CITIZENSHIP AND DEMOCRATIC CONTROL IN CONTEMPORARY EUROPE

European integration, the collapse of state socialism and the relative decline of social democracy have left only two dominant European ideologies: nationalism and the free market. In Citizenship and Democratic Control in Contemporary Europe a distinguished group of scholars argues that a democratically reconstructed Europe requires a new approach centred around a concept of citizenship which is neither individualistic nor ethnically based but is concerned with the empowerment of individuals. The authors propose the development of a well-structured and pluralistic civic society which encourages active citizenship and a definition of democratic citizenship which can be expressed through self-organized social activity. Addressing issues central to the future of European democracy - including politics and political processes, economic and social policy, and ideology, language and communication - this important book challenges many of the existing assumptions about the revolutions of 1989, their aftermath and the future of post-Cold War Europe. Insightful and policy relevant, this book will be welcomed by sociologists, political scientists and economists interested in the ideologies underpinning European society.