Robert A. Levine

As the start of the European Monetary Union (EMU) approaches, Western Europe may be heading for troubles that could extend to the United States. The problem lies in the West European political economy. The imposition of highly restrictive fiscal and monetary criteria laid down in Maastricht in 1991 as requirements for membership in the EMU, coupled with economic impacts brought about by East German reconstruction, has resulted in high unemployment and other harsh realities. If Maastricht's rigid macroeconomic constraints are relaxed--if EMU balances its stress on inflation control and fiscal rectitude with equal emphasis on employment and growth--then rising unemployment may be reversed in the short run and conditions can be set for long-run improvement. If not, and if unemployment remains near or above 12 percent, then the worst is yet to come. What will happen to EMU will depend on the futures of the four key West European political economies: Germany, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The author derives four scenarios, ranging from a worst case to "a way out."

Presents a social psychological account of how the lives of children are shaped by social interaction, particularly interaction with parents and other caretakers. Examines the special language of children, their socialization experiences, and the emergence of their self-conceptions--all as they occur in their natural surroundings: daycare centers, homes, playgrounds, schools, and many other places.

Child Care and Culture examines parenthood, infancy, and early childhood in an African community, raising provocative questions about "normal" child care. Comparing the Gusii people of Kenya with the American white middle class, the authors show how divergent cultural priorities create differing conditions for early childhood development. Gusii mothers, who bear ten children on average, focus on goals of survival during infancy and compliance during early childhood, following a cultural model of maternal behavior for achieving these goals. Their practices are successful in a local context but diverge sharply from those considered normal or optimal in North America and Europe, especially in terms of cognitive stimulation, social engagement, emotional arousal, verbal responsiveness, and emotional support for exploration and conversation. Combining the perspectives of social anthropology, pediatrics, and developmental psychology, the authors demonstrate how child care customs can be responsive to varied socioeconomic, demographic, and cultural conditions without inflicting harm on children.

The current stability of Western Europe appears likely to continue but is by no means guaranteed. The probable stable future is neither grim nor inspiring, but it is preferable to the instability that could be brought about by gambling for a more inspiring outcome. The key to post-Cold-War security and stability lies in economics, and Western Europe needs faster economic growth and lower unemployment. Indeed, if the signs portend downturn rather than accelerated growth, internal instability may become a major problem for the European Union and some of its member states. Economics is also the key to eastward expansion of EU; the former Communist states are likely to become members only as their economies converge with those of the West. In the meantime, NATO may prove a more flexible organization for tying these states to the west and assuring their security. In general, however, Western Europe and the United States should be wary of damaging NATO by trying to improve it in the abstract. Continued U.S. participation in Europe is vital, as is taking care not to damage this relationship in the name of transitory moral or political objectives.