Wintersemester 2007/08 (PDF, 395 kB) - Institut für Politische ...

Erika von Rautenfeld, B.A., M.A.Proseminar:Europe and the Nation / Europa und die Nation(Nur für internationale Kurzzeitstudierende)Blockseminar im Akademischen Auslandsamt, Krankenhausstr. 12, Raum 201Montag, 29.10.2007, 10:00 - 17:00 UhrFreitag, 16.11.2007, 16:00 - 19:00 UhrMontag, 26.11.2007, 10.12.2007, 10:00 - 17:00 UhrEurope seems to be falling apart at the seams. Whether in the failed ratification of the constitutionin France & the Netherlands in 2005 or at European Council meeting on the Reform Treaty in June2007, tensions between national interests and European integration continue to exist. This seminarwill address the issue of the relationship between the Member States and the European Union fromthe viewpoint of identity. The issue of political belonging is of interest because of its widereachingimplications: Identity provides the basis for political and social actions on myriad levelsand its (non-)existence is related to the legitimacy of any political system.In this seminar we will examine national identity as the most relevant category of collectiveidentity in contemporary society, asking whether and how it is a model for European identityformation. In addition to a discussion of theories of national and European identity, we will focuson two cases: the fields of educational and cultural policy as examples of the way in whichmeasures to increase identification with and loyalty to „Europe“ have been initiated and carried outon the part of the EU and others. They are sites of contention regarding legitimacy and competenceas well as being fields in which multi-level governance was familiar long before the officialintroduction of the Open Method of Coordination in Lisbon in 2000. What are the goals andintentions of such measures? Which definitions of belonging are propagated? Which actors decidein what way Europe and Europeanness are defined? How is this relevant to European integrationand expansion?In addition to the discussion of theoretical texts, we will turn to primary sources in our explorationof these issues. The seminar will introduce students to social-scientific methods, especiallyhermeneutic interpretation. The seminar aims to provide students with the opportunity to gainmethodological competence, but also to stengthen their ability to understand and analyze media intheir everyday lives.The readings and class discussions will be in English. All written work may be submitted inEnglish or German. This class may be of particular interest to international students who are newto the German academic system and to Germany. German students and/ or beginning degreestudents are of course also welcome to participate! It is unfortunately not possible to take both thiscourse and the class entitled „Politische Identitäten in Europa“.Assignments: Each student is required to attend all seminar meetings and to participate actively inclass discussions, basing their contributions on a thorough reading of the assigned texts.Participation in small groups to prepare and present an introduction to one of the topics is alsoexpected. A total of four response papers, 2-3 pages each, are required of each student, to behanded in (electronically as .pdf, .txt or .doc) 48 hours before the meeting scheduled for that topic.ECTS: 4