Richard Estes, MSW, DSW

Professor

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Research - Current Projects

European Social Development Trends: Toward a New Welfare Mix

Project Description:
Europe is undergoing dramatic social change. Among other regional and international forces, these changes are rooted in: the collapse of the former Soviet Union; the sudden appearance of a large number of "new"--mostly poor and politically unstable--European nations; and, the emergence of economic trading blocs in North America and Asia. At the same time, the majority of "established" European nations are experiencing sluggish rates of economic growth, moderate to high levels of inflation, high unemployment, escalating demands on public social services, and low fertility in combination with high rates of population aging and immigration from developing countries. Despite the seriousness of the dilemmas confronting the region, European development accomplishments of the past 25 years suggest that the region's leaders already possesses the resources required to solve its complex, social, political, and economic challenges.

The focus of this project was on: 1) identifying European social development trends between 1970 and 1995; 2) identifying Europe's major 25-year social development successes and failures; 3) identifying Europe's social development leaders (SLs) and socially less developed countries (SLDCs); 4) comparing the major social development trends occurring in Europe with those observed for other major world regions; 5) identifying the major social, political, and economic forces that are likely to influence Europe's further development toward the year 2000 and beyond; and, 6) providing baseline data against which future developments in the region may be assessed.

Project Dates:
1995-97

Project Sponsors:
Penn-Leuven Exchange Program

Project Staff:
Richard J. Estes, Principal Investigator

Research Sites:
Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Switzerland

Related Publications:
Estes, Richard J. (1997). "Trends in European Social Development, 1970-1994," Social Indicators Research 42(1):1-19.