The myth of meritocracy and the populist threat
Social democrats, Lisa Pelling writes, should abandon the idea of meritocracy if they are to reconnect with les classes populaires.
politics, economy and employment & labour
Social Europe is an award-winning digital media publisher. We use the values of freedom, sustainability and equality as the foundation on which we examine society’s most pressing challenges. We are committed to publishing cutting-edge thinking and new ideas from the most thought-provoking people. This archive page brings together Social Europe articles on society.
Social democrats, Lisa Pelling writes, should abandon the idea of meritocracy if they are to reconnect with les classes populaires.
The media storm in Britain around a television personality speaks volumes about why the UK has become a dysfunctional state.
The European mental-health strategy should recognise the burdens women face—and the role of culture in lightening them.
Gender inequality exacerbates the impact of natural disasters, whose consequences compound it.
Learning to learn must be embedded in working life, Sofia Fernandes writes, if the EU is to meet social and economic goals.
The European Union says Ukraine’s reforms must follow international labour standards.
The huge demonstrations against the pension ‘reform’ stem from accumulating resentment under Emmanuel Macron.
Training the workforce is central to attracting and retaining staff in quality social care.
Rapid deployment of vaccines is the key lesson being taken from the Covid-19 pandemic. It should not be the only one.
The European Commission remains ambivalent on involvement of the social partners in political decision-making.
Builders had been allowed to pay a ‘construction amnesty’ for breaches of tighter codes introduced after the 1999 earthquake.
Transport of goods is the new slave-producing machine in Europe—a powerful tool for social dumping.
Acccording to the 2023 Contraception Policy Atlas, access to birth control in parts of Europe is worsening.
There is more clarity about hazardous medicinal products but awareness still needs to be raised to protect workers.
As a high-level group on social protection and welfare reports, Belgium’s social-affairs minister advances the next EU social agenda.
A Spanish decree to provide more security for artists and other cultural workers should accelerate EU-level action.
Attitudes to women in the Ukrainian military are changing as thousands serve on the front lines.
Advancing gender equality in the EU depends on strong equality bodies in the member states.
The ‘securitisation’ of migration and asylum has not only meant drownings in the Mediterranean but also destitution in Europe’s cities.
This week the European Commission will publish a proposal to revivify social dialogue. It must be more than words.
Donatella Della Porta, Riccardo Emilio Chesta and Lorenzo Cini
Digitalisation is not technologically determined but socially shaped—including by new forms of collective action.
Social Europe ISSN 2628-7641