ESF:BPV_EPSI Political and social identity - Course Information

BPV_EPSI Economic Political and social identity in the European Union

Extent and Intensity

2/1/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).

Teacher(s)

John Frederick Wilton, B.A. (Hons), M. Soc Sc, Ph.D. (lecturer)

Guaranteed by

doc. JUDr. Ivan Malý, CSc.
Department of Public Economics – Faculty of Economics and Administration
Contact Person: Mgr. Kateřina Kociánová
Supplier department: Department of Public Economics – Faculty of Economics and Administration

Timetable

Mon 7. 4. 16:20–19:35 P303, Fri 11. 4. 9:20–12:45 P303, Mon 14. 4. 16:20–19:35 P303, Wed 16. 4. 11:05–12:45 S310, Fri 18. 4. 9:20–12:45 P303, Thu 24. 4. 11:05–12:45 S301

Prerequisites (in Czech)

! PVEPSI Political and social identity

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 24 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/24, only registered: 0/24, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/24

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

• Public Economics (Eng.) (programme ESF, N-HPS)
• Public Economics and Administration (programme ESF, B-HPS)
• Public Economics and Administration (programme ESF, M-HPS)
• Public Economics (programme ESF, N-HPS)

Course objectives

AIMS
The Course will aim to examine the possible interaction between national, regional and a European Union identity at the economic, political and socio-cultural levels. The first part of the course will outline and examine various theories and concepts identified as useful in analysing any future construction of an economic, political and social European Union identity. In the second part of the course these will be assessed within the context of European Union ‘core values’ (democracy, the rule of law, peace and security, economic stability and prosperity, respect for human rights) and the existing ‘identity’ perspectives of EU citizens.

OBJECTIVES
Students will be introduced to a range of theories and concepts identified as useful in analysing any future construction of an economic, political and social European Union identity. In the second part of the course they will then be encouraged to employ these concepts in assessing the opportunities, processes and possibilities for such a construction of a citizenship EU identity.

Syllabus

• LECTURE CONTENT
• PLEASE NOTE: 75% attendance at lectures (i.e. at least 6) is a requirement to pass this course (see Course Assessment)
• The powerpoint presentations for each lecture will be placed on the Masaryk University Information System prior to each lecture
• 1. Identity as a concept: the ‘narrative of identity’in the economic, socio-cultural and political sphere
• - the theoretical concept of ‘identity’
• - the symbols and processes that produce and contribute to identity
• - the development of the identity of the European Union as an institution.
• 2. The development of the identity of the European Union
• - the founding principles and historical development of the European Union
• - how the identity of the European Union has developed and infroms its interests and its actions in respect of its citizens
• - European Union integration and expansion: federalism, functionalism and neo-functionalism.
• 3. Social Constructivism, Essentialism and EU identity
• - the theory of social constructivism and essentialism
• - identity constituted by the institutionalized norms, values and ideas of the economic, political and social environment of the European Union.
• 4. New Institutionalism, Behaviouralism, and EU identity
• - the theories of New Institutionalism and Behaviouralism
• - the capacity of cultural and organizational practices within EU institutions to mould the preferences, interests and identities of EU citizens
• - the capacity of, and impact on, economic and social movements and practices (including cultural practices) in shaping EU identity.
• 5. Identity and European Union ‘core values’
• - democracy
• - the rule of law
• - peace and security
• - economic stability and prosperity
• - respect for human rights and minority rights
• - diversity and tolerance.
• 6. European Union for citizens to identify with:
• a) federalism and subsidiarity
• b) a European Union identity alongside a Europe of economic, politacal and socio-cultural regional identity and diversity?
• c) Federalis, a ‘Europe of the Regions’, and a European Union identity.
• 7. EU identity today
• - the perspective of EU citizens
• - attitudes to European Union identity in surveys and opinion polls
• - the relationship between EU institutional identity and EU citizen identity.
• 8. A European Union identity in the future?
• - constructed through a narrative of the economic, political and socio-cultural development of the European Union
• - the interaction of multi-level economic, socio-cultural and political development.

Literature

• Cederman, L. (ed.) Constructing Europes Identity: The External Dimension, London, Lynne Reinner, 2001.
• Christiansen, T. Jorgensen, K.E. and Weiner, A. (Editors) The Social Construction of Europe, London, Sage, 2001.
• Dunkerley, D. et al Changing Europe: identities, nations and citizens, London, Routledge, 2002.
• Graham, B. Modern Europe: place, culture and identity, London, Arnold, 1998.
• Nicoll, W. and Salmon, T.C. Understanding the European Union, Harlow, Longman, 2001.
• Poole, R. Nation and identity, London, Routledge, 1999.
• Shore, C. Building Europe: the cultural politics of the European Union, London, Routledge, 2000.
• Zeff, E. and Pirro, E. The European Union and the Member States: Cooperation, Coordination, and Compromise, London, Lynne Reinner, 2001.
• Fossum, J.E. Identity Politics in the European Union, in Journal of European Integration, Vol.23, Number 4.
• Journal of European Public Policy 6:4, 1999 (Special Issue on The Social Construction of Europe).
• Other literature and web pages as specified in the Teacher´s information below.

Teaching methods

COURSE STRUCTURE
The course will be taught through a programme of 8 lectures and 4 workshops (2 workshops for each group of students). All lectures will be given at ESF jointly for ESF and FSS students. Students will be divided into two groups, one group for each Faculty (ESF and FSS) for the workshops. Workshops for ESF students will be held at ESF and for FSS students at FSS.

WORKSHOPS

PLEASE NOTE: 100% attendance at workshops is a requirement to pass this course (see Course Assessment)

Students from each Faculty (ESF and FSS) will be divided into two groups. Each group will have two workshops.

Workshops
In the workshops students will be required to work collectively in groups in the first part of the session on questions relating to particular theories and issues within the course and then present their collective findings within the workshop in the second part of the session.

Workshop 1 Questions:
a) An EU ‘citizen identity’ is possible. An EU ‘citizen identity’ is a good thing (and why?).
b) An EU ‘citizen identity’ is not possible. An EU ‘citizen identity’ is not a good thing (and why not?).


Workshop 2
In the first part of this workshop some direction will be offered in respect of the assessment essay, and then in the second part of the workshop students will be divided into groups for discussion and group feedback on each essay question.

Assessment methods

ASSESSMENT

Attendance Requirement:
Lectures: 75% attendance at lectures (i.e. at least 6) is a requirement to pass this course
Seminars: 100% attendance at workshops is a requirement to pass this course

Essay:
Students should write an essay of between 1500 (minimum) and 2000 (maximum) words (between 4 and 6 sides of A4 paper) in answer to ONE of the questions shown below. Essays should be properly and fully referenced, and include a full bibliography. They should be word-processed or typed.

PLEASE NOTE: Essays that are more than 10 per cent above or below the word limit will be penalised through the deduction of marks

ESSAYS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TO JOHN WILTON BY EMAIL OR THROUGH THE MASARYK UNIVERSITY INFORMATION SYSTEM BY 07.05.13

1. Evaluate whether a European Union ‘citizen’ identity can be produced through ‘social constructivism’.
2. Assess whether the production of a European Union ‘citizen’ identity would be most likely achieved through economic, social or political measures and policies.
3. Identify and evaluate the relationship between the ‘core values’ of the European Union and the construction and development of a European Union ‘citizen’ identity.

Language of instruction

English

Further comments (probably available only in Czech)

Study Materials
The course is taught only once.
General note: Nezapisují si studenti, kteří absolvovali předmět PVEPSI.

Information about innovation of course.

This course has been innovated under the project "Inovace studia ekonomických disciplín v souladu s požadavky znalostní ekonomiky (CZ.1.07/2.2.00/28.0227)" which is cofinanced by the European Social Fond and the national budget of the Czech Republic.

• Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2014, recent)
  
• Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/econ/spring2014/BPV_EPSI