Thinking about Europe: Power, Religion and Identity

Course goals

In this course you get thoroughly acquainted with the historic development of typically European institutions and its culture. By exploring several case studies, for example, treatment of minorities or regulating sexuality and family life, you will familiarize themselves with current historic debates regarding Europe’s history and identity.

After the course you have:

• Knowledge and insights of historic developments regarding the course’s theme
• Knowledge of the historiographic tradition regarding the course’s theme
• Familiarity with the various ways in which historic knowledge regarding the course’s theme can be relevant for job market opportunities
• Skills to work according to academic values, a.o. regarding thinking, acting, communicating and behaving (“ honest science” )

Learning goals and skills: after the course you have learned to:

• Explore a broad historic or historiographic theme;
• Weigh up various interpretations and critically formulate his or her own point of view;
• Adequately articulate a discourse analysis, both orally and written;
• Collaborate with fellow students to prepare a group presentation;
• Evaluate the relevance of the historic knowledge regarding the course’s theme;
• Connect the historic knowledge regarding the course’s theme to contemporary societal and politcal debates;
• Work according to academic standards.

Content

This is the first course of specialisation 1: Foundations of Europe

What defines Europe? Where are its boundaries?To what extent do the modern European nations have shared political and cultural developments despite their historic division? Many of the typically European concepts, and to some extent also “Western” civilization, are rooted in Antiquity and the Middle Ages. For example, freedom and democracy, commercial capitalism, belief in progress and modern science. The national identity of many European countries is, in fact, based on ideas people had in the 19^th century of their own premodern pasts.

This course focuses on the genesis of the most important ideas and institutions that define Europe. In this context, we will explore the role of religion, the phenomenon of the city, the heritage of Rome, the rise of the nation state, and the significance of Antiquity and the Middle Ages. By looking into long-term developments and by getting familiar with several basic concepts in current scientific and societal debates (e.g. identity, ethnicity, citizenship and the nation state), we investigate our society’s historic roots. We examine the impact of history on processes of creation of national and religious identities, political organization and civic identity and the emergence of a Western family and sexuality.
 

Additional information

This is the first course of Specialisation 1: The Foundations of Europe.