EURO06005 2016 European Studies

This module offers students the opportunity to improve their knowledge of Europe, its cultures, politics, economies and social make-up The forms of cooperation betweeen states which have emerged since 1945 will be explored, for example the Council of Europe, the OSCE and the EU. It aims to familiarise students with Europe’s particular contribution to human rights and citizenship. Current issues will feature prominently to encourage engagement with present day problems.

The European Union entered into an economic crisis in late 2009 that was sparked by bank bailouts and led to large, unsustainable, sovereign debt. The crisis was European in scale, but hit some countries in the Eurozone harder than others. Despite the plethora of writings devoted to the economic crisis in Europe, present understandings of how the political decisions would influence the integration project continue to remain vague. What does it actually mean to be European? Is Europe still a collection of peoples that rallied together during good times and then retreat to nationalism when challenges appear? Or has Europe adopted a common identity that would foster solidarity during hard times?

This book provides its reader with a fresh perspective on the importance identity has on the functioning of the European Union as exemplified in Jrgen Habermas seminal text, The Crisis of the European Union: A Response. Rather than exploring the causes of the crisis, the contributors examine the current state of European identity to determine the likelihood of implementing Habermas suggestions. The contributors interdisciplinary approach is organized into four parts and examines the following key areas of concern:

• Habermas arguments, placing them into their historical context.
• To which degree do Europeans share the ideals Habermas describes as crucial to his program of reform.
• Influence of Habermas cosmopolitanism through religious and literary lenses.
• Impact of Habermas notions in the arenas of education, national economies, austerity, and human rights.

Jrgen Habermas and the European Economic Crisis will be read by scholars in the fields of Political Theory and Philosophy, European Politics and Cultural Studies.

Clearly written and understandably organized, this classic book about European political, social, economic, and intellectual history covers events throughout the Continent from 1914 to the present, treating Europe as a single unit. This new edition features a thoroughly updated final chapter with the latest research on contemporary subjects. The author begins with a view of Europe in 1914 with an emphasis on Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and the Mediterranean, as well as on Western Europe. The book thoroughly covers such contemporary topics as: the successful launch of the Euro as the currency of the European Union; the election of Vladimir Putin and the emergence of a new Russia; the election of Tony Blair and the rise of New Labor in the United Kingdom; the expansion of NATO; the rise of right-wing extremism; and the tense relations between Europeans and immigrant groups, particularly Muslims; all topics contribute to this being the leading source of information on this important and timely field. Coverage also includes: the First World War; the Russian Revolution and its consequences; technology and society; the high culture of the 1920s; the Great Depression; the Fascist regimes; the Stalinist system; the Second World War; the Cold War; the loss of Colonial Empire; achieving prosperity; and the future of a new Europe. For readers who wish to own a comprehensive and interesting book about the contemporary history of Europe; this book will also serve as an excellent reference for scholars of history or those who are involved in firms that trade internationally.