European Studies: Culture, History and Integration

Universidad Antonio de Nebrija

Course Description

  • Course Name

    European Studies: Culture, History and Integration

  • Host University

    Universidad Antonio de Nebrija

  • Location

    Madrid, Spain

  • Area of Study

    Economics, European Studies, History, International Relations, International Studies, Political Science

  • Language Level

    Taught In English

    Hours & Credits

  • Contact Hours

    45
  • Recommended U.S. Semester Credits
    3
  • Recommended U.S. Quarter Units
    4
  • Overview

    Course: European Studies: Culture, History and Integration
    Course number: CH3021
    ECTS credits: 6
    Prerequisites: None

    Description
    This course will cover relevant political, economic, and social aspects of European
    history and culture by examining the interaction among nation-states and their impact
    on other parts of the world. Students acquire basic intellectual skills through critical
    thinking, considering questions of why and how events occurred. Topics will include
    European expansion, political revolutions, industrialization, nationalism, colonialism,
    European wars and the creation of the European Union.
    Learning objectives

    Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
    - Understand the historical development of European politics, economics, society
    and culture
    - Improve their knowledge of Europe and its diversity
    - Critically follow and interpret the main social, economical and political aspects of
    European History from the 1500s to the present
    - Analyze various issues and trends in modern and contemporary Europe
    - Debate ideas and concepts of Europe and European integration
    - View Europe within a wider international and global perspective
    - Recognize and analyze the contributions of cultural diversity to Europe?s past and
    present
    - Synthesize information from a variety of sources, including written sources,
    documentaries and film.

    Educational activities will be developed by means of different didactic
    strategies:
    - Theory and Practice
    - Collective and individual tutoring
    - In-class presentations
    - Daily assignments
    - Team work assignments
    - Workshops and additional training
    - Extra-curricular activities

    Contact Hours: 45

    Methodology
    The course syllabus follows the Communicative Approach methods, based on the core
    principles of procedure conception and constructive acquisition of knowledge. The
    methodology is based on the teaching-learning procedures, focused on the learner,
    which encourages active participation and results in the development of general and
    specific competencies that provide knowledge, capacities and attitudes for their future
    professional careers.

    Form of Assessment
    The form of assessment is based on the core principles of the educational
    assessment, i.e., an active and participative teaching-learning process focused on the
    learner. The instructor uses numerous and differentiated forms of assessment to
    calculate the final grade received for this course. For the record, these are listed
    below. The content, criteria and specific requirements for each assessment category
    will be explained in greater detail in class.

    The final grade consists of three parts: class participation, daily work and exams
    - 33% Active in-class participation
    - 33% daily work
    - 34% exams

    Grading Scale goes from 0 to 10.

    Numerical Grade Range Letter grade Percentage
    Range
    10 A+ 100%
    9.5 ? 9.9 A 95 -99%
    9 ? 9.4 A- 90-94%
    8.5 ? 8.9 B+ 85-89%
    7.5- 8.4 B 75-84%
    7 ? 7.4 B- 70-74%
    6.5 ? 6.9 C+ 65-69%
    6 ? 6.4 C 60-64%
    5 ? 5.9 C- 5-59%
    0-4.9 F 0-49%

    The final grade will be the average of active in-class participation, daily work and exams.

    Attendance Policy
    Attendance is compulsory. In order to excuse any absence, students have to deliver a
    doctor?s note or other valid justification.
    An absence is equivalent to a session. Two late arrivals of more than 15 minutes will be
    considered an absence.
    Any unjustified absence will negatively affect the students? final grade by lowering
    his/her participation grade.

    The participation grade will be lowered as follows:
    NÚMBER OF ABSENCES PARTICIPATION
    3 unjustified absences - 30%
    4 unjustified absences - 40%
    5 unjustified absences - 50%
    If a student has more than 5 unjustified absences, the PARTICIPATION GRADE will be
    zero (0).

    Any student with 7 or more absences will NOT pass the course. Those students whose
    absences have been properly justified will get No presentado (N.P). Absences do NOT
    excuse the fulfillment of tasks, papers or essays.

    Active Participation
    The methodology used in class demands from the student a daily participation
    regarding the following:
    - Debates about different topics;
    - Questions posed in class;
    - Opinions and comments;
    - Documents and texts.

    Criteria to evaluate participation Grade

    The student very often contributes with important and original comments that
    encourage debate, using critical and analytical arguments clearly based on reading,
    investigation, daily work, and class work. 8.5 -10

    The student frequently participates voluntarily and makes valuable contributions that
    are generally based on reflection and daily work. 7- 8.4

    The student makes eventual comments, practically only when asked, and shows no
    clear interest in the course. The student does not start a debate nor shows a clear
    understanding of the importance of class/homework and readings. 5- 6.9

    The student makes no comments at all, or makes irrelevant or distracting ones during
    class. This is usually a result from frequent absences or lack of preparation for the
    class. 0- 4.9
    4

    Readings:
    Compulsory readings will be provided by the teacher.

    General Reference:
    J. Merriman A History of Modern Europe. W.W Norton & Company, 2010.
    T. Judt Postwar: A History of Europe since 1945. Vintage, 2010.
    D. Leonard Guide to the European Union. The Economist, 2010.
    H. Wallace, M. A. Pollack, A.R. Young Policy Making in the European Union.
    Oxford University Press, 2010.
    A. Best International History of the Twentieth Century. Routledge, 2008.
    J.M. Roberts The New Penguin History of the World. Penguin Books, 2007.
    P.N. Stearns A Brief History of the World. The Teaching Company, 2007.
    A. Heywood Political Ideologies: An Introduction 4th Ed. Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.
    H. G. Wells A Short History of the world. Penguin Classics, 2006.
    Online Reference & Research Tools:
    History Net http://www.historynet.com; The History Guide
    http://www.historyguide.org;Bridging World History
    http://www.learner.org/channel/courses/worldhistory, BBC History
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/history; History Today http://www.historytoday.com/
    The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/; National Geographic
    http://www.nationalgeographic.com/history; The History Channel
    http://www.history.com/topics/worldhistory Annenberg Media: the Western Tradition.
    Virtual Campus
    The university offers a virtual platform (Blackboard) where students can revise
    contents, do their tasks and interact with the other members of the group.
    It is an e-learning environment and also a collaboration tool. The main goals of
    Blackboard is to be a user-friendly and flexible system. It is a tool for good learning,
    requiring minimal attention to the tools and allowing maximum attention to the content.

    SESSIONS TOPIC READINGS

    Introduction
    The Idea of Europe
    - What is Europe?
    - Europe and its diversity

    Week 1
    Early Modern Times
    - European Rebirth
    - Rise of Nation States
    - Age of discoveries and exploration
    - New Ideas and Beliefs
    - Medieval Legacies and Transforming
    discoveries
    - The Early Modern Period

    Week 2
    The Renaissance and the New
    Humanist thought.
    - Birth of Modern Man
    - Between faith and reason
    - Da Vinci, Machiavelli, More and
    Erasmus
    - European Renaissance
    - The Myth of the Renaissance

    Week 3
    Charles V and the Holy
    Roman Empire
    - Idea of a Universal Empire
    - Conflict and Struggles
    - Charles V and the Protestant
    - Reformation
    - The Reformation of the Latin Church
    - The Emperor Charles V

    Week 4
    The Protestant Reformation
    - Martin Luther and John Calvin
    - The Age of the Religious Wars
    - Henry VIII and the Anglican Church
    - Witch hunts in Europe

    Week 5
    Pre- enlightenment
    - Europe in the 17th century
    - The Age of Reason
    - The Scientific Revolution
    - Hobbes, Locke, Galilei, Descartes
    - The New Philosophy of Science

    Week 6
    The Age of Absolutism
    - Absolute monarchies
    - Centralized national governments
    - Louis XIV in France

    Week 7
    The Industrial Revolution
    - Towards a modern industrial society
    - The factory system
    - First modern school of economic thought

    Week 8
    Eighteenth Century
    Enlightenment
    - Against ignorance, superstition, and
    tyranny
    - The Philosophes: Voltaire, Rousseau and
    Montesquieu
    - European bourgeoisie

    Week 9
    Political Revolutions
    - What is the Third State?
    - The End of the Ancien Regime
    - France 1789: Rights of Man and Citizen.
    - The Origins of the French Revolution

    Week 10
    The Long 19th Century
    - The Congress of Vienna
    - Nineteenth century ideologies
    - Nationalism
    - Colonial Empires
    -Adam Smith, Socialist and Liberals

    Week 11
    World Conflicts and the Great
    Depression
    - The Great War
    - The Interwar Period
    - The Rise of Fascism and National
    Socialism
    - The Spanish Civil War
    - WWII
    - The Causes of World War I
    - The Ending of World War I and the
    - Legacy of Peace
    - The Europe of Economic Depression and
    Dictatorship

    Week 12
    Post War Europe
    - The Legacy of the war
    - European Reconstruction
    - The EEC and the Treaty of Rome
    - A growing community: Widening vs.
    Deepening
    - The Legacy of WWII: Decline, Rise and
    Recovery.
    - Rebuilding Divided Europe
    - Transitions to Democracy and the
    Collapse of Communism

    Week 13
    European Integration
    - The European Union: Institutions and
    Policies
    - Europeanism vs. Nationalism
    - Europe today
    - The European Union:
    - Introduction
    -The Origins. The Evolution 1958- 2010
    Business cultures in the Western World:
    European cultures

Course Disclaimer

Courses and course hours of instruction are subject to change.

Eligibility for courses may be subject to a placement exam and/or pre-requisites.

Availability of courses is based on enrollment numbers. All students should seek pre-approval for alternate courses in the event of last minute class cancellations

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