Dutch society has always had a quiet reputation. According to the cliché the Dutch like consensus and dislike conflict. Nevertheless there have been periods of extreme disagreement (most recently in 2002 and afterwards) with heated debates in social movements. In the past as a result of conflict and discussion not only political parties but also Protestant churches have often split in two or even desintegrated. Dutch parliament has always had a quiet reputation, but in the 19th century members of parliament challenged each other to a duel, and in the 1930s some of them actually came to blows. In this course we will try to trace the rules of public debate in the Netherlands from the 19th century onwards, with special attention to the contemporary period. We will also pay attention to informal and implicit rules. What have been the do’s and don’ts in Dutch society and public debate? We will concentrate on cases where the existing rules were broken or stretched and new rules were introduced; we will study all kinds of debate, not only parliamentary but possibly also religious disputes, debates in societies, pressure groups, political parties and even in the public square. After a general introduction students will be invited to select and study a specific case (which they may or may not suggest themselves). As part of a cooperation with the University of Münster, we will put Dutch cases in perspective by working together with German students who study the Netherlands. The course will include a visit to the Dutch parliament in The Hague, a discussion with parliamentarians and a visit to Munster in order to discuss our findings with German students; it will also be possible to attend a German-Dutch historical conference.
Time Table
Semester I, see timetables.
Method of Instruction
Lecture and tutorial; attendance is compulsory (see the rules and regulations of the Department of History, art. 2).
Required reading
Wilbert van Vree, Nederland als vergaderland. Opkomst en verbreiding van een vergaderregime (AUP 2008)
Nicolaas Cramer, Wandelingen door de Handelingen (Den Haag SDU 1975)
Peter Bootsma & Carla Hoetink, Over lijken. Ontoelaatbaar taalgebruik in de Tweede Kamer (Amsterdam Boom 2006)
Henk te Velde, ‘Het feest van de democratie in Nederland. De traditie van parlementaire vertegenwoordiging’, in Jaarboek Parlementaire Geschiedenis 2008, 11-25.
Examination
Presentations and paper.
Information
With the tutor: Prof. dr. H. te Velde
Remarks
Reading and listening skills in Dutch are required.
Enrolment
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