Learning objectives
The course aims at discussing the broad concept of peace through a multidisciplinary approach. More specifically – building upon research and teaching carried out by its faculty in the field of economics, sociology, international and European Union law and political science – B4PEACE aims at investigating both the internal and the external dimension of peace in the European Union. On the one hand, its goal is to explore the theoretical determinants of the European Peace at the domestic level (the development of the European Social Model as a tool for social cohesion and its possible evolution); on the other, it aims at discussing its main international implications (the promotion of democracy, peace and security by the European Union).
Knowledge and Understanding:
the course provides students with an overview of the European peace in its multiple dimensions. It also offers some theoretical tools that are needed to critically understand both the evolution of the Welfare state in Europe and the principles that shape the European Foreign Policy. At the end of the course, students will acquire a basic knowledge of the European Social Model and understand the role of the EU as a Global Actor of Peace.
Applying knowledge and understanding:
peace is a multi-faceted phenomenon that has to be studied in its multiple dimensions. For this reason, besides knowledge, the course will provide students with a method for the study of social science phenomena, adopting an innovative approach to teaching. At the end of the course, students should be able to apply their knowledge to the study of other relevant social issues, analyzing social science topics through a multidisciplinary approach.
Making judgments:
the course offers a multidisciplinary knowledge on the evolution of the European Social Model and on the European approach to foreign policy. At the end of the course, it is expected that students will be able to formulate their own point of view on those issues, critically understanding both the relationship between economic growth, social inclusion and welfare policies carried out in the EU, and the European Union’s role in maintaining and promoting peace, democracy and human rights also outside its borders.
Communication:
the inter- and multidisciplinary of the course should also impact on students’ ability to communicate their own point of view on European issues using the jargon that is used in Politics, Sociology, Law and Economics. Moreover, at the end of the course they should be able to clearly express and debate any point related to both the European Social Model and the European Foreign and Security Policy, making reference to the main theoretical perspectives and to the founding principles of the European Union.
Prerequisites
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Course unit content
For a course description, see https://cdl-spri.unipr.it/b4peace
Please note that the whole program for the B4PEACE course (including schedule, required readings and assessment methods and criteria) will be available on the project website (www.b4peace.unipr.it) and on Elly before the beginning of the course. Students are advised to check out those websites for a better understanding of the course.
The Political Science Module is divided into two parts:
FIRST PART (Prof. Castelli)
This introductory activity will provide students with an overview of the theoretical debate on the causes of inter-state peace (the democratic peace, the capitalist peace, the commercial peace, the nuclear peace, the dictatorial peace & the modern peace) and on the decline of violence (2h). It will then review the causes of peace in Europe by making reference to the EU integration process and to the Perpetual peace hypothesis (Kant 1795, Doyle 1983) which considers the European Union as the realization of the Kantian peace (2h). In particular, the attention will be focused on:
- The causes of inter-state peace
- The Institutional, Normative and Economic causes of the Democratic Peace
- The Capitalist peace
- Europe and the Kantian peace
SECOND PART (Prof. Fassi)
This activity is focused on EU’s non-traditional approaches to foreign policy. First, it will provide students with an overview of the theoretical debate on the causes, instruments and strategies of democracy promotion, with a specific focus on EU’s effort to promote democratic reform in the countries of the European Neighborhood Policy (3h). The second half of the course is devoted to the analysis of how migration is increasingly becoming a salient topic of EU foreign policy, with case studies ranging from the European neighborhood to the “Neighbors of the Neighbors” in Africa and the Middle east (3h). In particular, the attention will be focused on:
- Democracy promotion and EU foreign policy
- EU democracy promotion in the European Neighbourhood
- The “migration crisis” and EU response
- The externalization of EU Governance of migration
Full programme
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Bibliography
Required readings for the final exam will be handed out to attending students during the course and uploaded on the course website. For attending students, required readings will be available either in the course website or through the module’s coordinator (emanuele.castelli@unipr.it)
For the two political science modules, the required readings are the following:
FIRST PART (Prof. Castelli)
- Gleditsch, N. P., Pinker, S., Thayer, B. A., Levy, J. S., & Thompson, W. R. (2013). The forum: The decline of war. International Studies Review, 15(3), 396-419.
- Diehl, P. F. (2016). Exploring peace: Looking beyond war and negative peace. International Studies Quarterly, 60(1), 1-10.
- Vayrynen, R. (Ed.). (2013). The waning of major war: Theories and debates. Routledge (Introduction, pp. 1-23.
SECOND PART (Prof. Fassi)
- Keukeleire, S., Delreux, T. “The Foreign Policy of the European Union”. Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke (2nd edition, 2014). chapter 11;
- Freyburg T., Lavenex S., Schimmelfennig F., Skripka T., Wetzel A. (2015) Models of EU Democracy Promotion: From Leverage to Governance. In: Democracy Promotion by Functional Cooperation. Challenges to Democracy in the 21st Century. Palgrave Macmillan, London
- Geddes, A. The politics of European Union migration governance, Journal of common market studies (JCMS), 2018, Vol. 56, No. S1, pp. 120-130.
- Riddervold, M. (2018) A humanitarian mission in line with human rights? Assessing Sophia, the EU’s naval response to the migration crisis, European Security, 27:2,2018.
- Albahari, M. (2018). From Right to Permission: Asylum, Mediterranean Migrations, and Europe’s War on Smuggling. Journal on Migration and Human Security. https://doi.org/10.1177/2311502418767088
Teaching methods
Theoretical approach (lecture) and case study analysis (FIRST PART). Seminar-style lectures with the involvement of a Political Scientist as a discussant; debates and discussion of case studies (SECOND PART)
Assessment methods and criteria
Attending Students will be evaluated through a midterm exam and a final paper.
MIDTERM: The midterm exam will be scheduled after the first part of the B4PEACE course for attending students. The midterm exam will be written and divided in two sections:
a) a first section with 10 closed-ended questions (multiple choice) on topics discussed in the first part of the course;
b) a second section with 4 open-ended questions on topics discussed in the first part of the course.
Students’ knowledge and understanding of concepts, approaches and paradigms will be assessed through the first, multiple choice section (1 point for each question). Their ability to apply their knowledge and understanding, and to make judgements will be verified through the four open questions (5 points max for each question).
FINAL EXAM: For the second part of the course, students will be asked to submit a short essay connecting issues that have been discussed in seminars with EXT Professors. This final exam will also evaluate Students’ ability to make interdisciplinary references among topics.
Non attending Students are kindly required to contact the module’s coordinator for the required readings and the evaluation
Other information
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