Economic change, social welfare and health in Europe [antikvár]

Never before in peacetime has the convergence of political and economic change had such a powerful impact on the health and ellbeing of the 850 million people of the WHO European egion. Countries that have been insulated from shifts in econo- mic and political realignments now feel their impact. People never before affected by unemployment are frustrated with their new circumstances and bewildered about what action their govern- ents should take. This publication looks at the effects that such ocial change can have on people. For men, the loss of their jobs ust, ironically, be doubly painful. While unemployed women ften have home responsibilities to keep them busy, men are left ith nothing that supports their self-esteem. Unemployment is but one of the several dimensions of ocial change and is both cause and consequence. An extraordina- rily complex range of interacting variables emerges, at both natio- nal and community level. Depending which end of the telescope ou look through, the negative effects of social and economic pres- ures can be solved by long-term structural changes at the national evel, or by short-term relief adjustments at the individual level. The contributors to this book help us appreciate that Lhese solutions must be complementary rather than conflictual. They also help us understand the stark political reality that this is more easily said than done. But the issues at stake in the debate are made amply clear in this book and that is the crucial first step.