1. European Societies, EU Politics, and Social In/Exclusions of Minorities

The introductory chapter sets the stage for the theoretical framework of this book and previews the proposed examination of in/exclusion of social and ethnic minorities in four European case countries. It poses two main research questions, one asking about the effects of the structural changes caused by subsequent crises in the EU on social in/exclusion, and the second inquiring to what extent the political mobilization linked to identity politics has furthered in/exclusion. In its political sociology-oriented analysis, it highlights the bottom-up character by which European citizens have assumed a larger role in national and EU politics. In this political activity field marked by risks and fluidity, citizens can become more active when salient identity issues are at stake, but they are also more exposed to political manipulation or disengagement from the standard liberal democratic processes and norms. This introduction thus makes the case for the political significance, as well as for the scholarly recognition, of augmented societal influences in the fast-changing political European environment. In doing so, it previews the main two research questions surrounding social in/exclusion, argues for more research in this political sociology subfield, and defines social inclusion within the context of contentious politics.