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Předmět, akademický rok 2018/2019
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Sociology of European Integration for MA - JSM019
Anglický název: Sociology of European Integration for MA
Český název: Sociologie evropské integrace pro mgr.
Zajišťuje: Katedra sociologie (23-KS)
Fakulta: Fakulta sociálních věd
Platnost: od 2018 do 2018
Semestr: letní
E-Kredity: 7
Způsob provedení zkoušky: letní s.:písemná
Rozsah, examinace: letní s.:2/0, Zk [HT]
Počet míst: neurčen / neurčen (1)
Minimální obsazenost: neomezen
4EU+: ne
Virtuální mobilita / počet míst pro virtuální mobilitu: ne
Stav předmětu: zrušen
Jazyk výuky: angličtina
Způsob výuky: prezenční
Způsob výuky: prezenční
Poznámka: předmět je možno zapsat mimo plán
povolen pro zápis po webu
při zápisu přednost, je-li ve stud. plánu
Garant: doc. Dr. Paulus Albertus Blokker
Neslučitelnost : JSB456, JSM037
Záměnnost : JSM037
Je neslučitelnost pro: JSM037
Termíny zkoušek   Rozvrh   Nástěnka   
Sylabus - angličtina
Poslední úprava: doc. Mgr. Martin Hájek, Ph.D. (13.06.2016)

Sociology of European Integration

Teacher: Dr. Paul Blokker, Charles University 

Course Description

The course has as its main objective the exploration of a set of emerging and distinctive approaches in European Integration Studies, that of sociology and political sociology. The first aim is to review the emerging and promising debate on a sociology of European integration, which wants to shed light on aspects of European integration not covered by International relations, Political Science, and Legal Studies. A second aim is to explore and clarify the advantages and disadvantages of a critical, political-sociological analysis in comparison with existing political science approaches, in particular with regard to the study of European democracy, the democratic deficit, and an emerging European political society. Such an approach is useful in terms of exploring the engagement of ordinary citizens and civil society organizations in European integration as well as in analysing the contours of the emergence of European societal dimensions. A third aim is to exemplify the fruitfulness of a political-sociological approach to European integration by looking at specific cases that regard processes of political interaction and conflict, political claims-making and justification, civic participation and contestation, and social integration and fragmentation in the European Union.

The course is divided in three parts. In the first part, we will discuss different approaches to the analysis of European integration from a sociological point of view. In the second part, we will explore to what extent democratic politics now transcends the contours of Westphalian, national democracies, and to what extent a European political society (including, but not confined to formal EU actors and institutions) can be said to (partially) replace and successfully fulfil some of the democratic, socially integrative, and symbolic functions of national democracies. In particular, it will be considered to what extent extra-EU democratic resources play a role in shaping EU institutions. A strong emphasis will be placed on the role of political conflict, critique, claims-making and justification in different political arenas that affect and shape the EU, ranging from formal institutions, to 'comitology', to civil society, to informal practices. In the third part, distinct instances and events of European politics - in particular distinct moments of open political conflict and crisis - will be analysed from a political-sociological point of view, including processes of political elite socialization and decision-making ('from above') as well as cross-border mobilization, political action, and cohesion ('from below'). Distinct events and crisis moments include the European Constitutional project, enduring conflict over agricultural policy, the debate on fundamental rights, and migration policy.

 

Objectives of the Course

Familiarize students with the emerging and rich sociological interest in and analysis of European integration, and demonstrate the specific sociological dimensions of integration and post-nationalization;

Explore a distinct set of political-sociological approaches to questions of European democracy, democracy deficits, changing discourses and identities, and civil society involvement in politics;

Explore specific sociological case-studies and acquire sociological skills in studying phenomena of integration, fragmentation, supranationalization, and Europeanization;

Develop a critical mindset towards the process of European integration and bottom-up, civil society involvement in the process;

Acquire knowledge of a sociology of democracy, which emphasizes the multiple, processual, and dynamic nature of democracy.

 

Teaching methodology

Lectures

In-class debate

Final exam

Written exam, essay questions

 

Weekly Programme

Part I. Sociology and European integration

1. Introduction: A Political-Sociological Approach to the EU

Introduction course (agenda, prerequisites, exam, readings, main focal points)

Why a political sociology of the EU?

2. A Sociology of European Democracy

Democraticness of EU

European identity

European demos

Literature

Favell, Adrian and Virginie Guiraurdon (2009), 'The Sociology of the European Union : An Agenda', in: European Union Politics, 10, pp. 550-77.

Rumford, C. (2002), 'Europe and Democracy', in: The European Union. A Political Sociology, Blackwell, pp. 209-236.

Background readings

Friese, H. and P. Wagner (2002), 'The Nascent Political Philosophy of the European Polity', in: Journal of Political Philosophy, Volume 10, Issue 3, pp. 342-364.

Rumford, Chris (2002), 'Introduction: A New Approach to Studying European Integration', in: The European Union. A Political Sociology, Blackwell, pp. 1-14.

3. Democratic Deficits: Formal and Informal Aspects

Input and output legitimacy

Civil society

Representative claims

4. The Construction of a European Political Society

Technocracy

Political Parties

Transnational Movements

Comitology

Civil Society

Literature

Kohler-Koch, B. (2010), 'Civil society and EU democracy: 'astroturf' representation?, in: Journal of European Public Policy, 17:1, pp. 100-116.

Rumford, C. (2003), 'European Civil Society or Transnational Social Space? Conceptions of Society in Discourses of EU Citizenship, Governance and the Democratic Deficit: An Emerging Agenda', in: European Journal of Social Theory 6(1), pp. 25-43.

Part II. Political Sociology and Europe

5. Heuristic Devices of a Political-Sociological Approach

Actor-based focus

Interpretative analysis: cultural repertoires and democratic discourses

Class analysis

Socialization

Networks

Conflict , contestation, and critique

6. The European Union and Multiple Democracies

Different democratic models

Formal and informal politics

Interaction between (European) politics and (European) society

7. Interpretative Approaches to European Integration

Role of discourses and meaning-giving

Pragmatic sociology

Literature

Blokker, P. (2013), 'A Political Sociology of European 'Anti-Politics' and Dissent', in: Cambio. Rivista sulla Trasformazioni Sociali, II/4.

Georgakakisa, Didier and Julien Weisbein (2010), 'From above and from below: A political sociology of European actors', in: Comparative European Politics, 8, pp. 93-109.

Part III. Sociological Case-studies

8. Focus I: Political Elites, Classes, Epistemic Communities

Case-study: Charter of Fundamental Rights

Case-study: Lawyers and European integration

Literature

Vauchez, A. (2008), 'The Force of a Weak Field: Law and Lawyers in the Government of the European Union (For a Renewed Research Agenda)', in: International Political Sociology, Volume 2, Issue 2, pp. 128-144.

Background readings

Everson, M. (2006), 'Judges and Lawyers in the Making of the EU Constitution', in: E.O. Eriksen, C. Joerges, F. Roedl (eds), Law and Democracy in the Post-National Union, Oslo: ARENA, pp. 147-198.

Wiener, A. (2008), The Invisible Constitution of Politics. Contested Norms and International Encounters, Cambridge University Press.

9. Focus II: Social Movements, Civic Actors, Contentious Politics

Case-study: European Social Forum

Case-study: EU Citizenship

Literature

Della Porta, D. and M. Giugni (2009)' Democracy from Below: activists and institutions', in: D. Della Porta (ed.), Another Europe. Conceptions and Practices of democracy in the European social forums, London/New York: Routledge, pp. 86-108.

Favell, Adrian (2011), Eurostars and Eurocities: Free movement and mobility in an integrating Europe, John Wiley & Sons, short excerpts.

10. Focus III: Perceptions of European Democracy

Case-study: Convention on the Future of Europe

Summary and review

Conclusions: A Political Sociology of European Democracy

Literature

Oberhuber, F. et al. (2005), 'Debating the European Constitution. On representations of Europe/the EU in the press', in: Journal of Language and Politics 4:2, pp. 227-27.

Background readings

Brüll, C. and M. Mokre (2009)' 'Radical Democracy and European Debates', in: Brüll, Cornelia, Monika Mokre, and Markus Pausch (eds) (2009), Democracy Needs Dispute. The Debate on the European Constitution, Campus Verlag, pp. 23-43.

Cohen, A. and A. Vauchez (2008), 'Back to the 'future of Europe'. A political sociology of the constitutional saga, working paper RSCAS/33.

 

Syllabus

Some of the readings might be updated during the course.

Prerequisites

Some knowledge of EU institutions, European integration, and theories of politics and democracy is recommendable.

Further relevant literature

Blokker, Paul (2009), Multiple Democracies in Europe. Political Culture in New Member States, London/New York: Routledge.

Blokker, Paul (2013), 'A Political Sociology of European 'Anti-Politics' and Dissent', in: Cambio. Rivista sulla Trasformazioni Sociali, II/4.

Brüll, Cornelia, Monika Mokre, and Markus Pausch (eds) (2009), Democracy Needs Dispute. The Debate on the European Constitution, Campus Verlag.

Eriksen, Erik (2009), The unfinished democratization of Europe, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Favell, Adrian (2011), Eurostars and Eurocities: Free movement and mobility in an integrating Europe, John Wiley & Sons.

Fligstein, Neil (2008), Euroclash: the EU, European identity, and the future of Europe, Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press.

Giorgi, Liana, Ingmar von Homeyer and Wayne Parsons (2006), Democracy in the European Union: towards the emergence of a public sphere, London/New York: Routledge.

Immerfall, S. and G. Therborn (2010), Handbook of European Societies. Social Transformations in the 21st Century, Springer.

Kauppi, Niilo (ed.) (2013), A political sociology of transnational Europe, ECPR Pres.

Liebert, Ulrike, Alexander Gattig, and Tatjana Evas (2013) (eds), Democratising the EU from below?: citizenship, civil society and the public sphere, Ashgate.

Roche, Maurice (2010), Exploring the Sociology of Europe. An Analysis of the European Social Complex, Palgrave/MacMillan.

Wiener, Antje (2008), The Invisible Constitution of Politics. Contested Norms and International Encounters, Cambridge University Press.

 
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