My research focuses on two broad topics. A first stream of research relates to the development of the ‘rising invisible majority’ concept and the liberalization of European labour markets. This work explores the connection between international political economy and the changing composition of European (and Italian) society, and illustrates how labour market and welfare state dynamics are key institutional channels that mediate this association in different countries. A second stream of research investigates how family policy expansion is related to the political economy of welfare state retrenchment, social reproduction and female employment/wages.