At a time when families break up and employment is often short-term, society is increasingly forced to operate against a background of insecurity. Insecure Times looks at how this sense of risk and instability has affected the major institutions of social life. With examples and research taken from a range of European and North American societies today, this innovative text on contemporary society discusses such major issues as: * the causes of social and economic insecurity * insecurity and modern capitalism * the role of the state * insecurity and housing * contemporary family life.