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It is argued that the striking differences across Europe in the labor force participation rates of women with children cannot be explained by differences in social policy or welfare system alone. This volume, resulting from research conducted 1998-2001 by the European Commission, explores the interaction of individual motivations & sociopolitical factors that prompt some mothers to enter the workforce & other to remain at home, highlighting the intersection of social policies & practices across different welfare regimes. The current work situation of mothers -- & all women -- is considered against the backdrop of gender-equality policies developed since the late 1950s, along with treaties that have provided the legal basis for such policies; laws against sexual discrimination, guarantees of "equal pay for equal work," & provision of childcare services are highlighted. The continued "gender coding" of certain activities, eg, child care & household maintenance, as "women's work" is discussed & sociopolitical factors in individual EU member states that impact gender-equality policies are considered. K. Hyatt Stewart

The use of the concept of strategy as a theoretical tool in the investigation of women's purposive, everyday practices is explored, focusing on strategies related to working & mothering in the context of larger social changes. The sociological conception of strategy is closely related to Pierre Bourdieu's notion of habitus; issues of agency & structure are considered. Other conceptualizations drawn from economics & history are compared & the use of the concept in various national contexts is examined. It is argued that social change is key in explaining the purposive & quasirational dimensions of social practices in women's lives; such strategies become more complex & widely used in the absence of social policies to deal with such changes. Examples are provided from several European countries on employed mothers' strategies to balance their family & work roles, comparing rational, packaging, coping, & indirect/unconscious strategies. K. Hyatt Stewart

"What happens in the workplace has enormous social as well as economic implications. Workplace innovation is the process through which 'win-win' approaches to work organization are formulated - good for the sustainable competitiveness of the enterprise and good for the well-being of employees. Workplace innovation is also an inherently social process involving knowledge sharing and dialogue between stakeholders. The knowledge economy that lies at the heart of the Europe 2020 Strategy is inconceivable without the active involvement of employees. There is however an unhelpful policy dualism between rights-based representative participation and discretionary task-based participation. Representative participation can drive, resource and sustain participative work practices, integrating the strategic knowledge of leaders with the tacit knowledge of employees. The paper demonstrates that, at the heart of such cases, the systemic incorporation of opportunities for 'productive reflection' can be found throughout the organization." (author's abstract)

"Social innovation of work and employment are prerequisites to achieve the EU2020 objectives of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. It covers labor market innovation on societal level and workplace innovation on organizational level. This paper focuses on the latter. Workplace innovations are social both in their ends (quality of working life, well-being and development of talents together with organizational performance) and in their means (employee participation and empowerment). Complementary to technological innovations they regard innovations in social aspects of organizations such as work organization, HRM and work relations. Workplace innovation - or innovative workplaces as it is sometimes called - deserves to be better incorporated in EU policies, as also has been recommended by the European Economic and Social Committee and the OECD. Some countries have experienced the benefits of national campaigns already." (author's abstract)

"Paraphrasing the famous quote from Schumpeter, who initially explained innovation as a 'new combination of production factors', social innovation can be defined as a new combination of social practices. In order to qualify as social innovations, such combinations or the creation and implementation of absolutely new practices must be intentional, aiming at solving a social issue, and produce effects in terms of novel social facts. Implementation and impact distinguish social innovations from social ideas. Social objectives and rationales, rather than economic ones, make them differentiable from business-driven innovations. However, social innovations take place in business as well as in the public sector and civil society. From a particular sociological point of view, social innovations are becoming of increasing relevance not only because of the frequently mentioned so-called 'Grand Challenges' the knowledge society faces in the twenty-first century. On the one hand, re-integration of the most effective economy ever is on the agenda in society, aiming at the 'management of abundance'. On the other, even the nexus between man-made social systems and human nature may need re-configuration." (author's abstract)

Explores how social groups respond to fear generated by an uncertain social, political, economic, & cultural environment. It is contended that human fear is often a social construction created by complex socialization processes. Society creates notions of risk, threat, & danger, as well as acceptable modes of response. Different social groups recognize different fears, including many invisible fears & perceived threats that have increased in the current information age. Ulrich Beck's (1998) notion that society has changed from the "community of misery of class society to the community of fear belonging to the society of risk" is examined, along with fear of the Other, which easily translates into hatred responsible for ethnic & religious conflicts. The importance of endowing fears with recognizable faces is stressed. It is concluded that sociocultural responses to fear are found in "urban survival guides" of unwritten practices in the chaotic city, & in urban myths about things like kidnapping, organ theft, the vulnerability of women, & the need to depend on supernatural help to deal with the chaos. 1 Figure. J. Lindroth

"The paper describes ten sets of theoretical sources that have either influenced social innovation or provide useful insights. It argues that although the field has been led by practice rather than theory it now needs stronger theoretical foundations in order to progress. The theoretical sources described include: theoretical perspectives on social plasticity and change; evolutionary theories; complexity theories; theories of entrepreneurship; theories of dialectical change; theories from innovation studies; theories of techno-economic paradigms; theories concerned with the ends of innovation, in particular well-being and capabilities; and epistemological approaches to social innovation. In each case the author describes some of the main ideas and arguments, and their relevance to social innovation (and in some cases their key limitations). He then suggests ways in which these may be synthesized into an overall framework for social innovation that can generate useful and often testable hypotheses to guide practice." (author's abstract)