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Syllabus Politics and Identity in Contemporary Europe - 54602
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Last update 05-08-2018
HU Credits: 2

Degree/Cycle: 2nd degree (Master)

Responsible Department: European Studies

Semester: 1st Semester

Teaching Languages: Hebrew

Campus: Mt. Scopus

Course/Module Coordinator: Dr.Odelia Oshri

Coordinator Email: Odelia.Oshri@mail.huji.ac.il

Coordinator Office Hours: 12:30-13:30

Teaching Staff:
Dr. Odelia Oshri

Course/Module description:
Is there such a thing as a European identity? If so, how has it developed and what is the role of supranational institutions in this regard? Also, what are the causal mechanisms of Europeanization processes that are currently underway in Europe? And why are their outcomes not the same for different member states? The European Union is a fascinating laboratory for the study of political identities. On the one hand, it embraces 28 member states that, not only share an internal market, but cooperate in other areas such as justice and home affairs. On the other hand, and despite an ostensibly increasing convergence among its member states on cardinal collective issues, a diametrically opposite tendency is emerging: More and more calls are voiced to stem the deepening and broadening of cooperation among the EU members. This puzzling development is evident in the surveys conducted among European citizens, in difficulties posed by some member states to ratifying EU treaties, as well as in the gradual rise of populist right and Euroskeptic parties across Europe. Recently, all these processes culminated in the ‘leave’ vote in the Brexit referendum. The course examines this complicated political landscape, with its interplay of variegated identities, which are being molded and reconstructed due to accelerating interactions.

Course/Module aims:
The objective of this course is to expose students to contemporary academic research on European identity, the factors that promote or hinder its creation, and the relationship between national and European identities. The course will introduce students to the challenges inherent in the empirical research on this subject as well as to the effect of the European identity on integration processes in Europe.

Learning outcomes - On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
Be familiar with central findings in the empirical literature on European identity
Be familiar with data sources and common methodologies in this area
Come up with an original research question
Develop of an independent empirical research project

Attendance requirements(%):
100%

Teaching arrangement and method of instruction:

Course/Module Content:
Part I: Introduction to the course and basic concepts
1. Introduction, objectives and contents of the course
2. Concepts of collective identity
3. What is European identity?
4. Liberal democratic values as European identity
Part 2: Europeanization
5. Institutions as agents of socialization
6. A European public sphere?
Part 3: How to measure identity?
7. Measuring identity: data and methods
Part IV: Challenges in Building European Identity
8. Crisis of legitimacy
9. Euroscepticism
10. Expanding or deepening?
Part 5: Clash of Identities
11. Is there a tension between national identity and supra-national identity?
12. Who is the "Other"? (Immigrants? Turks?)
13. Course summary and work assignments

Required Reading:
Please see the class' website at Moodle

Additional Reading Material:
Please see the class' website at Moodle

Course/Module evaluation:
End of year written/oral examination 0 %
Presentation 15 %
Participation in Tutorials 10 %
Project work 0 %
Assignments 0 %
Reports 0 %
Research project 75 %
Quizzes 0 %
Other 0 %

Additional information:
 
Students needing academic accommodations based on a disability should contact the Center for Diagnosis and Support of Students with Learning Disabilities, or the Office for Students with Disabilities, as early as possible, to discuss and coordinate accommodations, based on relevant documentation.
For further information, please visit the site of the Dean of Students Office.
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