World Regional Geography FIFTH EDITION World Regional Geography
FIFTH EDITION CHAPTER 4 Europe Lydia Mihelic Pulsipher Alex
Pulsipher 2011 W. H. Freeman and Company Slide 2 H OUSEKEEPING I
TEMS Any feedback on our two guest speakers from Thursday? Tonight
theres a lecture at 7 on sea level rise and its implications for
the 21 st century in Building 356, Room 109 (the auditorium).
Admission is free. In the folder, youll find information on
International Development Week, which leads off with the keynote,
Global Water, Local Water, next Monday from 5:30 to 7 in the
Theatre. Today, well finish Latin America and start in on Europe.
Can I see Sarah after class? Slide 3 EUROPE POLITICAL MAP AND
PHYSIOGRAPHY Slide 4 F IGURE 4.2 P IG FARMS IN R OMANIA AND THE U
NITED S TATES Slide 5 P HYSICAL P ATTERNS Europe is a region of
peninsulas upon peninsulas The entire European region is one giant
peninsula extending off the Eurasian continent One result of all of
these peninsulas is that much of Europe feels the
climate-moderating effect of the large bodies of water that
surround it Slide 6 L ANDFORMS The basic pattern is mountains,
uplands, and lowlands, all stretching roughly west to east in wide
bands Europes largest mountain chain stretches west to east through
the middle of the continent The Alps are the highest and most
central part of this formation Europe lies on the westernmost
extension of the Eurasian Plate Slide 7 L ANDFORMS Extending
northward from the central mountain zone is a band of low-lying
hills and plateaus that is a transitional zone between the high
mountains and lowlands The lowlands of the North European Plain is
the most extensive landform in Europe The coastal zones of the
North European Plain are densely populated Slide 8 L ANDFORMS The
rivers of Europe link its interior to the surrounding seas - The
Rhine - The Danube The economic and environmental roles of the
Danube River basin are getting increased attention Slide 9 V
EGETATION Nearly all of Europes original forests are gone to make
way for farmland, pasture, towns, and cities Today, forests with
very large and old trees exist only in scattered areas The dominant
vegetation is crops and pasture grass Nonetheless, there is far
less urban sprawl; cities tend to be compact and one can often see
the countryside from the city itself Slide 10 Siena in Tuscany.
Source: http://www.revealedrome.com /2010/10/siena-a-gem-of-a
-tuscan-city.html Slide 11 Slide 12 C LIMATE Europe has three main
climate types: temperate midlatitude, Mediterranean, and humid
continental The temperate midlatitude climate dominates in
northwestern Europe A broad warm-water ocean current called the
North Atlantic Drift brings large amounts of warm water to the
coasts of Europe Farther to the south, the Mediterranean climate
prevails (warm, dry summers and mild, rainy winters) In eastern
Europe the more extreme humid continental climate prevails Slide 13
E NVIRONMENTAL I SSUES Europeans are now increasingly taking action
on environmental issues at the local and global scales Europes air,
seas, and rivers remain some of the most polluted in the world, and
there is still a long way to go to meet the European Unions stated
environmental goals Nonetheless, Europe is in the vanguard of
sustainability theory and practice, and the European Union
encourages countries to raise their environmental and social
standards and not lower them Slide 14 E UROPE S I MPACT ON THE B
IOSPHERE This region continues to have a major impact on the
biosphere through the air, water, and sea pollution it generates.
However, for the most part, its per capita ecological footprint is
considerably below that of North America Europe is itself
especially vulnerable to a number of the potential effects of
climate change, all of which will affect agriculture and industries
such as tourism and trans- portation. It also saw a major heat wave
in 2003 that killed thousands of people Slide 15 Slide 16 E UROPE S
E NERGY R ESOURCES Europes main energy sources have shifted over
the years from coal to petroleum and natural gas (also nuclear
power in some countries) The 27 members of the European Union
(EU27) get a large portion of their fuel supplies from Russia The
EU27 depend on nuclear power for 30 percent of their total needs
The European Union wishes to increase its use of renewable energy
in order to reduce fuel imports and thereby increase energy
security, and some countries are making extraordinary strides Slide
17 A IR P OLLUTION Air pollution is particularly heavy over the
North European Plain due to the regions heavy industry, dense
transportation routes, and large populations The highest level of
air pollution is found in the former communist states of Central
and North Europe Central Europes severe environmental problems
developed in part because the Marxist-Leninist policies promoted by
the Soviet Union and its allies emphasized industrialization at all
costs and an ethic of humans dominating over nature Slide 18 F
RESHWATER AND S EAWATER P OLLUTION Sources of water pollution in
Europe include: - Insufficiently treated sewage - Chemicals and
silt in the runoff from agricultural plots and residential units -
consumer packaging litter - petroleum residues - industrial
effluent The Baltic, Mediterranean, and Black seas are nearly
landlocked bodies of water that are prone to accumulating pollution
Water exits the Mediterranean only after it has been in the sea for
80 years Slide 19 Slide 20 T HE W IDE R EACH OF E UROPE S E
NVIRONMENTAL I MPACT Europeans consume one-fifth of the worlds
imports and many of these goods have a high virtual water component
Nearly all EU countries import more virtual water than they export
This is the same with other nonrenewable resources imported from
outside Europe The environmental impacts of Europes virtual water
consumption should be counted along with Europes total impact on
the biosphere Slide 21 Slide 22 E UROPEAN L EADERSHIP IN R ESPONSE
TO G LOBAL C LIMATE C HANGE Europe leads the world in response to
global climate change Europe has been more willing than any other
region to act on climate change, largely because it recognizes the
economic sense in doing so Recent research suggests doing nothing
about global warming would shrink the EUs GDP by 20 percent Slide
23 E UROPEAN L EADERSHIP IN R ESPONSE TO G LOBAL C LIMATE C HANGE
Europes increasing concern about global warming may also be
influenced by public alarm at recent abnormal weather The summer of
2003 broke all high-temperature records for Europe In 2002 and
2006, rainfall and snowfall in Central Europe reached record levels
In the spring of 2006, rivers flooded for weeks Slide 24 P ROGRESS
IN G REEN B EHAVIOR Europeans use large amounts of resources and
contribute about one-quarter of the worlds greenhouse gas emissions
One European resident averages only one-half the energy consumption
of the average North American resident These energy-saving
practices are related in part to the high population densities and
social customs of the region, but also to widespread explicit
support for ecological principles Green (environmentally activist)
political parties influence national policies in all European
countries Slide 25 P ROGRESS IN G REEN B UILDING There is no
generally accepted definition of green building In the European
Union, green building refers to the all-around sustainability of a
building design Thus far Europe has outpaced the United States in
green building through incorporation of renewable energy
technologies and passivehaus techniques Slide 26 C HANGES IN T
RANSPORTATION Europeans have long favored fast rail networks for
both passengers and cargo rather than private cars, trucks, and
multilane highways Worry about the relationship between CO 2
emissions and climate change has created a noticeable trend toward
less energy-efficient but more flexible motorized road transport
Now rising fuel costs and CO 2 emissions are increasingly being
considered in the design of multimodal transport that links
high-speed rail to road, air, and water transport Parts of Europe
have a strong cycling culture Slide 27 Source: Google Images Slide
28 Slide 29 H UMAN P ATTERNS O VER T IME Over the last 500 years,
Europe has profoundly influenced how the world trades, fights,
thinks, and governs itself Attempts to explain this influence are
wide- ranging - One argument is that Europeans are somehow a
superior breed of humans popular in the 19 th century, but now
discredited - Another is that Europes many bays, peninsulas, and
navigable rivers have promoted commerce to a greater extent there
than elsewhere - Some, such as geographers Jared Diamond ( Guns,
Germs, and Steel ), argue that Europeans were just in the right
place in the right time Slide 30 S OURCES OF E UROPEAN C ULTURE
Starting about 10,000 years ago, the practice of agriculture and
animal husbandry gradually spread into Europe from Southwest and
Central Asia Mining, metalworking, and mathematics also came to
Europe from these places and from North Africa Economic innovations
came from Muslim traders and bankers The Chinese contributed
gunpowder and paper All of these innovations opened the way for a
wider range of economic activity (most notably trade) in Europe
Slide 31 S OURCES OF E UROPEAN C ULTURE The first European
civilizations were ancient Greece (800 to 86 B. C. E.) and Rome
(100 B. C. E. to 450 C. E.) Both were located in southern Europe
European traditions of science, art, and literature were heavily
based on Greek ideas, which were themselves derived from yet
earlier Egyptian and Southwest Asian sources Slide 32 S OURCES OF E
UROPEAN C ULTURE The Romans, after first borrowing heavily from
Greek culture, also left important legacies in Europe Many
Europeans today speak Romance languages which are largely derived
from Latin, the language of the Roman Empire Rome was the origin of
European laws that determine how individuals own, buy, and sell
land These laws have been spread throughout the world by Europeans
Roman practices used in colonizing new lands also shaped much of
Europe Slide 33 S OURCES OF E UROPEAN C ULTURE The influence of
Islamic civilization on Europe is often overlooked During a period
known as the Dark Ages, pre- Muslim and then Muslim scholars
preserved learning from Rome and Greece and added new findings in
mathematics and other disciplines The Arabs, Persians, and Turks
all brought new technologies, food crops, architectural principles,
and textiles to Europe during the Ottoman Empire Slide 34 T HE I
NEQUALITIES OF F EUDALISM As the Roman Empire declined, a social
system known as feudalism evolved during the medieval period This
system originated from the need to defend rural areas against local
bandits and raiders The objective of feudalism was to have a
sufficient number of heavily armed, professional fighting men, or
knights, to defend a much larger group of serfs, who were legally
bound to live on and cultivate plots of land for the knights Slide
35 T HE I NEQUALITIES OF F EUDALISM Over time these knights became
a wealthy class called the nobility. Some of the nobility had more
prestige and power than others Some nobles gained so much power
that they became centralized rulers (kings or monarchs). Their
domains took the form of nation-states or empires Most serfs lived
in poverty outside castle walls, and much like slaves, were legally
barred from leaving the lands they cultivated for their protectors
Wars were common and castles provided bulwark of protection as well
as outposts for securing newly conquered territories Slide 36 Slide
37 R OLE OF U RBANIZATION IN THE T RANSFORMATION OF E UROPE While
rural life followed established feudal patterns, new political and
economic institutions were developing in Europes towns and cities
Thick walls provided defense against raiders, and commerce and
crafts supplied livelihoods Located along trade routes, Europes
urban areas were exposed to new ideas, technologies, and
institutions. They also developed a measure of political autonomy
and served as a refuge for escaped serfs Some institutions provided
the foundations for Europes modern economy Slide 38 R OLE OF U
RBANIZATION IN THE T RANSFORMATION OF E UROPE Over time, Europes
urban areas established a pace of social and technological change
that left the feudal rural areas far behind A related outgrowth of
urban Europe was a philosophy known as humanism, which emphasized
the dignity and worth of the individual regardless of wealth or
social status The liberating influences of European urban life
transformed the practice of religion Ideas spread faster with the
invention of the European version of the printing press, which
enabled widespread literacy Slide 39 E UROPEAN C OLONIALISM : A N A
CCELERATION OF G LOBALIZATION Increased commerce and cultural
exchange began a period of globalization that persists today
Mercantilism : a strategy for increasing a countrys power and
wealth by acquiring colonies and managing all aspects of their
production, transport, and trade Mercantilism supported the
Industrial Revolution in Europe. The development of Europe was
literally underwritten by the exploitation of the colonies. Slide
40 E UROPEAN C OLONIALISM : A N A CCELERATION OF G LOBALIZATION By
the twentieth century, European colonial systems had strongly
influenced nearly every part of the world The overseas empires of
England, the Netherlands, and eventually France were the beginnings
of the modern global economy Slide 41 Slide 42 Slide 43 T HE I
NDUSTRIAL R EVOLUTION Britain developed a small but growing trading
empire in the Caribbean, North America, and South Asia This
provided Britain with access to a wide range of raw materials
Sugar, produced by British colonies in the Caribbean, was an
especially important trade crop By the late eighteenth century,
Britain was introducing mechanization into its industries Slide 44
U RBANIZATION AND D EMOCRATIZATION Industrialization led to massive
growth in urban areas in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
Extremely low living standards in Europes cities created tremendous
pressures for change in the political order Radical movements such
as socialism and anarchism grew amongst the working classes After
lengthy struggles, democracy was expanded to Europes huge and
growing working class In addition, efforts were made to unify
pseudo- entities such as Italy and Germany that were still divided
into tiny principalities Slide 45 U RBANIZATION AND D
EMOCRATIZATION In 1789, the French Revolution led to the first
major inclusion of common people in the political process in Europe
The democratic expansion created by the French Revolution
ultimately proved short-lived as elite- dominated governments soon
regained control in France Nevertheless, the French Revolution
provided crucial inspiration to later urban democratic political
movements in many parts of the world Slide 46 T HE I MPACT OF C
OMMUNISM Popular discontent erupted periodically in the form of new
revolutionary political movements Karl Marx framed the mounting
social unrest in Europes cities as a struggle between socioeconomic
classes Marxs ideas inspired the creation of a revolutionary
communist state in 1917 Slide 47 P OPULAR D EMOCRACY AND N
ATIONALISM Political movements among workers were more successful
at expanding democracy Innumerable struggles between labor and the
authorities continued until eventually workers gained the right to
unionize The development of democracy was also linked to the idea
of nationalism, or allegiance to the state The creation of unified
nation-states, such as France, often led to the suppression of
minorities, such as the Bretons, a Celtic-speaking people living in
Brittany Slide 48 D EMOCRACY AND THE W ELFARE S TATE Public
pressure for improved living standards moved most European
governments toward becoming welfare states, partly to avoid more
revolutionary outcomes In a welfare state governments accept
responsibility for the well-being of their people, guaranteeing
basic necessities All such states even the best, such as in
Scandinavian countries have seen some erosion in recent years
because of fiscal constraints and ideological shifts Slide 49 T WO
W ORLD W ARS AND T HEIR A FTERMATH Between 1914 and 1945, two
horribly destructive world wars left Europe in ruins At least 20
million people died in World War I (19141918) and 70 million in
World War II (19391945) During World War II, Germanys Nazi
government killed 15 million civilians Eleven million civilians
died at the hands of the Nazis during the Holocaust, a massive
execution of 6 million Jews and 5 million Roma (Gypsies) Slide 50
Slide 51 T WO W ORLD W ARS AND T HEIR A FTERMATH After World War II
ended in 1945, Germany was divided into two parts, East Germany and
West Germany The line between East Germany and West Germany was
part of what was called the iron curtain, a long, fortified border
zone that separated western Europe from eastern Europe The eastern
part of Europe was under Soviet domination, and west was largely
subordinate to the U.S. Slide 52 T HE C OLD W AR The division of
Europe created a period of conflict between the United States and
the Soviet Union known as the Cold War, which lasted from 1945 to
1991 The central issue was the competition between capitalism and
communism It was global conflict and brought the world on more than
one occasion to the brink of nuclear war Slide 53 D ECOLONIZATION,
D EMOCRATIZATION, AND C ONFLICT IN M ODERN E UROPE By the 1960s,
most former European colonies had gained independence Despite
democracys long history in Europe, it nearly disappeared during the
two world wars Then post-war western Europe made remarkable
progress in reorganizing itself around democratic principles and
humanitarian ideals Slide 54 Slide 55 Slide 56 Slide 57 C URRENT G
EOGRAPHIC I SSUES Europe today is in a state of transition as a
result of two major changes that occurred during the 1990s: The
demise of the Soviet Union The rise of the European Union Slide 58
T HE E UROPEAN U NION : A R ISING S UPERPOWER The original plan
after the trauma of World War II was simply to work toward a level
of economic and social integration that would make possible the
free flow of goods and people across national borders Some
Europeans believe that the European Union should become a global
counterforce to the United States in political and military affairs
Slide 59 Slide 60 S TEPS IN C REATING THE E UROPEAN U NION The
first major step in achieving economic unity took place in 1958
Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, France, Italy, and West
Germany formed the European Economic Community (EEC) In 1992, the
concept of the EEC was expanded to that of the European Union,
which is concerned with more than just economic policy Slide 61 S
TEPS IN C REATING THE E UROPEAN U NION A united Germany facilitated
the further expansion of the European Union into the former
communist countries of Central Europe in 2004, then into southeast
Europe when Romania and Bulgaria joined in 2007 Membership in the
European Union became especially attractive to countries in Central
Europe after the demise of the Soviet Union Slide 62 S TEPS IN C
REATING THE E UROPEAN U NION Standards for EU membership: - A
country must achieve political stability and have a democratically
elected government - Each country has to adjust its constitution to
EU standards - Each must also have a functioning market economy
that is open to investment by foreign- owned companies and that has
well-controlled banks - Finally, farms and industries must comply
with strict regulations governing the finest details of their
products and the health of environments Slide 63 S TEPS IN C
REATING THE E UROPEAN U NION Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland have
chosen not to join the European Union These three countries have
long treasured their neutral role in world politics During the
20082009 recession, Iceland began discussions to enter the European
Union, but was not immediately welcomed because of its financial
troubles. These have since been resolved Turkey is the next most
likely candidate to join the European Union Slide 64 EU G OVERNING
I NSTITUTIONS The European Union has one executive branch and two
legislative bodies The European Commission acts like an executive
branch of government Each of the 27 member states gets one
commissioner, who is appointed for a 5-year term Slide 65 EU G
OVERNING I NSTITUTIONS The European Parliament is directly elected
by EU citizens, with each country electing a proportion of seats
based on its population The Parliament elects the president of the
European Commission, who serves for 2 years as a head of state and
head of foreign policy Laws must be passed in Parliament by 55
percent of the member states Slide 66 EU G OVERNING I NSTITUTIONS
The Council of the European Union is similar to the U.S. Senate in
that it is the more powerful of the two legislative bodies Its
members are not elected but consist of one minister of government
from each EU country Minister assigned to attend depends on the
agenda: foreign affairs, agriculture, industry, the environment,
etc. The Council of the European Union acts with Parliament to
enact legislation Slide 67 E CONOMIC I NTEGRATION AND A C OMMON C
URRENCY European national economies were joined into a common
market Companies in any EU country now have access to a much larger
market and the potential for larger profits through economies of
scale The EU economy now encompasses close to 492 million people
Collectively, the EU countries are wealthy; their joint economy was
almost $15 trillion in 2008 Slide 68 E CONOMIC I NTEGRATION AND A C
OMMON C URRENCY The official currency of the European Union is the
euro () Sixteen EU countries now use the euro Countries that use
the euro have a greater voice in the creation of EU economic
policies Depending on global financial conditions, either the euro
or the U.S. dollar is the preferred currency of international trade
and finance Slide 69 Slide 70 T HE E UROPEAN U NION AND G
LOBALIZATION The European Union is pursuing a number of strategies
designed to ensure that it continues to be economically competitive
A primary focus is on keeping exports a central component of
national economies One strategy is to relocate factories from the
wealthiest EU countries to the relatively poorer Other strategies
include holding down domestic wages and emphasizing the quality of
European exports Slide 71 NATO AND THE R ISE OF THE E UROPEAN U
NION AS A G LOBAL P EACEMAKER A new role for the European Union as
a global peacemaker and peacekeeper is developing through the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) NATO originally included the
United States, Canada, the countries of western Europe, and Turkey;
it now includes almost all the EU countries as well With the United
States preoccupied with Iraq, NATO assumed more of a role as a
global peacekeeper Slide 72 F OOD P RODUCTION AND THE E UROPEAN U
NION Europeans prefer food from European farms to imported food
They pay more for food than do people in the United States Most
food is now produced on large mechanized farms that are efficient
Romania has over one-quarter of the farms in the European Union
Slide 73 T HE C OMMON A GRICULTURAL P ROGRAM (CAP) The European
Union established the Common Agricultural Program (CAP), meant to
guarantee secure and safe food supplies at affordable prices The
CAP aids farmers by placing tariffs on imported agricultural goods
and by giving subsidies (payments to farmers) to underwrite their
costs of production, this putting non- European farmers at a
disadvantage Slide 74 G ROWTH OF C ORPORATE A GRICULTURE AND F OOD
M ARKETING As small family farms disappear, the trend is toward
consolidating smaller farms into larger, more profitable operations
These farms tend to employ very few laborers and use more machinery
and chemical inputs The move toward corporate agriculture is
strongest in Central Europe Slide 75 E UROPE S G ROWING S ERVICE E
CONOMIES As industrial jobs have declined across the region, most
Europeans have found jobs in the service economy Services such as
the provision of health care, education, finance, tourism, and
information technology are now the engine of Europes integrated
economy A major component of Europes service economy is tourism
Slide 76 E UROPE S G ROWING S ERVICE E CONOMIES Europe is the most
popular tourist destination in the world One job in eight in the
European Union is related to tourism Tourism generates 13.5 percent
of the EUs gross domestic product Service occupations increasingly
involve the use of technology Europe leads the world in cell phone
use Slide 77 Slide 78 Slide 79 P OPULATION D ISTRIBUTION AND U
RBANIZATION There are currently about 525 million Europeans 492
million live within the European Union Europe is one of the more
densely occupied regions on earth Most of this population now lives
in cities These cities are the focus of the modern European economy
However, there is a healthy and viable rural culture Slide 80 P
OPULATION D ISTRIBUTION AND U RBANIZATION In West, North, and South
Europe, more than 75 percent of the population lives in urban areas
Even in Central Europe, the least urbanized part of the region,
around 70 percent of people live in cities Nearly all the cities in
Europe have expanded around their perimeters in concentric circles
of apartment blocks Land is scarce and expensive in Europe, so only
a small percentage of Europeans live in single- family homes Slide
81 Slide 82 E UROPE S A GING P OPULATION Europes population is
aging as families are choosing to have fewer children and life
expectancies are increasing Life expectancies now range close to 80
years in North, West, and South Europe Those 14 years and under
declined from 27 percent to 15 percent, while those over 65
increased from 9 percent to 16 percent between 1960 and 2009
Overall, Europe is now close to a negative rate of natural increase
Slide 83 E UROPE S A GING P OPULATION By 2000, twenty-five percent
of Europeans were choosing to have no children at all The reasons
for these trends are complex More and more women want professional
careers 25 percent of Germans are choosing to remain unmarried well
into their thirties Governments also make few provisions for
working mothers beyond paid maternity leave Slide 84 Slide 85 I
MMIGRATION AND M IGRATION : N EEDS AND F EARS Until the mid-1950s,
the net flow of migrants was out of Europe By the 1990s the net
flow was into Europe In the 1990s, most of the European Union
implemented the Schengen Accord, an agreement that allows free
movement of people and goods across common borders The accord has
facilitated trade, employment, tourism, and most controversially
migration Slide 86 Slide 87 A TTITUDES T OWARD I NTERNAL AND I
NTERNATIONAL M IGRANTS AND C ITIZENSHIP Europeans have ambivalent
attitudes toward migrants The internal flow of migration is mostly
from Central Europe into North, West, and South Europe These
Central European migrants are mostly treated fairly, although
prejudices against the supposed backwardness of Central Europe are
still evident Slide 88 A TTITUDES T OWARD I NTERNAL AND I
NTERNATIONAL M IGRANTS AND C ITIZENSHIP Immigrants from outside
Europe, so-called international immigrants, meet with varying
acceptance International immigrants often come legally and
illegally from Europes former colonies and protectorates across the
globe Many Turks and North Africans come legally as guest workers
who are expected to stay for only a few years Slide 89 A TTITUDES T
OWARD I NTERNAL AND I NTERNATIONAL M IGRANTS AND C ITIZENSHIP
Central and South Europe are the least tolerant of new immigrants
North and West Europe, with higher incomes and generally more
stable economies, are the most tolerant Cultural issues also
influence attitudes toward immigrants Slide 90 A TTITUDES T OWARD I
NTERNAL AND I NTERNATIONAL M IGRANTS AND C ITIZENSHIP Across
Europe, anti-immigration views, especially toward non-Europeans,
are becoming more common Mainstream politicians increasingly
support stricter controls In response, the European Union is
increasing its efforts to curb illegal immigration from outside
Europe while at the same time helping EU citizens to be more
tolerant Slide 91 A TTITUDES T OWARD I NTERNAL AND I NTERNATIONAL M
IGRANTS AND C ITIZENSHIP Anti-foreigner sentiment has been a
hindrance to acquiring citizenship across Europe In 2004, more than
650,000 became citizens of an EU country; the largest numbers were
in Germany, France, and the UK Citizenship usually requires an
extended period of legal residency, evidence of a good work record,
and proficiency in the countrys main language Slide 92 Slide 93 R
ULES FOR A SSIMILATION : M USLIMS IN E UROPE In Europe, culture
plays a larger role in defining differences between people than
race and skin color Assimilation in Europe usually means giving up
the home culture and adopting the ways of the new country Muslims,
presently the focus of assimilation issues in the European Union,
have lived in Europe in small pockets for well over 1000 years
Slide 94 R ULES FOR A SSIMILATION : M USLIMS IN E UROPE Muslims
have largely assimilated thoroughly to, and identify with, their
home countries Some have clung to traditional dress, gender roles,
and religious values, while others have accepted and practice
European culture There has been significant controversy in France
over the banning of the wearing of chadors in public places There
has also been targeted acts of violence against immigrants Slide 95
Slide 96 C HANGING G ENDER R OLES Gender roles in Europe have
changed significantly from the days when most women married young
and worked in the home or on the family farm Increasing numbers of
European women are working outside the home Nevertheless, European
public opinion among both women and men largely holds that women
are less able than men to perform the types of work typically done
by men Slide 97 C HANGING G ENDER R OLES Male advantages have a
stronger hold in Central and South Europe today than they do in
West and North Europe Working women usually face what is called a
double day : they are expected to do most of the domestic work in
the evening in addition to their job outside the home during the
day Many EU policies encourage gender equality Slide 98 C HANGING G
ENDER R OLES Managers in the EU bureaucracy are increasingly female
Well over half the university graduates in Europe are now women
However, the political influence and economic well- being of
European women lag behind those of European men In most European
national parliaments, women make up less than a third of elected
representatives Although change is clearly underway in the European
Union, women generally serve only in the lower ranks of government
Slide 99 C HANGING G ENDER R OLES Because women are largely absent
from policy- making positions, their progress has been slow on many
fronts In 2006, female unemployment was higher than male
unemployment in all but a few countries Throughout the European
Union, women are paid less than men for equal work Slide 100 Slide
101 Slide 102 S OCIAL W ELFARE S YSTEMS AND T HEIR O UTCOMES In
nearly all European countries, tax-supported systems of social
welfare or social protection (the EU term) provide all citizens
with basic needs Europeans generally pay much higher taxes than
North Americans, and in return they expect more in services The
European Union has more doctors and hospital beds per citizen and
better outcomes than the United States in terms of life expectancy
and infant mortality Slide 103 S OCIAL W ELFARE S YSTEMS AND T HEIR
O UTCOMES Europeans do not agree on the goals of these welfare
systems Some argue that Europe can no longer afford high taxes if
it is to remain competitive in the global market Others maintain
that Europes economic success and high standards of living are the
direct result of the social contract The debate has been resolved
differently in different parts of Europe Slide 104 S OCIAL W ELFARE
S YSTEMS AND T HEIR O UTCOMES European welfare systems can be
classified into four basic categories: - Social democratic welfare
systems - Conservative and modest welfare systems - Rudimentary
welfare systems - Post-communist welfare systems Slide 105 Slide
106
