duties, and in the most radical, or dramatic cases to replace it or change the governors. Democratic order gives the society enough tools to do this and the internet, social media and other new means of communication improve the level of self-organisation and shorten the time for potential reactions.

Civil Society argues that civil society should not be studied as a separate, private realm in opposition to the state. To gain a better understanding, everyday social practices, power relations and shared moralities are examined.

In the current neo-liberal political and economic climate, it is often suggested that a large and strong state stands in opposition to an autonomous and vibrant civil society. However, the simultaneous presence in Sweden of both a famously large public sector and an unusually vital civil society poses an interesting and important theoretical challenge to these views with serious political and policy implications. Studies show that in a comparative context Sweden scores very highly when it comes to the strength and vitality of its civil society as well as social capital, as measured in terms of trust, lack of corruption, and membership of voluntary associations. The "Swedish Model," therefore, offers important insights into the dynamics of state and civil society relations, which go against current trends of undermining the importance of the welfare state, and presents autonomous civic participation as the only way forward.

Recoge: 1. A message from the President. 2. What in the European Economic and Social Committee?. 3. Who is on the EESC?. 4. How does the EESC work?.

The book examines major social transformations in Europe from the perspective of social theory. It offers an intriguing alternative to studies of the EU which emphasise the replacement of the nation-state by a supra-national authority.

This book provides a Europe-wide comparative analysis of the role of civil society organizations active in the field of unemployment and precarity. It illustrates how crucial civil society organizations are for the inclusion of the young unemployed, mainly in two ways: by delivering services and by advocating policy.

This volume provides a novel and relational sociological approach to the study of EU civil society. It focuses on the interactions and interrelations between civil society actors and the forms of capital that structure the fields and sub-fields of EU civil society, through new and important empirical studies on organized EU civil society.

This book addresses the viability of the EU economic and social model within and after the global economic crisis. It identifies four key issues which warrant further discussion: (1) the asymmetry of the legal and policy framework of the euro and potential recalibration; (2) substantive tensions between the EU ‘economic constitution’ and its normative aim of social justice and impacts on national policy; (3) the role of civil society, including the two sides of industry in overcoming these tensions; and (4) the EU’s global aspirations towards the creation of a viable socio-economic model. Its chapters offer two perspectives on each of the four main issues. In drawing these debates together, the book provides a broad understanding as well as starting points for future research. Bringing together different disciplinary approaches, ranging from legal studies to political economy, sociology and macroeconomics, it is a valuable contribution to the debate on the European social model and introduces new insights by focusing on legal and political tensions, the impact of the financial crisis and other economic contexts as well as global dimensions.