Chapter 4 - Europe: Key Terms

active aging

A three-pronged EU policy aimed at changing society's attitudes toward the abilities and needs of people as they age

assimilation

The loss of old ways of life and the adoption of the lifestyle of another culture

asylum seekers

Refugees who leave their homes because of violent persecution and seek new legal status in an adopted country

capitalism

An economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and distribution of goods, driven by the profit motive and characterized by a competitive marketplace; an economic system characterized by privately owned businesses and industrial firms that adjust prices and output to match the demand of the market

central planning

A communist economic model in which a central bureaucracy dictates prices and output with the stated aim of allocating goods equitably across society according to need

Cohesion Policy

EU guidelines for programs aimed at removing social and economic disparities in Europe

Cold War

A period of conflict, tension, and competition between the US and Soviet Union which lasted from 1945 to 1991; the contest that pitted the US and western Europe, who were espousing free market capitalism and democracy,

Common Agricultural Program (CAP)

An EU program meant to guarantee secure and safe food supplies at affordable prices, that are produced sustainably by farmers who earn a fair income

communism

an ideology, based largely on the writings of the German revolutionary Karl Marx, that calls on workers to unite to overthrow capitalism and establish an egalitarian society in which workers share what they produce

continental climate

a midlatitude climate pattern in which summers are fairly hot and moist, and winters become longer and colder the
deeper into the interior of the continent one goes

cultural homogenization

the tendency toward uniformity of ideas, values, technologies, and institutions among associated culture groups; the
loss of ethnic distinctiveness

decolonization

the process of dissolving or ending colonial relationships, institutions, and mind-sets

double day

the longer workday of women with jobs outside the home who also work as caretakers, housekeepers, and/or cooks
for their families

economic migrants

those who seek employment opportunities better than what they have at home

economies of scale

reductions in the unit cost of production that occur when goods or services are efficiently mass produced, resulting
in increased profits per unit

euro (€)

the official (but not required) currency of the European Union as of January 1999

European Union (EU)

a supranational organization that unites most of the countries of West, South, North, and Central Europe

exclave

a portion of a country that is separated from the main part

green

an adjective indicating a person or group that is environmentally conscious

guest workers

legal workers from outside a country who help fulfill the need for temporary workers but who are expected to return
home when they are no longer needed

Holocaust

during World War II, a massive execution by the Nazis of 6 million Jews and 5 million gentiles (non-Jews), including ethnic Poles and other Slavs, Roma (Gypsies), disabled and mentally ill people, gays, lesbians, transgendered people, and political dissidents

humanism

a philosophy and value system that emphasizes the dignity and worth of the individual, regardless of wealth or
social status

Iron Curtain

a long, fortified border zone that separated western Europe from (then) eastern Europe during the Cold War

Islamic jihadism

a personal or group struggle to promote Islamic revivalism, often with the threat of or actual use of force

Mediterranean climate

a climate pattern of warm, dry summers and mild, rainy winters

mercantilism

the policy by which Europeans sought to increase the power and wealth of their mother countries by managing all aspects of production, transport, and commerce in their colonies, as well as trade between colonies and the mother countries; a strategy for increasing a country’s power and wealth by acquiring colonies and managing all aspects of their production, transport, and trade for the colonizer’s benefit

midlatitude temperate climate

as in south-central North America, China, and Europe, a climate that is moist all year with relatively mild winters
and long, mild-to-hot summers

nationalism

devotion to the interests or culture of a particular country, nation, or cultural group; the idea that a group of people living in a specific territory and sharing cultural traits should be united in a single country to which they are loyal and obedient

North Atlantic Drift

The easternmost end of the Gulf Stream, a broad, warm-water current that brings large amounts of warm water to the
coasts of Europe

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

a military alliance between European (including Turkey) and North American countries, developed during the Cold War to counter the influence of the Soviet Union; after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, it expanded to include much of eastern Europe. This organization now focuses on providing the international security and cooperation needed to expand the European Union

post-colonial

the conditions and attitudes that persist in a society after colonization is over

refugees

those who have fled from their homes because of war or violent social unrest or discrimination

Roma

the now-preferred term in Europe for Gypsies; some prefer to be called Gypsies as a point of ethnic identity

Schengen Agreement

an agreement first signed in 1985 and implemented in 1995 that allows for free movement across common borders
in the European Union

social cohesion

an expression of solidarity within the EU-28, involving balanced and sustainable development, reduced structural disparities between regions and countries, and the promotion of equal opportunities for all people; the willingness of members of a society to cooperate with each other in order for all to survive and prosper

social exclusion

the condition of being systematically left out of important opportunities for participation in society

socialism

primarily an economic system in which all have access to basic goods and services and all large-scale industries are
collectively owned, with any profits benefitting society as a whole

social protection

in Europe, tax-supported systems that provide citizens with benefits such as health care, long-term care, pensions,
and relief from poverty and social exclusion

subsidies

monetary assistance granted by a government to an individual or group in support of an activity, such as farming,
that is viewed as being in the public interest

welfare state

a government that accepts responsibility for the well-being of its people, guaranteeing basic necessities such as
education, affordable food, employment, housing, and health care for all citizens