The Political Economy of a 'Social Europe' - (Understanding Labour Market Integration in the European Unio) by M Kluth (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The book uses an innovative theoretical framework to explain how the EU social dimension has taken its present form. It presents and applies a political economic framework to the European labour market integration process and offers new tools for analysing the dynamics of regional integration. The theory is applied to case studies of the EU's approach to social protection, health and safety protection at the workplace, and maternity leave. The topical issues around the future of welfare provision in Europe, how a 'Social Europe' may develop and the political and economic consequences of this are discussed.

About the Author

MICHAEL F. KLUTH is Associate Professor of International Political Economy at Roskilde University in Denmark where he also received his Ph.D. in Social Science. His teaching research interests are in the field of regional integration, economics of technical change and globalization explicitly employing a multi-disciplinary approach.

Besides book and journal articles the author has contributed numerous reports to a variety of international, national and regional agencies throughout Europe concerning labour, industry and technology policy. He was a visiting professor at the University of the Republic in Montevideo, Uruguay from September 1996 to February 1997 in order to research South American integration.