Regional Integration Processes and Policies

Description
This course aims to provide the student with a solid understanding of the politics and processes of regional integration across the globe and how and why these differ from the European experience. Regionalism is conceptualised as an intrinsic part of the EU's ideology and foreign policy, and the course seeks to understand to what extent the European model of post-sovereign governance is applicable in other parts of the world.

The theoretical point of departure is in the different integration theories studied in the course: federalism, neofunctionalism, intergovernmentalism, constructivism etc. whereas the empirical component of the course has two main dimensions:

Firstly, a study of the general feaures of processes of regional integration in other parts of the world and, second, a group project analysing a specific case of regional integration. Thereby, the student obtains both a theoretically grounded general understanding of regional integration as well as in-depth knowledge of a specific regional case.

Prerequisites
None.

Contents
1. Introduction to the phenomenon of regional integration and its contemporary relevance

2. Theoretical approaches to regional integration
a) Federalism
c) Neofunctionalism
d) Realism and intergovernmentalism
e) Constructivism
f) Theoretical synthesis and multilevel governance v. network approaches

3. EU Regionalism as Ideology and EU foreign policy: Is the EU model of governance an exportable commodity?

4. Empiricial aspects
a) North and Central America
b) South America
c) Africa and sub-saharan Africa
d) North Africa and Middle East
e) Central Asia
f) East Asia

5. Group project on specific case of regional integration

Methodology
Two distinct strategies will be employed. First, an introduction to integration theory and the empirical manifestations of regional integration globally will be analysed through lectures and in-class activities, such as group work on texts and generating questions and answers to texts with the aim of identifying and assessing their scientific and empirical basis, as well as their historical and contemporary relevance. This first strategy will be the basis for the second, the elaboration of a research project in groups. To complement the general theoretical and empirical understanding of the phenomenon of regional integration, students will analyse a specific case of regional integration, using the theoretical approaches and general comparative knowledge acquired in class as the basis and complementing this with an independent analysis using further specific sources. In-class seminars will be held in different phases of the research projects, where groups must give and receive constructive criticism of their work, including positive and negative aspects and well as generating concrete proposals for how to move forward.

Assessment
1. Individual Written Assessment 1: 25%
2. Individual Written Assessment 2: 25%
3. 10.000-word Research Project: 50 % (Final report 25%, Project log 5%, Presentations in seminars 10%, Feedback given and received in seminars 10%). To have a project mark, it is necessary to participate actively in all project seminars (only permissible absences are excepted, when duly documented and notified in advance). Not all group members do necessarily receive the same mark.

Final exam, ordinary call: Those who do not reach an average of 5,0 in the three assessment categories will have the chance to re-take those written assessments where the mark received was below 5,0. In case of this being the project, this will be re-submitted before the official exam date, after having received instructions on necessary improvements.