On the transnational social question: How social inequalities are reproduced in Europe

an article by Thomas Faist (Bielefeld University, Germany) published in Journal of European Social Policy Volume 24 Number 3 (July 2014)

Abstract

What are the consequences of cross-border employment and social protection practices for social inequalities in Europe?

The transnational social question is a multifaceted one: it is linked not only to inequalities generated by heterogeneities such as class, gender, ethnicity, legal status and religion, but also to the perception that cross-border interdependence has grown and that transnational interactions themselves have become a criterion for differentiation.

International migration is of strategic significance for an understanding of the transnational social question, because it reveals the cross-connections of the fragmented world of social protection. In particular, it provides a window into the social mechanisms that support social protection across borders and how these mitigate old and generate new social inequalities.

---