Inequality in Europe

This chapter deals with the change of social inequality structures in Europe. Two different perspectives are taken. On the one hand, a number of key dimensions of social inequality for exemplary European societies (e.g. the labour market, education, migration, poverty) are examined with the help of comparative data. For this purpose, the last two decades are examined in detail using Eurostat data. On the other hand, this chapter focuses on transnationalization in Europe that has contributed to a reconfiguration of inequality structures in the course of the European integration process. Europe can be seen as a new space of transnational Vergesellschaftung which lead to the emergence of new forms of cross-border interactions, transnational linkages, transmigration and the emergence of new social and political groups acting transnationally.