The view of social sciences on Europe

The following critical note on social science approaches to Europe aims to present the works of Sciolla, Beck and Grande, Passerini and Giddens in the context of two types of change. The first is change in the societies considered part of the Old Continent; the second is change in the conceptual instruments needed to understand that societal transformation. Rethinking the very concept of society, describing its transnational changes, and attempting to explain what Europe is and could be today represent some of the most important challenges for scholars of Europe. These must be addressed in the context of debates ranging from the nature of European identity to the continent's model of social cohesion.