ASTK15672U CANCELLED - SEMINAR: European Union as Global Actor

Volume 2016/2017
Education

Elective course in the "Specialization in European Union Studies"

The course is open to all master students

Content

How can we best understand the European Union as a global actor? The most popular approaches to this question seek to answer it in a number of ways – by comparing it with other actors such as states, regional organisations or international organisations – or by declaring it unique and beyond comparison. The course sets out to examine the EU in global politics by rethinking the nature of power and actorness in a globalising, multilateralising and multipolarising era. This examination

involves, first, understanding conceptual, theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of the EU as a global actor. Second, the EU’s use different forms of power, in particular physical, material and normative power, will be studied through a series of nine case studies. Finally, the course will examine whether it is possible to characterise the EU as a particular type of international actor through the comparative assessment of the case studies. This will allow students to answer the question of whether the EU is more less prone to use of normative power in global politics than other international actors?

 

Preliminary plan:

Introduction: the European Union as a Global Actor

1. Understanding the European Union as a Global Actor

2. Theorising the European Union as a Global Actor

3. History of the European Union as a Global Actor

4. European Union External Actions

Global Actions

5. Sustainable Peace

6. Freedom

7. Democracy

8. Human Rights

9. Rule of Law

10. Equality

11. Social Solidarity

12. Sustainable Development

13. Good Governance

Conclusion

14. Judging the European Union as a Global Actor

 

The seminar consists of fourteen 2-hour sessions placing a heavy emphasis on active learning through case study work. The seminar begins by introducing the differing understandings of EU actorness and power in global politics. The seminar will secondly examine a series of nine case studies with the normative power analytical framework by contrasting the use of physical, material and normative power. The nine case studies cover the principles of sustainable peace, freedom, democracy, human rights, rule of law, equality, social solidarity, sustainable development, and good governance.

Questions raised in the course include asking what are the principles the EU promotes in global politics? What are the External Actions the EU takes to promote these principles? What has been the impact of the EU as a global actor? How can we best theorise the EU’s external actions? How can we best characterise the EU as a global actor?

Learning Outcome

The aim of the seminar is to enable the student to:

  • Describe the evolution of the EU as a global actor and the changes in the post-Lisbon Treaty period.

  • Present central theoretical perspectives on analysing the EU's actorness in global politics.

  • Apply these theoretical perspectives to contemporary cases of EU external actions across case study analysis.

  • Analyse the EU's role in the global promotion of sustainable peace, freedom, and democracy.

  • Analyse the EU's role in the global promotion of human rights, rule of law, and equality.

  • Analyse the EU's role in the global promotion of social solidarity, sustainable development, and good governance.

  • Understand the theoretical and methodological challenges of characterising the EU as a global actor.

Bindi, Federica, and Irina Angelescu (eds.) (2012) The Foreign Policy of the European Union, 2ndedn. (Washington: Brookings).

Björkdahl, Annika, Natalia Chaban, John Leslie and Annick Masselot (eds.) (2014) Importing European Union Norms: Conceptual Framework and Empirical Findings (New York: Springer).

Boening, Astrid, Jan-Frederik Kremer and Aukje van Loon (eds.) (2013) Global Power Europe - Vol. 1: Theoretical and Institutional Approaches to the EU's External Relations (Berlin: Springer).

Boening, Astrid, Jan-Frederik Kremer and Aukje van Loon (eds.) (2013) Global Power Europe - Vol. 2: Policies, Actions and Influence of the EU's External Relations (Berlin: Springer).

Cameron, Fraser (2012) An Introduction to European Foreign Policy, 2nd edn. (London: Routledge).

Carta, Caterina, and Jean-Frédéric Morin (eds.) (2014) Making Sense of Diversity: EU Foreign Policy through the Lens of Discourse Analysis (Farnham:  Ashgate).

Debaere, Peter (2015) EU Coordination in International Institutions: Policy and Process in Gx Forums (London: Palgrave).

Diez, Thomas (2014) A Different Kind of Power? The EU’s Role in International Politics (New York: IDEBATE Press).

Hadfield, Amelia, Ian Manners , and Richard Whitman (eds.) (2016) The Foreign Policies of European Union Member States (London: Routledge).

Keukeleire, Stephan, and Tom Delreux (2014) The Foreign Policy of the European Union, 2ndedn. (Basingstoke: Palgrave).

Koops, Joachim, and Gjovalin Macaj (eds.) (2014) The European Union as a Diplomatic Actor(Basingstoke: Palgrave).

Nicolaïdis, Kalypso, and Richard Whitman (eds.) (2013) ‘Special Issue on Normative Power Europe’, Cooperation and Conflict, Vol. 48, No. 2.

Pardo, Sharon (2015) Normative Power Europe meets Europe: Perceptions and Realities(Lexington Books).

Pohl, Benjamin (2015) EU Foreign Policy and Crisis Management Operations: Power, purpose and domestic politics (London: Routledge).

Siles-Brügge, Gabriel (2014) Constructing European Union Trade Policy: A Global Idea of Europe(London: Palgrave).

Smith, Michael, Stephan Keukeleire, and Sophie Vanhoonacker (eds.) (2015) The Diplomatic System of the European Union: Evolution, change and challenges (London: Routledge).

Whitman, Richard (ed.) (2012) Normative Power Europe: Empirical and Theoretical Perspectives(Basingstoke: Palgrave).

A detailed list of required readings will be provided during the seminar.

BA level in political science, international relations, or similar competences and an interest in reflections on the European Union as a global actor
This Active Learning seminar requires Preparation, Participation, and Positive attitude. Preparation means that the seminar takes the form of Active Learning involving continuous assessment. Seminar assignments are compulsory and are continuously assessed. Seminar assignments must be written individually. Participation means that in order to pass the seminar, students must actively participate through a minimum of 75% (11 out of 14 meetings). Positive attitude means that students will constructively participate in a number of group learning activities which form the core of the seminar.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 28
  • Total
  • 28
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
Individuel written assignment
Exam registration requirements

A condition for passing the seminar is that the student has actively participated in the seminar, i.e. min. 75% attendance and active participation.

Active participation comprises min. one presentation of the student's own assignment(s) and one opposition to another seminar participant’s assignment. The assignment(s) are based on an area chosen by the student but linked to the seminar theme.

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Criteria for exam assesment
  • Grade 12 is given for an outstanding performance: the student lives up to the course's goal description in an independent and convincing manner with no or few and minor shortcomings
  • Grade 7 is given for a good performance: the student is confidently able to live up to the goal description, albeit with several shortcomings
  • Grade 02 is given for an adequate performance: the minimum acceptable performance in which the student is only able to live up to the goal description in an insecure and incomplete manner