Contemporary demographic, economic, political, and social changes in Europe are influencing cultural and educational processes. International migration, internal migration from rural to urban centers, emergence of the welfare state, professionalization of society, technological advancement, and changes in occupational structure and the situation of women are impacting on family and working life and the standard of living/quality of life. A decontextualising of social life has occurred. Involved in the transition to new modes are the dehistorication of history, the lack of predictability, the consequences of "homelessness," the collapse of working-class culture, change in identity formation, emergence of the youth culture, structural paralysis, and "handing-over" of life decisions to professionals. The extraordinary complexity of these changes forces a reconsideration of educational and cultural policies. Standardized solutions must be reconciled to the variety in the local communities by changes in educational and cultural authority structures, thinking processes, and personnel training. The educational system should be "grounded" to everyday life, particularly language teaching to immigrants, and should provide opportunities for a wide range of multicultural exchanges. Those defining and implementing cultural and educational policies must recognize the creative forces at play and provide opportunities for them to become sources of unity and cooperation. (NEC)