Application Deadline: October 15, 2012
Please check back for 2013-2014 Topic
TOPIC FOR 2012-2013 WAS “NATION-STATE AND EUROPEAN IDENTITY”
The core nation states in Europe have for many decades been among the strongest
and most reliable allies of the United States and with the introduction of the Euro
have turned into an unparalleled economic powerhouse as well. The original idea
of a European identity nurtured by a common history, similar societal values and
a multitude of cultural patterns woven by regional differences and commonalities
across national borders was to lead to a new Europe of nation states, a truly
unique and unparalleled experiment in history. This new identity was to create an
atmosphere of mutual understanding, cooperation, and wealth across borders to
eliminate forever the threat of serious conflicts turning into the terrible wars that have
plagued the citizens of virtually all European nations for hundreds of years.
The German Studies Seminar will explore how successful this unique experiment has been, if there is today a truly
European identity - and if so, how it is defined. What happened to national interests, cultures, and identities? How
are regional, national and European interests balanced in areas such as the economy, labor market, social system and
legislation? Who shapes European values, who sets the goals in European foreign policy, and how do serious crises affect
national and European markets and currencies? How do citizens feel about the various levels of identity, governance and
bureaucracies they are subjected to, and how do these bodies align their positions from day to day?
Europeans are puzzled at times; they all have at least two cultural identities, with strong national or even regional ties
and a common set of ‘old’ European values. There are signs that some ties across nations in Europe fade quickly when
challenged by hard national economic or international political realities. Which side will a country take when the going
gets tough? The seminar will attempt to tackle some of these questions in Brussels, Germany and a neighboring country. Go to Award Detail >
|
