Work has always been and remains a powerful integrator in society. It provides places, duties and rights and classifies individuals on a scale of social prestige. Over a long period of time, however, the meaning of work has changed. It has become more diversified and it is now a matter for high expectations, of different kinds - instrumental, social, symbolic - that do not replace each other.
In post-industrial societies, work and identities are still strongly intertwined despite a progressive distance vis-a-vis work (if work is considered as a value per se). Work remains a...

This volume contains the proceedings of the international conference -The Road Europe Travelled Along. The Evolution of the EEC/EU Institutions and Policies-, organized by the Associazione Universitaria di Studi Europei (AUSE) (European Community Studies Association ECSA Italy) at the University of Siena in May 2008. The editors of this book hope it will contribute to the debate on an interpretative thesis which is widespread among scholars dealing with European integration.
This thesis holds that the political and institutional circuit of the European Community/Union should be entirely...

This book examines the dramatic rewritings that emerged in the period 1970-2007, during which stage adaptations flourished in Ireland. The year 1970 marked the beginning of a significant theatrical renaissance in Ireland, recalling that which occurred in the early twentieth century. This renewal was characterized by the prominence of major playwrights such as Brian Friel, Tom Murphy and Thomas Kilroy. The essays collected in this volume seek to provide new perspectives on theatre adaptation in Ireland, while shedding light on the particular features of the contemporary Irish theatre...

Modern politics is highly science-dependent and knowledge-driven. What is the rightful role of expert knowledge in political life? How can the truth claims of science be reconciled with principles of democratic control and lay participatory rights in decision-making?
This collection of essays by political scientists, sociologists and economists from Germany, France and Norway provides different empirical and theoretical analyses of the complex organising and legitimising power of knowledge in political governance. The authors shed light on key dimensions and dilemmas that have shaped the...

La question de l identite europeenne a souvent ete soulevee par les historiens sous l angle de la civilisation et de l heritage historique et culturel commun. Mais l identite europeenne n a que rarement ete abordee a travers une grille de lecture liee a l emergence d un espace public europeen et d une experience de vivre ensemble. Cet ouvrage se propose donc de croiser les competences multiples de jeunes chercheurs europeens, afin d identifier les vecteurs porteurs d une identite europeenne et de mesurer leur realite ou leurs insuffisances. Ce faisant, il propose des pistes de developpement...

Le defi du patrimoine immateriel est de capturer l essence du spectacle: l idee de - capture - a cela d interessant qu elle suppose que les professionnels impliques dans la SIBMAS soient comme des chasseurs, sur la piste, de toutes sortes de facons, afin de coincer et de recueillir un petit quelque chose d ephemere, qui en vaut la peine, et qui nous en apprend sur nous-memes et sur notre monde. Certains chasseurs se servent des bases de donnees, d autres des ecrits ou des images mais tous partagent un meme objectif: ne pas laisser se perdre un moment special, magique, que seule la vie du...

L objectif de cet ouvrage est d explorer la variete des cheminements par lesquels les activites innovantes ont fait emerger l industrie electrique depuis la phase pionniere du milieu du XIXe siecle jusqu a nos jours. En effet, au cours de la premiere moitie du XXe siecle, la recherche des innovations est passee d une activite menee par quelques individus hautement creatifs, la plupart d entre eux travaillant comme inventeurs independants, a une activite portee par des equipes de specialistes travaillant dans des structures industrielles specifiquement consacrees a la recherche. Le modele du...

This book brings together eleven contributions by authors from all parts of the world who have examined the notion of responsibility in their respective countries. In the first part Edith Sizoo presents a comparative analysis of those texts which reflect a rich variety of worldviews and traditions: harmony with the earth and relational ethics in the Maori culture of New Zealand, juridical approach in France, responsibility in Confucian thinking in China, individualism in the face of collective duty in the United States, duty and responsibility on the shores of the Congo, responsibility in...

In recent scholarship, the notion of precarious employment has become increasingly important when exploring challenges to working conditions in various contexts. Both scholars and stakeholders have highlighted the multifaceted character of this phenomenon in different countries, regions and labour markets.
This book explores the emergence of precariousness in Sweden, a country that has traditionally been held up as an example when it comes to the advantages of powerful pro-labour parties and employment security.
The essays provide historical and international perspectives on the...

During the last two decades, the debate on multiculturalism has been one-dimensional. It has deployed arguments related to cultural demands linked either to feminism, immigration, or national minorities. Little attention has been given to the relations between these dimensions, and how they affect each other. The purpose of this book is to set a research agenda around the interaction between cultural demands of immigrants and minority nations.
The primary aim is to establish basic normative arguments while advancing an institutional analysis in three contexts: Quebec, Flanders and...