How are social divides produced in contemporary labour markets?A macro-micro-macro study of the impact of European variants of labour market policies, industrial relations and welfare institutions on the working conditions, job quality and social rights of workers.

The study investigates the interaction of macro- and micro-forces producing social divides in contemporary European labour markets, defined as differences in working conditions, job quality and social rights of different groups of workers. It uses quantitative and qualitative approaches in a complementary way to address different aspects of the same research question i.e. how are social divides produced in contemporary European labour markets. The quantitative approach addresses 'what' those social divides are, between 'which' groups of workers they occur, and 'what' the impact of macro-level institutions and policy is on such divides at micro-level on the one hand. On the other hand, a qualitative approach explains 'how' and 'why' those social divides develop by zooming in on the individual and organisational actors' strategies and processes in organisatio ns.

Keywords:labour

Disciplines:Applied sociology, Policy and administration, Social psychology, Social stratification, Social theory and sociological methods, Sociology of life course, family and health, Other sociology and anthropology