We checked 6 sociology journals on Friday, August 29, 2025 using the Crossref API. For the period August 22 to August 28, we retrieved 8 new paper(s) in 3 journal(s).

European Societies

The geography of tertiary education inequality in Europe: a within- and cross-country analysis over time
Fabrizio Bernardi, Ilaria Lievore, Manuel T. Valdés
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In this article we study differences in levels of educational inequality across European countries and regions. We address two research questions. First, we ask whether educational inequality in geographical Europe is shaped to a larger extent by the country or the region within the country where an individual resides. Second, we investigate whether convergence in levels of educational inequality has occurred across territorial units in Europe. Such convergence could take three different forms: (1) convergence across regions within each country (intra-country convergence), (2) convergence across countries but not regions (inter-country convergence), or (3) convergence across countries and regions within countries (full convergence). To address these questions, we analyse data from the European Social Survey (years 2002 to 2020) covering 248 regions in 25 countries. We estimate a three-level hierarchical linear probability model, with individuals (level 1) nested in regions (level 2) nested in countries (level 3). The model allows random slopes for parental education to vary across regions and countries. Our findings show that regional variation within countries accounts for about 15 to 33 percent of overall spatial variation in educational inequalities across Europe. Furthermore, we find evidence of persistent differences in levels of educational inequality across countries over time (no inter-country convergence), alongside a decline in regional disparities within countries (intra-country convergence).
Migrant workers’ representation and the appeal of independent grassroots unionism: insights from Britain and Italy
Davide PerĂČ, Valeria Piro
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In the Global North globalization has been coinciding with the interconnected growth in precarious work and migrant workers. Often finding inadequate representation in mainstream unions, many of these workers have become involved in ‘independent’ and grassroots unionism. Grounded in an interdisciplinary conceptual framework that draws on both social movements and labour studies, this article explores one understudied aspect of these emerging forms of labour mobilizations, namely the appeal that the participatory labour organizing typical of this unionism has to its participants. Methodologically, the article follows an actor-centred approach and draws on ethnographic fieldwork carried out with migrant workers involved in the contentious initiatives of four independent unions in London (IWGB and UVW) and north-eastern Italy (ADL Cobas and SI Cobas). Theoretically, the article contributes to further the integration of social movements and labour studies by rethinking the idea of appeal in the study of contentious practices. In particular, the article suggests to extend the idea of appeal from one which has mostly been about the framing efforts of social movements and labour organisations to one which – aware of the risks of methodological organizationalism – comprises the participants’ perspectives and subjectivities.

European Sociological Review

Support for everyone or selection of some? Self-selection and assignment into a large-scale refugee mentoring program in Germany
Nicolas M Legewie, Philipp Jaschke, Magdalena Krieger, Martin Kroh, Lea-Maria Löbel
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Mentoring has become a popular support strategy for recently arrived immigrants and refugees, offering access to valuable information and resources. However, little is known about selection processes into mentoring programs—who chooses to enrol, who receives support, and whether these patterns are systematic. Such selection affects not only program evaluations but also broader issues of refugee integration and social inequality. This study addresses the gap by examining a refugee mentoring program in Germany, using data from the IAB-BAMF-SOEP Survey of Refugees. Results offer limited evidence of self-selection based on needs in job-seeking and legal security. More pronounced selection appears during matching with mentors, where refugees with greater needs are less likely to be matched with a mentor. These patterns highlight the importance of understanding how mentoring ties are formed and suggest that volunteer-based mentoring complements, but cannot replace, more professionalized refugee support programs.
The Generations and Gender Survey: a cross-national longitudinal resource
Anne H Gauthier, Siyang Kong, Olga GrĂŒnwald, Martin Bujard, Arianna Caporali, Vytenis Juozas Deimantas, Tom Emery, Wojciech Jablonski, Judith C Koops, Arieke Rijken, Almut Schumann
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People's life trajectories and family dynamics have become increasingly complex, bringing shifts in fertility, gender equality, work-life balance, and economic stability. The scientific challenge is to capture these complexities and understand their causes and consequences. The Generations and Gender Survey (GGS) provides key insights into these developments, serving as a vital resource for researchers and policymakers. The GGS is a cross-national longitudinal survey collecting data on individuals aged 18 to 79 across topics such as union formation, fertility, household dynamics, work, well-being, and gender attitudes. Its key strengths include cross-national comparability, a panel design with prospective and retrospective data, large sample sizes, and multi-mode data collection. The GGS consists of two rounds: GGS-I, launched in the early 2000s in over 20 countries, established a foundation for comparative research, while GGS-II, started in 2020, builds on GGS-I with methodological innovations such as mixed-mode data collection and refreshed samples. This data brief provides an overview of the GGS, outlining its development, design, implementation, and key features. It also highlights the survey's contributions to demographic and social research, and explores the new research opportunities emerging with GGS-II.

Social Forces

Review of “The Class Struggle and Welfare: Social Policy under Capitalism”
Amie Bostic
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Review of “The Four Talent Giants: National Strategies for Human Resource Development Across Japan, Australia, China, and India”
Steven A Mejia
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The wealth returns to a unionized career
Alec P Rhodes
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Drawing on power resources theory and life course theories of cumulative advantage, this article examines the wealth returns to a unionized career. Using longitudinal data on the working lives of US Baby Boomers and comprehensive measures of wealth at midlife, I find that the average wealth returns to unionized careers are substantial, exceeding $130,000 for marketable wealth. The average returns to a unionized career are even larger when defined benefit pension ($378,000) and Social Security benefits ($361,000) are included in net worth. Higher cumulative lifetime earnings, enhanced job security, and greater access to employer-provided benefits partially account for the wealth returns to unionized careers. The wealth returns to unionized careers are concentrated among men, workers without a college degree, and those who worked in contexts where unions were more powerful. Results support arguments that labor market institutions bolster workers’ financial security by facilitating wealth accumulation.
Review of “My Tax Dollars: The Morality of Taxpaying in America”
Isaac William Martin
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