Admission requirements
This course is available to students on the MA International Relations EUS and Global Political Economy specialisations; and the MA European Politics and Society.
Students from other MA programmes or specialisations wishing to take this course may do so only with the approval of the course coordinator.
Description
The range of global challenges and crises impacting the EU are such that they cannot all be sufficiently understood or solved by an introspective monodisciplinary study of the EU’s various policy approaches. This course therefore applies a global perspective to comprehend the wider geopolitical ecosystem within which the EU operates, applying insights from a number of connected disciplines: Economics, History, Law and Politics/IR. This innovative module globalises the study of the EU and its external interactions. Through deep analysis of literature focused on foreign policy, complexity, crisis and disciplinarity, students will investigate the opportunities for and challenges in developing an interdisciplinary approach that can help us to deliver a more holistic understanding of the EU in the world. Through student-led problem-based learning classrooms, students will explore the concepts, puzzles and methodologies associated with the four disciplines with a view to applying them to analysis of the key global historical and contemporary challenges of the EU. Guides to possible case studies are provided but students are encouraged to decide on those studies that are of most interest to them.
Course objectives
- To assess the nature of the EU and to reflect on how alternative conceptualisations of it impact the way we study and analyse it;
- To identify and examine the multiple considerations, multiplicity of actors and variety of sectors impacting on the EU’s policymaking;
- To examine a range of literature in order to understand what constitutes a discipline, and what distinguishes mono-disciplinarity from a multi-, inter- or trans-disciplinary approach;
- To evaluate opportunities and imperatives to combine or integrate the insights from various disciplines in order to explore the full range of the EU’s foreign relations, past and present;
- Using the case study method, to determine the most appropriate disciplinary approach and, subsequently, research design to explore and answer a research question related to the EU’s role in the world;
- To undertake primary research, both independently and in teams, applying theoretical knowledge and understanding acquired in this and other courses to the EU’s foreign policy practice;
- To manage time effectively in relation to individual and team work;
- To understand how to break down the components of a task and acquire skills to ensure effective collaborative work.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Lectures / seminars
Assessment method
Assessment
Active participation in class (attendance mandatory for a minimum of 10 classes);
Co-authored conference paper;
Portfolio (students will choose from a range of alternatives, including writing a policy review, blog or newspaper article, making a vidcast or podcast, producing a concept map or poster).
Weighting
Active participation 20%
Co-authored conference paper: 40%
Portfolio: 40%
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average. To pass the course, the weighted average of the partial grades must be 5.5 or higher.
Resit
A resit is only possible if a student fails the entire course. In such a case, the student will resit only that component or components of assessment that they have failed, writing a new version of the relevant component(s). In the case of a failed conference paper, students will write an individual conference paper with the word limit adjusted accordingly. Class participation cannot be retaken.
Inspection and feedback
Not applicable.
Reading list
The full reading list will be provided shortly before the start of the class. The list below provides only an indication of the range and scope of readings the students will be required to read or are recommended depending on their particular interests.
Bennett, W. L and Livingston, S. (2018) ‘The disinformation order: Disruptive communication and the decline of democratic institutions’, European Journal of Communication, 33(2): 122-39.
David, Maxine, Guerrina, Roberta, Wright, Katharine (2023) ‘Nakedly Normative: A feminist (re)imagination of planetary politics’, JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies. DOI: 10.1111/jcms.13496
Gellwitzki, C.N.L. and Houde, A.-M. (2023) ‘Narratives, Ontological Security, and Unconscious Phantasy: Germany and the European Myth During the so-called Migration Crisis’. Political Psychology, 44: 435-451. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/pops.12869.
Long, David (2011) 'Interdisciplinarity and the Study of International Relations', in P. Aalto, Harle, V. and S. Moisio (eds) International Studies. Interdisciplinary Approaches. London: Routledge, pp. 31-65.
Manners, Ian and Rosamond, Ben (2018) ‘A Different Europe is Possible: The Professionalization of EU Studies and the Dilemmas of Integration in the 21st Century’, JCMS, Vol 56, Annual Review: 28-38. DOI: 10.1111/jcms.12771.
Newell, W. H. (2001) 'A Theory of Interdisciplinary Studies', Issues in Integrative Studies, 19:1-25.
Parker, C.F., Karlsson, C. and Hierpe, M. (2017) ‘Assessing the European Union’s global climate change leadership: from Copenhagen to the Paris Agreement’, Journal of European Integration 39(2): 239-52. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07036337.2016.1275608.
Ramiro Troitiño, David, Kerikmäe, Tanel and Chochia, Archil (2020) ‘Foreign Affairs of the European Union: How to Become an Independent and Dominant Power in the International Arena’ in David Ramiro Troitiño, Tanel Kerikmäe, Ricardo Martín de la Guardia, Guillermo Á Pérez Sánchez (eds) The EU in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities for the European Integration Process. Cham: Springer: 209-222.
Sebastião, Dina & Luciano, Bruno Theodoro (2023) ‘Moving from EU-centrisms: Lessons from the Polycrisis for EU studies and Global South Regionalism’, Journal of Contemporary European Research,19(2): 226-245. DOI https://doi.org/10.30950/jcer.v19i2.1297.
Voltolini, Benedetta, Natorski, Michal, Hay, Colin (2020) ‘Introduction: the politicisation of permanent crisis in Europe’, Journal of European Integration 42:5: 609-624.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Huizinga
Remarks
Not applicable