INTL 407/507 Development and Social Change in Europe
Course Instructor: Dr. Geoff Kennedy Office: PLC 371 Office Hours: Email: [email protected] Phone: (541) 346-8976
Course Description
Europe has rarely been the subject of ‘development’ studies. At best, Europe serves as a model of normality against which processes of socio-economic development in the so- called ‘Third World’ are assessed. It is on this basis that countries of the Global South are encouraged to replicate the European path of modernization. While it has become increasingly common to question the appropriateness of the policy prescriptions that have resulted from the dominant interpretations of European development given the significant differences between the historical contexts in which development is occurring between the European ‘core’ and the ‘periphery’ in the Global South, this course seeks to problematize the conceptual and historical limitations embedded in prevailing interpretations of European development and social change.
The course is divided into three sections. The first section looks at an array of conceptual approaches to the study of European development and social change, and examines European development between the French Revolution and World War II. The second section examines the diversity of developmental processes underway in the various regions of Europe over the course of the post-war period: liberal capitalism in the West, dictatorship and underdevelopment in the South, and socialism in the East. The third section looks at the processes of neoliberal convergence and crisis in the context of European integration.
International Studies
The unique character and focus of the Department of International Studies (IS) is distinctly captured in the phrase ‘Culture and Development’. We integrate theory and practice, drawing pragmatically from many disciplines to find the best mix of approaches to address rapidly changing and complex global issues in our classes.
Our introductory course, INTL 101, Introduction to International Issues, and four 200 level courses (INTL 240: Perspectives on International Development; 250: Value Systems and Cross-Cultural Perspectives; 260: Culture, Capitalism, and Globalization; 280: Global Environmental Issues) are the intellectual core of the IS major, foundational courses where our students learn to link human security and people-centered social change to questions of culture, belonging and meaning. We conceive culture in a broad sense that encompasses social, political, economic, and religious institutions, processes and relations, as well as the environment. Each core course has a different emphasis that enables students to cover the range of themes and issues characteristic of the wide universe of international studies.
Students will find these courses share a common purpose of fostering critical and cross- cultural thinking, encouraging them to seek out and understand diverse perspectives on topics such as globalization, development, environment, communication, health and human rights. In the process students learn to get outside of their preconceived worldviews on these and other matters. These five courses, together, provide the foundation for deeper investigation of issues, regions, and cultures in our 300 and 400 level INTL courses.
Please note: This syllabus may be subject to change
Learning Outcomes At the conclusion of this course, students will have acquired the following: i) A comprehensive understanding of relevant theories and concepts related to development and social change in Europe ii) Comprehensive knowledge of comparative case studies of European development and social change over the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries iii) An understanding of the broader historical context in which contemporary social struggles regarding economic development in Europe are being waged iv) Effective oral communication skills; independent research skills and practice in research design
Course Requirements
Review Essay: 25% Seminar Participation: 20% Research Proposal: 20% Research Essay: 35% i) Review Essay 25% (1250-1500 words) Students are required to write a 1250 word (1500 for graduate students) review essay that demonstrates their knowledge of the relevant theories of development and social change in Europe (Theories of Development and Social Change in Europe, I & II). In the review, students must: i) demonstrate their understanding of the contributions of each author to theorizing development and social change in Europe, including key concepts; ii) discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each contribution for our understanding of development and social change in Europe in light of the competing contributions. The review will be graded on the basis of comprehension of the essential readings, quality of writing and critical analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the various contributions. ii) Seminar Participation 20% Students are required to come to each seminar prepared to discuss the material. -What is the main argument of the article/chapter? -What are the main concepts and theories put forward by the author? -What kind of evidence does the author rely on in order to validate his/her theory? -What kind of contribution does the author make to our understanding of the subject? -Is there anything missing and/or problematic about the author’s argument? It is imperative that students bring copies of the readings with them to the seminar! iii) Research Proposal 20% (500-750 words) Students are required to submit a 500 word (750 words for graduate students) research proposal that clearly outlines their research topic and their plan for undertaking their research. This will include: -A clearly defined research question -A brief overview of themes and issues that will be examined -An overview of the specific empirical case(s) to be examined in the essay -A discussion of relevant concepts and methods -A consideration of various sources – both primary and secondary -The proposed structure of the essay. iv) Research Essay 35% (3000-4000 words) Students are required to write and submit a 3,000 word (4,000 words for graduate students) research paper on a topic of their choice that is directly related to the themes and debates of the course.
Readings: There are no textbooks for this course. All course readings are available either on the blackboard or at the reserve desk in the library.
Seminars This course will be conducted in a seminar format most appropriate to developing the advanced level of knowledge and understanding appropriate for senior level undergraduates and graduate students. Individual readings will be distributed to students on a voluntary basis in order to facilitate discussion. While the format of the seminar may change, the success of the seminars hinge on student engagement and participation. Seminars are not small-scale lectures. They are designed to foster critical thinking skills and presentation skills in students. It is therefore imperative that students attend having done their share of the readings in order to participate!
Seminar Schedule
I. Myths of Modernization: Disaggregating European Development
March 31: Introduction to the Course No Readings:
April 2: Theories of Development and Social Change in Europe, I Essential Readings: Alexander Gershenkron, Economic Backwardness in Historical Perspective, Chapter 1. Barrington Moore Jr., The Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy, chapters 7-9.
April 7: Theories of Development and Social Change in Europe, II Essential Readings: Immanuel Wallerstein, ‘World Systems Analysis,’ in The Essential Wallerstein. Sandra Halperin, In the Mirror of the Third World: Capitalist Development in Modern Europe, ch. 1; and War and Social Change in Modern Europe, pp. 19-29.
April 9: Modernization and Backwardness in Nineteenth Century Europe Essential Readings: Wallerstein, The World System IV: Centrist Liberalism Triumphant, 1789-1914, chapters 2 & 3. Gale Stokes, ‘The Social Basis of East European Politics,’ in Daniel Chirot, ed., The Origins of Backwardness Eastern European Economics and Politics from the Middle Ages to the Early Twentieth Century
April 14: Rethinking Industrialization and Democratization in Nineteenth Century Europe Essential Readings: Halperin, In The Mirror of the Third World, chapters 5, 6 & 7.
April 16: Late Development and the End of the Ancien Régime: War and Social Change in the Early Twentieth Century Essential Readings: Sandra Halperin, War and Social Change in Modern Europe, chapters 6 & 7. Charles Maier, ‘The Economics of Fascism and Nazism,’ in In Search of Stability: Explorations in Historical Political Economy. Henry Turner, ‘Fascism and Modernization,’ World Politics v. 24 n. 4 (1972), 547-64.
*Deadline: Review
II. The Many Faces of Post-War European Development
April 21: The Rise and Fall of the Post-War Consensus in Western Europe: From Prosperity to Crisis Essential Readings: Halperin, War and Social Change, chapter 8. Barry Eichengreen, The European Economy since 1945: Coordinated Capitalism and Beyond, chapter 2.
April 23: The Rise and Fall of the Post-War Consensus in Western Europe: Welfare States and Varieties of Capitalism Essential Readings: Gosta-Esping Andersen, ‘The Three Political Economies of the Welfare State,’ and ‘De- Commodification in Social Policy,’ in The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism (Cambridge University Press, 1990). Peter A. Hall, ‘The Evolution of Varieties of Capitalism in Europe,’ in Bob Hanecke, ed., Beyond Varieties of Capitalism (2007).
April 28: Capitalism on the European Periphery: Dictatorship and Dependent Development on the Iberian Peninsula Essential Readings: Immanuel Wallerstein, ‘The Relevance of the Concept of Semiperiphery to Southern Europe,’ in Giovanni Arrighi (ed.) Semiperipheral Development: the politics of Southern Europe in the Twentieth Century (1985). John Logan, ‘Democracy from Above: Limits to Change in Southern Europe,’ in Arrighi (ed.), Semiperipheral Development. Salvador Giner, ‘Political Economy, Legitimation and the State in Southern Europe,’ Journal of British Sociology 33: 2 (1982).
April 30: Capitalism on the European Periphery: Dictatorship and Dependent Development in Greece and Ireland Essential Readings: John Kurt Jacobsen, Chasing Progress in the Irish Republic: Ideology, Democracy and Dependent Development, chapters 3 & 4. Nicos Mouzelis, ‘Capitalism and Dictatorship in Post-War Greece,’ New Left Review 96 (1976).
*Deadline: Research Proposal
May 5: From Communism to Post-Communism in Eastern Europe Essential Readings: Geoffrey Swain and Nigel Swain, Eastern Europe since 1945 (Palgrave Macmillan 2009), chs. 1-3.
May 7: From Communism to Post-Communism – The Transition Karl Kaser, ‘Economic Reforms and the Illusion of Transition,’ in Sabrina Ramet, Central and Southeast European Politics Since 1989 (Cambridge 2010). Peter Gowan, ‘The EU and Eastern Europe: Diversity without Unity?’ in Mary Farrell, Stefano Fella and Michael Newman, eds., European Integration in the 21st Century: Unity in Diversity? (Sage 2002). Gil Eyal, et al., Making Capitalism without the Capitalists, chapter 4.
III. Neoliberalism, Development and Social Change in the European Union
May 12: Neoliberalism, European Integration and the Dismantling of the European Social Model: The EU as Neoliberal Structure Essential Readings: Andrew Martin, ‘The EMU Macroeconomic Policy Regime and the European Social Model,’ in Andrew Martin and George Ross (eds.), Euros and Europeans: Monetary Integration and the European Model of Society (2004). Bernard Moss, ‘From ERM to EMU: EC Monetarism and its Discontents,’ in B. Moss (ed.), Monetary Union in Crisis: The European Union as a Neoliberal Construction (2005). Bastiaan van Apeldoorn, ‘Transnational class agency, the rise of ‘embedded neoliberalism’ and the evolving European order,’ in Transnational Capitalism and the Struggle over European Integration (2002).
May 14: Neoliberalism, European Integration and the Dismantling of the European Social Model: Whither Varieties of Capitalism? Hans Jurgen-Bieling and Thorsten Schulten, ‘“Competitive Restructuring” and Industrial Relations within the European Union,’ in A Ruined Fortress? Neoliberal Hegemony and Transformation in Europe (2003). Lucio Baccaro and Chris Howell, ‘A Common Neoliberal Trajectory: The Transformation of Industrial Relations in Advanced Capitalism,’ Politics & Society 39: 4(2011), 521- 563. Mike Haynes, ‘The European Union and its Periphery: Inclusion and Exclusion,’ in Werner Bonefeld, (ed.), The Politics of Europe: Monetary Union and Class (2001).
May 19: Neoliberalism, European Integration and the Dismantling of the European Social Model: The End of the Welfare State? Essential Readings: Walter Korpi and Joakim Palme, ‘New Politics and Class Politics in the Context of Austerity and Globalization,’ American Political Science Review 97: 3 (2003). Richard Clayton and Jonas Pontusson, ‘Welfare-State Retrenchment Revisited: Entitlement Cuts, Public Sector Restructuring, and Inegalitarian Trends in Advanced Capitalist Societies,’ World Politics 51: 1 (1998), 67-98.
May 21: Neoliberalism, European Integration and the Dismantling of the European Social Model: The Birth of Unsocial Europe? Andrew Martin and George Ross, ‘Through a Glass Darkly,’ in Andrew Martin and George Ross (eds.), The Brave New World of European Labor: European Trade Unions at the Millennium. Ann Gray, Unsocial Europe, chapters 4 & 8 (2004).
May 26: Crisis in the Eurozone, I: Structural Adjustment Comes to Greece Essential Readings: Costas Lapavitsas, Crisis in the Eurozone, part II. Yanis Varoufakis, ‘We Are All Greeks Now! The Crisis in Greece in its European and Global Context,’ in The Greek Crisis and European Modernity (2013).
May 28: Crisis in the Eurozone, II: Structural Adjustment Comes to Europe Susannah Verney & Anna Bosco, ‘Living Parallel Lives: Italy and Greece in an Age of Austerity,’ South European Society and Politics 18: 4 (2013) Gareth Dale and Jane Hardy, ‘The Crash in Central and Eastern Europe,’ in Dale, ed. Joao Rodrigues and José Reis, ‘The Asymmetries of European Integration and the Crisis of Capitalism in Portugal,’ Competition and Change 16: 3 (2012).
June 2: Crisis in the Eurozone, III: Resilient Neoliberalism and Social Unrest Essential Readings: Peter Burnham, ‘Toward a Political Theory of Crisis: Policy and Resistance Across Europe,’ New Political Science 33:4 (2011). Hugo Radice, ‘Enforcing Austerity in Europe: The Structural Deficit as a Policy Target,’ Journal of Contemporary European Studies 22: 3 (2014).
June 4: Crisis in the Eurozone, IV: Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose… Colin Hay and Nicola J. Smith, ‘The Resilience of Anglo-Liberalism in the Absence of Growth: The UK and Irish Cases,’ in Vivien A. Schmidt and Mark Thatcher, eds., Resilient Liberalism in Europe’s Political Economy (Cambridge University Press, 2013). Elisabetta Gualmini and Vivien A. Schmidt, ‘State Transformation in Italy and France: Technocratic versus Political Leadership on the Road from Non-Liberalism to Neo- Liberalism,’ in Resilient Liberalism. Mitchell A. Orenstein, ‘Reassessing the Neo-Liberal Development Model in Central and Eastern Europe,’ in Resilient Liberalism.
*Deadline: Research Paper
Essay Topics: You may choose an essay topic from the list below. If you do so, please note that you must still develop your own research question pertaining to this general topic for the purposes of your research proposal.
1. Examine the dynamics of social change and development in a European country of your choosing during the nineteenth century. Be sure to establish a reasonable time-period over which your research will be conducted.
2. Examine the trajectory of capital-labor relations and its impact on development in a European country of your choice. Be sure to establish a reasonable time-period over which your research will be conducted.
3. Examine the impact of the Eurozone crisis on the socio-economic order of a European country of your choice.
4. Analyze the dynamics of welfare state retrenchment and its impact on the social order in a European country of your choosing.
5. Examine the dynamics and challenges facing a specific country in the European semi- periphery (e.g., Ireland, Portugal, Spain and Greece). Your focus may be either historical or contemporary.
6. Analyze EITHER the socio-economic dynamics behind the development of socialism in an Eastern European country of your choosing, OR examine the effects of liberalization (post- 1989) on the social order of an Eastern European country of your choosing.