Aims

The module aims to explore the complex and changing political and economic relationship between Britain and the European Union. It will introduce students to key debates and concepts in contemporary political analysis such as the impact of ‘Europeanisation’ and the relationship between European integration and national sovereignty.

Outline Of Syllabus

The introductory lectures analyse the development of Britain’s relationship with Europe in the post-war period, focusing on why Britain did not join the early moves towards integration in the 1950s and why membership has continued to be a source of domestic political dispute and partisan division. The lectures then move on to explore the impact of EU membership on Britain’s political system and policy-making processes, with a focus on the issue of national sovereignty and institutional adaptation. The remaining lectures address some of the key contemporary issues in Britain’s relationship with the EU, including the development of a European Common Foreign and Security Policy, the economic costs and benefits of membership, the pound and the Euro, and Britain’s power and influence inside the EU. The lecture series will also include documentaries on aspects of Britain’s relationship with the European Union.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The lectures explore the main features of Britain’s political and economic relationship with the EU. Students are introduced to the key concepts and theoretical perspectives for understanding the nature of Britain’s membership of the EU.

The seminars provide an environment for students to deepen understanding and develop a critical evaluation of the empirical, theoretical and conceptual issues surrounding Britain’s membership of the EU. Students will also present papers to the seminar.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The oral examination will assess the student’s understanding of, and ability to evaluate critically the key concepts, theories and issues from across the whole curriculum. The student will be required to demonstrate an integrated knowledge of the material covered in the module.

The 2000-word essay is designed to assess the student’s ability to undertake independent research on a contemporary theme or issue related to Britain’s membership of the EU. It will assess the student’s skills of planning and organisation, initiative, information literacy and written communication.