IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/eeupol/v10y2009i4p550-576.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Sociology of the European Union

Author

Listed:
  • Adrian Favell

    (Aarhus University, Denmark, ihoaf@hum.au.dk)

  • Virginie Guiraudon

    (Ceraps - Lille Center for Politics, Lille 2 University, France, vguiraudon@univ-lille2.fr)

Abstract

We seek to shape an agenda for the growing interest in using sociological approaches to study the European Union (EU). In order to deepen and broaden the Europeanization agenda, the article points to how sociology can help reveal the ‘social bases’ of European integration (i.e. processes of European Union), as well as identify effects on European society that might reconnect EU studies with key comparative political economy debates about the European ‘varieties of capitalism’ and its models of economy and society. Unfortunately, however, ‘sociological’ approaches towards the EU have mostly been wrongly equated with the ‘constructivist turn’ in EU studies, and its characteristic preference for ‘soft’ qualitative discursive methods and meta-theory. We argue that, rather than turning to culture, identity or social theory for inspiration, an empirical sociological approach to the EU would reintroduce social structural questions of class, inequality, networks and mobility, as well as link up with existing approaches to public opinion, mobilization and claims-making in the political sociology of the EU. To conclude, the article identifies some exemplary studies along these lines.

Suggested Citation

  • Adrian Favell & Virginie Guiraudon, 2009. "The Sociology of the European Union," European Union Politics, , vol. 10(4), pages 550-576, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:eeupol:v:10:y:2009:i:4:p:550-576
    DOI: 10.1177/1465116509346384
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1465116509346384
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/1465116509346384?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dorte Sindbjerg Martinsen, 2005. "The Europeanization of Welfare ‐ The Domestic Impact of Intra‐European Social Security," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(5), pages 1027-1054, December.
    2. Hooghe, Liesbet, 2005. "Several Roads Lead to International Norms, but Few Via International Socialization: A Case Study of the European Commission," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 59(4), pages 861-898, October.
    3. Esping-Andersen, Gosta, 1999. "Social Foundations of Postindustrial Economies," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198742005.
    4. Mattli,Walter, 1999. "The Logic of Regional Integration," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521635363.
    5. George Ross, 2008. "What do 'Europeans' Think? Analyses of the European Union's Current Crisis by European Elites," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46, pages 389-412, March.
    6. Radealli, Claudio M., 2000. "Whither Europeanization? Concept stretching and substantive change," European Integration online Papers (EIoP), European Community Studies Association Austria (ECSA-A), vol. 4, July.
    7. Mattli,Walter, 1999. "The Logic of Regional Integration," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521632270.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Besir Ceka and Brian Burgo, 2014. "Discovering Cooperation: A Contractual Approach to Institutional Change in Regional International Organizations," EUI-RSCAS Working Papers p0388, European University Institute (EUI), Robert Schuman Centre of Advanced Studies (RSCAS).
    2. Andrés Malamud, 2013. "Overlapping Regionalism, No Integration: Conceptual Issues and the Latin American Experiences," RSCAS Working Papers 2013/20, European University Institute.
    3. Vinokurov, Evgeny, 2009. "Systema Indikatorov Evraziyskoy Integracii [The System of Indicators of Eurasian Integration]," MPRA Paper 20914, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Laima Gerlitz & Christopher Meyer, 2021. "Small and Medium-Sized Ports in the TEN-T Network and Nexus of Europe’s Twin Transition: The Way towards Sustainable and Digital Port Service Ecosystems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-24, April.
    5. Bruszt, Laszlo & Campos, Nauro F., 2018. "Economic Integration and State Capacity: Evidence from the Eastern Enlargement of the European Union," IZA Discussion Papers 11782, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Vinokurov, Evgeny, 2010. "The System of Indicators of Eurasian Integration," MPRA Paper 22227, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Tanja A. Börzel, 2010. "The Transformative Power of Europe Reloaded - The Limits of External Europeanization," KFG Working Papers p0011, Free University Berlin.
    8. Paul John, Pena, 2019. "An ASEAN Digital Single Market: Boosting the Aspiration for a Single Market in the Digital Era," MPRA Paper 95948, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Hermann Sebastian Dehnen & Jan H. van Dinther & Norbert Koubek, 2013. "From emerging economies toward the Emerging Triad," Schumpeter Discussion Papers SDP13008, Universitätsbibliothek Wuppertal, University Library.
    10. Eichengreen, Barry, 2002. "Lessons of the Euro for the Rest of the World," Department of Economics, Working Paper Series qt16g425jb, Department of Economics, Institute for Business and Economic Research, UC Berkeley.
    11. Liesbet Hooghe & Gary Marks, 2015. "Delegation and pooling in international organizations," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 10(3), pages 305-328, September.
    12. Libman, Alexander & Vinokurov, Evgeny, 2016. "Региональные Организации: Типы И Логика Развития [Regional Organizations: Typology and Development Paths]," MPRA Paper 79383, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Vlatka Bilas & Sanja Franc, 2011. "Liberalization Among Developing Countries," Book Chapters, in: Stefan Bogdan Salej & Dejan Eric & Srdjan Redzepagic & Ivan Stosic (ed.), Contemporary Issues in the Integration Processes of Western Balkan Countries in the European Union, chapter 10, pages 141-155, Institute of Economic Sciences.
    14. Johannes Urpelainen, 2012. "How Does Democratic Accountability Shape International Cooperation?," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 29(1), pages 28-55, February.
    15. Libman, Alexander, 2010. "Internal centralization and international integration in the post-Soviet space," MPRA Paper 21882, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Leonardo Baccini, 2010. "Explaining formation and design of EU trade agreements: The role of transparency and flexibility," European Union Politics, , vol. 11(2), pages 195-217, June.
    17. Andrés Malamud, 2013. "Overlapping Regionalism, No Integration: Conceptual Issues and the Latin American Experiences," EUI-RSCAS Working Papers 20, European University Institute (EUI), Robert Schuman Centre of Advanced Studies (RSCAS).
    18. Francesco Duina, 2016. "Making sense of the legal and judicial architectures of regional trade agreements worldwide," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 10(4), pages 368-383, December.
    19. Merran Hulse, 2014. "Actorness beyond the European Union: Comparing the International Trade Actorness of SADC and ECOWAS," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(3), pages 547-565, May.
    20. Yoram Z. Haftel & Alexander Thompson, 2006. "The Independence of International Organizations," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 50(2), pages 253-275, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:eeupol:v:10:y:2009:i:4:p:550-576. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.