Cultural Overstretch?

Within a few years the European Union will be enlarged from fifteen to twenty-eight member states including Turkey. Do the new countries fit into the European Union or does the enlargement lead to a cultural overstretch? Using survey data Cultural Overstretch describes the cultural differences between twenty-eight European countries.

Jürgen Gerhards is Professor of Sociology at the Free University in Berlin.

1. Theoretical Framework, Methods and Research Questions 2. Religion in Europe 3. Family Values and Gender Roles 4. Sexuality Norms 5. Economic Values 6. Political Values: Democracy and Civil Society 7. The European Idea of a Welfare State 8. Conclusions: Does the EU Enlargement Lead to a Cultural Overstretch