Yhteiskunnan laatu

Yhteiskunnan laadulla on suuri vaikutus hyvinvointiin ja elämänlaatuun. Maailmanlaajuisen talouskriisin jälkimainingeissa eurooppalaisten luottamus yhteiskuntaan ja sen instituutioihin heikkeni, mikä aiheutti huolta taloudellisesta ja sosiaalisesta epävarmuudesta, havaitusta eriarvoisuudesta, yhteiskunnallisista jännitteistä ja oikeudenmukaisuuden puutteesta. Talouden elpymisen myötä myös luottamus instituutioihin on elpynyt. Sosiaalisen rakenteen ja kansalaisten osallistumisen parantaminen on kuitenkin edelleen tärkeää sekä yksilön elämänlaadun että koko yhteiskunnan selviytymiskyvyn kannalta.

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Artikkeli

10 October 2025

The roots of Europe's mental health crisis run deep
Hans Dubois
This article looks at the trends, the groups at risk, the services and policies in the area of mental health. The European Commission’s communication on a comprehensive approach to mental health, adopted in June 2023, aims to place mental health on an equal footing with physical health and ensure a new, cross-sectoral approach to mental health issues. But, solutions must be sought not only narrowly within mental health care, but also in improving living and working conditions and facilitating social and economic inclusion.
Toinen

13 January 2025

Quality of life in the EU in 2024: Results from the Living and Working in the EU e-survey
Daphne Ahrendtand 3 other authors

Eurofound’s e-survey captures the situation of European respondents and their post-pandemic concerns. This factsheet outlines the most recent data on the main challenges faced by Europeans, with a particular emphasis on the rising cost of living, health and mental health, access to healthcare services, work–life balance, and changes in telework opportunities. View the publication or read the findings in digital format via the related content.

Tutkimusraportti

25 April 2024

The political dimension of social cohesion in Europe
Arnstein Aassveand 3 other authors

This report investigates the political dimensions of social cohesion in Europe, offering a 20-year perspective derived from 10 rounds of the European Social Survey. It scrutinises trends and regional variations in political participation, examining correlations with levels of institutional distrust and discontent. In addition, the report explores political engagement amid the COVID-19 pandemic, utilising insights from the Living, working and COVID-19 e-survey. Unemployment emerges as the primary driver of political disengagement, a pivotal finding of the analysis.

Furthermore, the report uncovers significant disparities in political engagement across European regions. Regions with well-educated populations tend to exhibit higher levels of political activity, and economic prosperity and migration rates have only a modest influence on political activity.

The report also highlights the variation in institutional distrust across regions. Nordic countries display markedly lower levels of distrust in their institutions than continental countries, whereas in eastern European and Mediterranean countries levels are markedly higher.

Kohokohdat aiheesta Yhteiskunnan laatu

Tämä on valikoima tämän aiheen tärkeimpiä tuloksia.

16 November 2022

Tutkimusraportti

Maintaining trust during the COVID-19 pandemic

The report examines how citizens’ trust in institutions – including national governments, the EU, science and the media – evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. The role of the media is analysed, in particular the relationship between the use of social media and trust and the impact of misinformation (incorrect or misleading information) and disinformation (deliberately deceptive information) during the crisis period. Based on an extensive literature review, the report describes the consequences of COVID-19 policy measures, with a focus on citizens’ trust in their national institutions and in the EU. The report outlines the dynamics of trust and discontent in the context of the pandemic, including the influence of the vaccination roll-out.

9 November 2021

Tutkimusraportti

Impact of COVID-19 on young people in the EU

Following a long recovery from the economic crisis (2007–2013), young people in the EU proved to be more vulnerable to the effects of the restrictions put in place to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Young people were more likely than older groups to experience job loss, financial insecurity and mental health problems. They reported reduced life satisfaction and mental well-being associated with the stay-at-home requirements and school closures. While governments responded quickly to the pandemic, most efforts to mitigate the effects of restrictions were temporary measures aimed at preventing job loss and keeping young people in education. This report explores the effects of the pandemic on young people, particularly in terms of their employment, well-being and trust in institutions, and assesses the various policy measures introduced to alleviate these effects.

16 September 2021

Tutkimusraportti

Towards the future of Europe: Social factors shaping optimism and pessimism among citizens

For more than a decade, uncertainty about the future in most parts of the EU has been growing. Many people believe society is in decline and this has given rise to a general sense of pessimism. Is there a link between the rising popularity of anti-establishment parties and increasing pessimism? These negative sentiments could adversely affect the political climate within individual Member States and also undermine the legitimacy of the European project. This report identifies the key drivers of people’s perceptions about the future and explores whether optimists and pessimists differ in their socioeconomic, cultural and political characteristics. To examine the extent to which optimists and pessimists behave and feel differently, the report looks at their socioeconomic and sociopolitical profiles. Finally, it explores how the level of optimism differs in the Member States in relation to country context. The analyses use data from before the COVID-19 pandemic, and the results demonstrate the importance of monitoring how people’s feelings about the future evolve during the recovery from the crisis.

30 March 2021

Tutkimusraportti

Wealth distribution and social mobility

This report explores the distribution of household wealth in the EU Member States and analyses the role of wealth in social mobility. Using data from three datasets (the Household Finance and Consumption Survey, the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe and the Luxembourg Wealth Study), it focuses on wealth per household member. Wealth composition is compared across social groups and countries, and the role of housing assets in wealth distribution and negative wealth is assessed. The findings show that parental background, including parental wealth, has an impact on educational and wealth mobility. In order to promote equality of opportunities in terms of access to education and housing, the impact of wealth inequalities, including differences in parental wealth, should be counterbalanced. The report also suggests that regularising wealth declaration in the EU could be a way of promoting social justice by minimising hidden wealth and combating tax evasion.

27 January 2020

Toimintapoliittinen katsaus

What makes capital cities the best places to live?

Quality of life data show that in most countries, the capital city has advantages compared to the regions outside the capital. In light of the continued growth of capital city populations and the concentration of resources within them, this policy brief explores the source of the advantages of capital cities in quality of life. Are these advantages mostly related to specific demographics that these cities nurture and attract? Or do these advantages stem from opportunities that major cities provide due to their scale and economic growth?

The policy brief aims to clarify why policy should focus on both the economy and society when it comes to advancing economic, social and territorial cohesion.

12 November 2018

Tutkimusraportti

Social cohesion and well-being in Europe

This report provides an analysis of European societies in terms of social cohesion – in particular, social tensions, perceived social exclusion and community engagement are explored as key dimensions. It analyses the links between societal characteristics (quality of society) and well-being of different social groups. The analysis looks at how perceived levels of societal tensions have changed in European societies over time (2003–2016). It also examines which dimensions of social cohesion are most important for individual well-being. The report is based on data from Eurofound’s European Quality of Life Survey 2016, the fourth survey since 2003.

Asiantuntijat aiheesta Yhteiskunnan laatu

Eurofoundin tutkijat tarjoavat asiantuntijatietoa, ja heihin voi ottaa yhteyttä, jos on kysyttävää tai pyyntöjä medialle.

Daphne Ahrendt

Senior research manager
Social policies research

Daphne Ahrendt on Eurofoundin sosiaalipolitiikan yksikön vanhempi tutkimuspäällikkö. Liityttyään Eurofoundiin vuonna 2013 hänen työnsä on kattanut laajan valikoiman sosiaalipolitiikan aloja. Tällä hetkellä hän koordinoi Eurofoundin kyselyiden hallinnointia ja kehittämistä sekä johtaa covid-19-sähköisten kyselytutkimusten valmistelua ja analysointia. Daphnella on yli 20 vuoden kokemus kansainvälisten tutkimusten parissa työskentelevänä tutkijana, ja hän on aiemmin työskennellyt Euroopan komission Eurobarometri-yksikössä ja Lontoon National Centre for Social Researchissa, jossa hän työskenteli International Social Survey -ohjelmassa. Daphnella on maisterin tutkinto rikosoikeuspolitiikasta London School of Economicsista ja valtiotieteen kandidaatin tutkinto San Franciscon osavaltion yliopistosta.

Massimiliano Mascherini

Head of Unit
Social policies research

Massimiliano Mascherini on toiminut Eurofoundin sosiaalipolitiikkayksikön päällikkönä lokakuusta 2019 lähtien. Hän aloitti Eurofoundissa vuonna 2009 tutkimuspäällikkönä ja suunnitteli ja koordinoi hankkeita, jotka koskevat nuorten työllisyyttä, työelämän ja koulutuksen ulkopuolella olevia nuoria ja heidän sosiaalista osallisuuttaan sekä naisten osallistumista työmarkkinoille. Vuonna 2017 hänestä tuli vanhempi tutkimuspäällikkö sosiaalipolitiikan yksikössä, jossa hän johti uutta tutkimusta lähentymisen seurannasta EU:ssa. Euroopan elämänlaatututkimuksen lisäksi hän johtaa myös COVID-19-sähköisten kyselytutkimusten valmistelua ja analysointia. Aiemmin hän toimi tieteellisenä virkailijana Euroopan komission yhteisessä tutkimuskeskuksessa. Hän opiskeli Firenzen yliopistossa, jossa hän opiskeli pääaineenaan vakuutusmatemaattisia ja tilastotieteitä ja suoritti tohtorin tutkinnon soveltavasta tilastotieteestä. Hän on toiminut vierailevana tutkijana Sydneyn yliopistossa ja Aalborgin yliopistossa sekä vierailevana professorina paavillisessa yhteiskuntatieteiden akatemiassa.

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