EUROPEAN 100/100G Thinking Europe

Schedule B: Humanities and Social Sciences
Semester: 1
Campus: City

Description

An introduction to the study of Europe, organized around a number of major themes, rather than chronologically. It will establish some of the basic reference points - including ethnic groupings, historical periods, literary and cultural movements, religious and philosophical traditions, political and cultural figures, all of which are indispensable for the study of European culture. It includes the development of the idea of Europe and the rapid change taking place with the growth of the European Union.

Purpose (who should take this course and why)

This course is designed for students who are interested in the European basis of New Zealand’s history and who wish to establish a base on which to build knowledge about Europe, its growth, development and future. While essential for students of European languages, literatures and culture, it provides a valuable foundation of general knowledge for all students.

Learning Outcomes

The ideas about Europe that students bring to this course will undergo critical examination and expansion over the semester through a programme of lectures, readings, discussions and images. Upon successful completion of the course the student will be able to :

Discuss the idea of Europe as a dynamic cultural construct reflecting different moments in history and influenced by diverse ideologies and perspectives.
Outline currents in the cultural and political history of Europe and describe them, citing key historical events and cultural figures.
Demonstrate critical thinking about Europe, about his/her personal relationship to Europe, and about the Us/Other dichotomy implicit in an understanding of Europe across the centuries.

Topics covered/course outline

WEEK 1
February 27: Introduction: What is Europe? (Associate Prof. Bernadette Luciano, SELL [Italian])
March 1: The Idea of Europe (BL)

WEEK 2
March 6: Mapping Europe: Temporal and Geographical Coordinates (BL)
March 8:The Languages of Europe (MS))

WEEK 3
March 13: Judeo-Christian Tradition and Islam (Dr Mark Swift, SELL [Russian])
March 15: Scientific Revolution: The Dethronement of the Earth: Copernicus, Galileo, Bacon, Newton (BL)

WEEK 4
March 20: European Ways of Seeing (Prof. Elizabeth Rankin, Art History)
March 22: Toward the Modern State: Machiavelli’s Legacy (BL)

WEEK 5
March 27: Migration and Travel within Europe (BL)
March 29: The Age of Expansion (Associate Prof. Roberto Gonzalez-Casanovas, SELL [Spanish])

WEEK 6
April 4: In class test
April 6: No lecture

MID-SEMESTER BREAK

WEEK 7
April 11: "Enlightened" Thinking: From Rousseau to Social Darwinism, (BL)
April 13: The French Revolution (Dr Joe Zizek, History)

WEEK 8
May 1: The Industrial Revolution: Industrialization and its (dis)contents (BL)
May 3: Nationalism and Romanticism (Dr Joe Zizek, History)

WEEK 9
May 8: World War I and Cultural Responses (MS)
May 10: World War II and Cultural Responses (MS)

WEEK 10
May 15: The Cold War and the Division of Europe (MS)
May 17: Reading Europe (BL)

WEEK 11
May 22: The EU and the Invention of Europe (Prof. Crispin Shore, Anthropology)
May 24: The European Union: Economic and Political (Anna Michalski, Political Studies)

WEEK 12
May 29: Tasting Europe: Exploring Europe’s Culinary Traditions (BL)
May 31: Conclusion: The Future of Europe: Review Class (BL)

Delivery format

Three hours per week comprising two lectures and one tutorial. The tutorials are designed to back up the information provided in lectures and to encourage students to discuss, argue and think about the various aspects of Europe covered in the course. Students will be asked to provide an interesting topic arising from the week’s lectures for group discussion. Self-access revision exercises are also available on the course website.

Timetable

Tuesday and Thursday 1-2 and 1 hour of tutorial from a range of tutorial times.

Assessment

Thinking Europe is assessed on the basis of 50 percent coursework / 50 percent examination. Coursework consists of a course journal; an in-class test; a CECIL test, and a research essay.