The fall of the Berlin Wall transformed life in East Germany, producing numerous challenges to successful adjustment. This book is one of the first in English to report German Research findings on the effects of German re-unification set against the broader context of economic and social change in England and Germany. It argues that although Germany and Britain share the same capitalist, economic and western democratic political systems, the culture ties between East and West Germany transcend these distinctions. The collapse of the manufacturing industry in East Germany following unification produced many similar effects to the economic restructuring and recession in Britain in the 1980s. Such changes tend to polarize societies, with certain kinds of attributes emerging as premium in enabling individuals to adapt. The family and the educational system, as well as labor market institutions are exposed as having vital roles to play in protecting the individual from adverse effects.
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