Societies in Transition Economic, Political and Security Transformations in Contemporary Europe

This edited volume discusses critically the social implications of current structural transformations in Europe within the broader context of the global financial crisis. Experts from across Europe and the US discuss challenges and solutions to political and economic stability, security, growth, governance and integration on a country and regional level, especially focusing on vulnerable Southern and Eastern European states. New economic, political and security processes and realities are examined closely, with the aim to describe them in a coherent framework. Drawing on carefully selected interdisciplinary research, this collection offers fresh insights into the social repercussions of the transition from traditionally established practices and perceptions to new forms of collaboration, integration and governance.

Savvas A. Katsikides, Mag. Dr. (Johannes Kepler University of Linz, Austria) holds the Jean Monnet Chair in European Economic Integration and is Professor of Sociology in the Department of Social and Political Sciences, University of Cyprus (currently Chair of the Department). He was Lecturer and Assistant Professor at the Vienna University of Technology, Austria, and Visiting Professor at the Policy Research Institute, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK, and the Central Connecticut State University and Merrimack College, USA. He is a member of the Editorial Board of Innovation, the European Journal of Social Science Research, founder and Editor of the Book Series KOINON, Associate Editor of the Journal of Political and Military Sociology, and Member and Co-editor of the EU funded Journal “Eurolimes". Prof. Katsikides has published widely on European Economic and Social Integration, Sociology of Technology, Industrial Sociology, Ageing and other social issues, European industrial sociology, organizational and sociological theory, Social Values in Digital Death, and Social and Europe.

Pavlos Ioannis Koktsidis holds a BA in Politics and International Relations from the University of Lancaster, an MA in Comparative Ethnic Conflict from Queen’s University of Belfast and a PhD in Security and Conflict Analysis from Queen’s University of Belfast. He is a Teaching Fellow at the University of Cyprus, Department of Social and Political Sciences, giving lectures on Foreign Policy, Comparative Politics of Developing Nations, and External Relations of the European Union. He is a Research Affiliate at ELIAMEP (Hellenic Foundation of European and Foreign Policy) and the South-Eastern Europe Research Centre (SEERC). His research interests concentrate on International Security, Ethnic Conflict Analysis, Conflict Resolution, Peace-Processes, Peace-building, Terrorism Research, and Insurgency.