Course guide

Foundations of
European Studies
EUST 1010

Course instructors:
• Dr Roland Vogt (Course convenor)
• Dr Stefan Auer

Dr Vogt’s contact details:

• 520, 5F, Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus
• E-mail: crvogt@hku.hk
• Consultation hours: by appointment

Dr Auer’s contact details:

• 518, 5F, Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus
• E-mail: stefauer@hku.hk
• Consultation hours: by appointment

Time and venue:

• Tuesday, 10.30 AM – 12.20 PM
• Friday, 11.30 AM – 12.20 PM
• CPD 1.24

For further information and announcements, please check the European Studies
Programme website at www.europe.hku.hk
Introduction
Welcome to the European Studies Programme and its first year core course. This course
familiarises you with the most important features of contemporary Europe and the European
tradition. This will lead you assess and reflect on the geography, history, religions, ideas,
cultures, politics, and economic developments of Europe. This interdisciplinary area studies
course provides you with the basics about one of the world’s most dynamic and diverse regions.
Understanding Europe is of great importance in numerous academic disciplines, as Europeans
have shaped and influenced societies elsewhere and over long periods of human history.

Throughout the course, you will examine several aspects of European life. You might find some
of this information to be complex, challenging, or even confusing. We have carefully selected
which aspects to include in the course. The point is to provide you with a comprehensive
thematic overview of the key essentials about Europe. By the end of the course, you will have
understood that Europe is not only a geographical region and a civilisation, but also an idea and
a polity in the making. The point of the course is to define, illustrate, and explore an abstract
concept – ‘Europe’ – that means different things to different Europeans. All aspects treated
throughout the module will be accompanied by examples and supplementary readings in order
for you to better grasp the basic forces which move the continent.

The lectures are structured thematically in order to explore Europe’s characteristic diversity
and the degree to which this is a result of ideational factors – beliefs, customs, traditions, and
values. We will elucidate the main religions and ideologies which have shaped the continent’s
modern history, the emergence and continuing importance of nationalism in Europe, as well as
the evolution of the modern state. Religions, ideologies, nationalism, and the modern state
system are the pillars on which contemporary European societies have emerged. The course
allows us to understand recent political and economic developments in Europe, the emergence
and importance of the European Union (EU), the Euro currency, and to make sense of pressing
issues and challenges in Europe today.

Attendance and medical certificates

In accordance with University guidelines attendance is mandatory. Regular attendance will be
monitored. As attendance is part of the overall course grade, irregular attendance will diminish
your overall course grade. Medical certificates need to be provided for medical absences and
prior notification of your impending absence – by phone or e-mail – is required. Medical
certificates must 1) indicate a medical condition grave enough to miss class 2) be dated from
the time of your medical condition and 3) be from a doctor to diagnose such condition and 4)
recommend class absence on medical grounds. Repeated absences will be reported to the
programme director for further action. Participation in the tutorials is particularly important.

Learning outcomes
All European Studies majors are required to take this course, preferably in their first year of
study. For inter-Faculty broadening purposes, the course is also offered to undergraduate
students who do not major in European Studies. Having taken this course, you will be able to:

• Describe and identify the key foundations of contemporary Europe.

• Compare, classify, and analyse the key concepts which contribute to Europe's diversity,
its history, and its contemporary ways of organising political and economic life.
• Apply and produce descriptions and assessments of introductory yet complex reading
material.

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 • Summarise, appraise, and critique - on a basic level - the conflicts, fault lines, and
areas of contestation which have characterised Europe's past and which continue to
characterise its present.

Teaching and learning activities and assessment

The course will be delivered as a set of lectures and tutorials. It consists of two lectures per
week – one on Mondays and one on Thursdays. In addition to the lectures there are several
tutorials on different aspects of the course. Lectures and tutorials go together. It is essential
for you to attend both lectures and tutorials, since you cannot follow the one without the
other. Tutorials follow and expand on the lecture topics and allow you to discuss the subject
matter at hand, debate controversial points of view, and ensure that you understand the basic
concepts, theories, and arguments introduced throughout the course. The tutorials require that
you participate actively in discussions and small group work.

Doing the readings is essential. The readings help you to understand why and how Europe
developed the way it did. The reading assignments are designed to get you thinking about the
different subject matters which we discuss throughout the course. They are also designed to
develop your academic writing skills and familiarise yourself with different forms of academic
texts.

You will be assessed on the merit of your coursework as well as a final examination. The
coursework grade is composed of an essay and your contributions and proactive participation in
the tutorials. You will not be assessed or judged on the basis of your opinions or beliefs, but on
the basis of the quality and conceptual sophistication and persuasiveness of your arguments.

• Proactive contribution and participation (not just attendance) (20%): interaction and
engagement is an important part of the course. You must not miss more than three
sessions, otherwise your case will be referred to the Faculty of Arts for further action.

• Essay (40%): The essay will be 1,500 words in length (+/- 10%). They essay is due for
submission on 22 March 2021 at 11.00 PM. Please upload your essay as a pdf file to
Moodle.

In the essay you will have to answer only one out of three questions.

Late submissions will be penalised by deducting 5 marks per late day from the overall
mark. Exceptions apply for urgent medical circumstances.

Please ensure that the essay directly answers the question posed. A clear essay
structure is essential (introduction → main argument → conclusion). Be concise and to
the point and avoid unsubstantiated claims. Remember that all sources used need to be
properly referenced so as to prevent plagiarism. See > plagiarism policy below.

• Final examination (40%): The final exam is scheduled for the assessment period in May
2021. The exact date, time, and venue will be announced in April.

The following general grade descriptors indicate the assessment expectations for grades
(especially the essay):

• A (Excellent): The answer is authoritative and based on a clear, persuasive, well-

structured, and coherent line of argumentation. It provides a fully effective response
to the question, shows a command of the relevant scholarly literature, and an ability to
integrate that literature and go beyond it. The analysis achieves a very high level of
quality early on and sustains it throughout the paper up to the conclusion. It reveals an

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 exceptional degree of insight as well as independent thinking and critical reflection on
the question posed. Appropriate examples are used to support the line of analysis. In
addition, the work displays originality and an exceptionally high level of linguistic
competence. Sources are plentiful and are used accurately and concisely to inform the
answer without dominating it. There should be a sense of a critical and committed
argument, mindful of other interpretations but not afraid to question them.

• A – (Very good): A sharply-focused answer of high intellectual quality, which adopts a

comprehensive approach to the question and maintains a sophisticated level of analysis
throughout. It should show a willingness to engage critically with the literature and
move beyond it, using sources and examples to arrive at its own independent
conclusions.

• B (Good): Clearly structured work displaying an ability to deal with the concepts,
sources and arguments relevant to the topic under discussion and critical judgement in
selecting, evaluating and organising material. The work will display some of the
qualities of independent and critical reflection, although some aspects will be less fully
realised and not appropriately nuanced. The work is well-structured, but the line of
argumentation is more descriptive and less analytical than outlined above. There are
some shortcomings as far as the delivery of the text in terms of language and grammar
is concerned.

• C (Competent): Sound and largely competent work which covers the basic subject
matter and is organised and presented in a manner that is still indicative of some
analytical sophistication. The answer tends to narration and description rather than
analysis but it does attempt to answer the question. There will be some evidence of
inclusion of irrelevant material, a certain lack of focus in the discussion or deficiencies
in the evidence used to support the argument, and a general lack of engagement with
the scholarly literature. The work may be factually sound but it shows only a general
grasp of the issues which the question is raising. Also, there are deficiencies as far as
critical awareness, analytical thought, and linguistic ability are concerned.

• D (Pass): The work is barely adequate and very limited in its scope, breadth, and
depth. The answer addresses the questions only partially and touches on aspects that
are ultimate unnecessary for the development of an effective answer. It may include
irrelevant material and be too descriptive and narrative. Some aspects of the question
may be answered competently, but others will be ignored because of omissions in the
reading, factual inaccuracy, lack of structure, difficulty in identifying the key issues
and arguments, or poor style, language and grammar as well as presentation. The
engagement with the relevant scholarly literature is by and large absent. Sources are
rare and poorly used, as are examples.

• F (Fail): The answer is poorly structured, of very limited relevance, and poorly
delivered to the question. It lacks supporting evidence, contains ample conceptual
misunderstandings, fails to address the question asked, and omits the development of a
real argument. There is a pervasive lack of basic factual knowledge. In some cases, the
work shows little or no real understanding of the question and displays little or no
evidence of learning. Linguistic ability is inadequate. There are little or no sources,
totally inadequate referencing, or – in some cases – evidence of plagiarism.

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Plagiarism policy
Plagiarism is a serious matter and will be followed up by disciplinary action by the University.
All members of the University are required to familiarise themselves with and abide by the
University of Hong Kong’s rules and guidelines on appropriate referencing and quotation
techniques. In order to find more information about plagiarism and the University’s code of
conduct, please consult http://www.hku.hk/plagiarism/

Important dates

First day of EUST 1010 19 January (Tue)

Lunar new year holidays 12-18 February
Reading week 8-13 March
Essay due 22 March (Mon), 11.00 PM (to be uploaded to
Moodle)
Last day of EUST 1010 30 April (Fri)
Assessment period (exam) 11-30 May

Course outline

Week Date Topic Readings

Course introduction: physical and social Smith

1 19 Jan Dr Vogt
geography of Europe

22 Jan Diversity of national cultures Dr Vogt

European politics: political and electoral Bale,
2 26 Jan Dr Vogt
systems chp. 4-7
European politics: current political
29 Jan Dr Vogt
challenges
European politics: the evolution of values
3 2 Feb Dr Vogt
and social norms
The demography of Europe: immigration, Caldwell
5 Feb Dr Vogt
ageing, and depopulation

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Week Date Topic Readings
Caramani, chp.
4 9 Feb The European economy Dr Vogt
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12 Feb Lunar new year - no class

5 16 Feb Lunar new year - no class

19 Feb Writing workshop Dr Vogt

6 23 Feb Religion: Judaism and Christianity in Europe Dr Vogt Bowker,

Leiken
26 Feb Religion: secularism and laïcité Dr Vogt

7 2 Mar Religion: Europe and the Islamic world Dr Vogt

Europe, America, and the transatlantic Bale, chp. 11
5 Mar Dr Vogt
alliance

8 9 Mar Reading week - no class

12 Mar Reading week - no class

9 16 Mar HKU holiday - no class

Caramani, chp.
19 Mar Europe and the EU Dr Auer
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22 Mar Essay is due at 11.00 PM

10 23 Mar The idea of Europe Dr Auer Bale, chp. 1

26 Mar The origins of European integration Dr Auer

11 30 Mar The EU: institutions and evolution Dr Auer Bickerton

2 Apr Easter holiday - no class

12 6 Apr Easter holiday - no class

9 Apr The EU: key policies and activities Dr Auer

Ideologies: liberalism, conservatism, Cohen and

13 13 Apr Dr Auer
socialism Fermon
16 Apr Ideologies: communism and fascism Dr Auer Furet

14 20 Apr Ideologies: nationalism Dr Auer Gellner

Caramani, chp.
23 Apr European integration and its limitations Dr Auer
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Quo vadis Europe? Europe in the 21st Dr Vogt, Dr Seton-Watson
15 27 Apr century Auer
Dr Vogt, Dr
30 Apr Course review Auer

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Readings, bibliography, and learning resources
• Required readings:

Bale, T. 2013. European Politics. A Comparative Introduction, 3rd edition. Basingstoke:

Palgrave Macmillan.

Bickerton, C. 2016. The European Union: A Citizen’s Guide. London: Penguin.

Bowker, J. ed. 2003. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. Oxford: Oxford
University Press. Available at: http://library.hku.hk/record=b2589222

Caldwell, C. 2019. ‘European Demographics and Migration’, Governance in an Emerging New

World 219 (Winter series, February 2019): https://www.hoover.org/research/european-
demographics-and-migration

Caramani, D. ed. 2014. Comparative Politics, 3rd edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Maidenhead: McGraw Hill. Available at: http://library.hku.hk/record=b4640809

Cohen, M. and N. Fermon eds. 1996. Princeton Readings in Political Thought: Essential Texts
Since Plato. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Furet, F. 1990. ‘From 1789 to 1917 & 1989: Looking Back at Revolutionary Traditions’,
Encounter (September 1990): 3-7.

Gellner, E. 1981. ‘Nationalism’, Theory and Society 10:6 (November 1981): 753-776.

Leiken, R.S. 2012. Europe’s Angry Muslims. The Revolt of the Second Generation. Oxford:
Oxford University Press.

Seton-Watson, H. 1985. ‘What is Europe? Where is Europe? From Mystique to Politique’,

Encounter 65 (2): 9-17.

Smith, A.D. 1993. ‘A Europe of Nations - or the Nation of Europe?, Journal of Peace Research
30:2 (May 1993): 129-135.

• Further readings:

European integration and the EU:

Bache, I., S. Bulmer, S. George, and O. Parker. 2014. Politics in the European Union, 4th
edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Blair, A. 2006. Companion to the European Union. Abingdon: Routledge.

Bulmer, S. and C. Lequesne. The Member States of the European Union, 2nd edition. Oxford:
Oxford University Press.

Dinan, D. 2010. Ever Closer Union: An Introduction to European Integration, 4th edition.
Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Dinan, D. 2004. Europe Recast. A History of the European Union. Boulder: Lynne Rienner.

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Gillingham, J. 2003. European Integration 1950-2003: Superstate or New Market Economy?
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Hill, S. 2010. Europe’s Promise. Why the European Way is the Best Hope in an Insecure Age.
Berkeley: University of California Press.

McCormick, J. 2002. Understanding the European Union. A Concise Introduction, 2nd edition.
Basingstoke: Palgrave.

Milward, A. S. 2000. The European Rescue of the Nation-State, 2nd edition. London: Routledge.

Moravcsik, A. 1998. The Choice for Europe: Social Purpose and State Power from Messina to
Maastricht. London: Routledge.

Nelsen, B. F. and A. Stubb eds. 2003. The European Union. Readings on the Theory and Practice
of European Integration. third edition. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner.

Nugent, N. 2003. The Government and Politics of the European Union, 5th edition.
Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Reid, T.R. 2004. The United States of Europe. The Superpower nobody talks about – from the
Euro to Eurovision. London: Penguin.

Smith, K.E. 2003. European Union Foreign Policy in a Changing World. Cambridge: Polity.

Vogt, R. 2017. Personal Diplomacy in the EU. Political Leadership and Critical Junctures in
European Integration. London: Routledge.

Vogt, R. ed. 2012. Europe and China. Strategic Partners or Rivals? Hong Kong: Hong Kong
University Press.

Woods, N. 2016. ‘The European Disunion. How the Continent Lost Its Way’, Foreign Affairs
(Jan/Feb 2016): 160-165.

History:

Davies, N. 1996. Europe: A History. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Hitchcock, W. 2003. The Struggle for Europe. The History of the Continent Since 1945. London:
Profile Books.

Judt, T. 2007. Postwar. A History of Europe Since 1945. London: Pimlico.

Le Goff, J. 2005. The Birth of Europe. 400-1500. Oxford: Blackwell.

Sakwa, R. and A. Stevens eds. Contemporary Europe, 3rd edition. Basingstoke: Palgrave
Macmillan.

Wakeman, R. ed. 2003. Themes in Modern European History Since 1945. London: Routledge.

Wegs, J.R. and R. Ladrech. 2006. Europe Since 1945: A Concise History, 5th edition.
Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

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Ideologies:

Ebenstein, W. and A.O. Ebenstein eds. 1990. Great Political Thinkers, 5th edition. Fort Worth:
Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Ingersoll, D., R.K. Matthews, and A. Davison. 2001. The Philosophic Roots of Modern Ideology.
Liberalism, Communism, Fascism, Islamism, 3rd edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson.

Love, N.S. ed. 2010. Dogmas and Dreams. A Reader in Modern Political Ideologies, 4th edition.
Washington DC: CQ Press.

Scruton, R. 2003. ‘Why I Became a Conservative: A British liberal discovers England’s greatest’,
The New Criterion (February 5).

National identities and nationalism:

Day, G. and A. Thompson. 2004. Theorising Nationalism. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Gellner, E. 1983. Nations and Nationalism. Oxford: Blackwell.

Hobsbawm, E.J. 1992. Nations and Nationalism since 1780: Programme, myth, reality.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Hutchinson, J. and A.D. Smith eds. 1994. Nationalism. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Vogt, R., W. Cristaudo, and A. Leutzsch eds. 2014. European National Identities. Elements,
Transitions, Conflicts. London: Routledge.

Politics:

Auer, S. 2004. Liberal Nationalism in Central Europe. London: Routledge.

Diamond, L. and M.F. Plattner eds. 2009. Democracy: A Reader. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins
University Press.

Gallagher, M, M. Laver, and P. Mair. 2011. Representative Government in Modern Europe, 5th
edition. McGraw-Hill.

Heywood, A. 2013. Politics, 4th edition. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Judge, D. 2005. Political Institutions in the United Kingdom. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Kriesi, H., E. Grande, R. Lachat, M. Dolezal, S. Bornschier, and T. Frey. 2008. West European
Politics in the Age of Globalisation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Lijphart, A. 2012. Patterns of Democracy. Government Forms and Performance in Thirty-Six

Countries, 2nd edition. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Snyder, T. 2014. ‘The Battle in Ukraine Means Everything: Fascism returns to the continent it
once destroyed’, New Republic.

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• Journals (selection):
o British Journal of Politics and International Relations (BJPIR)
o Contemporary European History (CEH)
o European History Quarterly
o European Journal of International Relations (EJIR)
o French Politics
o German Politics and Society
o International Affairs
o Journal of Common Market Studies (JCMS)
o Journal of Contemporary European Studies
o West European Politics

• Current affairs websites:

o BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk

BBC News Europe: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/default.stm
BBC Inside Europe: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/europe/2003/
inside_europe/default.stm
o Deutsche Welle (German international broadcasting): http://www.dw-
world.de/dw
o Radio France Internationale (French international broadcasting): http://
www.rfi.fr/index
o Radio Televisión Española (Spanish international broadcasting): http://
www.rtve.es
o Radio Televisâo de Portugal (Portuguese international broadcasting): http://
www.rtp.pt
o SR International (Swedish international broadcasting): http://www.sr.se

• Institutional websites:

o The EU’s web portal: http://europa.eu/index_en.htm

The website a ‘EU at a Glance’ feature for the basics about the EU and its
jargon: http://europa.eu/abc/index_en.htm
o European Parliament: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/
default_en.htm
o Eurostat (the EU’s statistics agency): http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal
o Website of the British Prime Minister: http://www.number-10.gov.uk
o Website of the French President: http://www.elysee.fr
o Website of the German government: http://www.bundesregierung.de

• Newspapers:
(English language)

o Financial Times http://www.ft.com/home/europe

o Irish Times http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/frontpage
o The Economist http://www.economist.com
o The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk
o The Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk
o The Times http://www.timesonline.co.uk

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• Newspapers:
(Non-English language)

o ABC http://www.abc.es
o Corriere della Sera http://www.corriere.it
o Der Spiegel http://www.spiegel.de
o Der Standard http://www.derstandard.at
o El Mundo http://www.elmundo.es
o El País http://www.elpais.com
o Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung http://www.faz.net
o La Repubblica http://www.repubblica.it
o L’Express http://www.lexpress.fr
o Le Figaro http://www.lefigaro.fr
o Le Monde http://www.lemonde.fr
o Le Monde Diplomatique http://www.monde-diplomatique.fr
o Le Soir http://www.lesoir.be
o Neue Zürcher Zeitung http://www.nzz.ch
o Süddeutsche Zeitung http://www.sueddeutsche.de

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