Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the European social model (ESM) that is to discuss the possibility of a distinctive European role in the world. ESM links the traditional concerns of sociologists to the rediscovery of geopolitics which had begun even before the onslaught of September 2001. Understanding the ESM involves comparisons with the rest of the developed world and especially the USA. However, what really matters is studying the different forms of social inequality and social cohesion within Europe itself. This involves not just the traditional forms of inequality of income and social class, but also regional inequality, inequality in migration, ethnic inequality and gender inequality. The book discusses thesis that any definition of Europe involves both the European Union and the specific combination of welfare state, parliamentary democracy and market economy.