| CODE | EST5347 | |||||||||
| TITLE | The Making of the European Union: Theoretical Foundations and Debates | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | |||||||||
| EQF/MQF LEVEL | 7 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | European Studies | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The study of European integration is grounded in a diverse field of theories that seek to explain how and why the EU has developed into its current form. Each approach highlights different drivers of cooperation, conflict, and institutional evolution, offering complementary perspectives on the Union’s evolution. This study-unit begins with the classical theories of integration, including federalism, confederalism, functionalism, and neo functionalism, which emphasize visions of political unity, technical cooperation, and the dynamics of spillover. The analysis then shifts to state-centric models, most notably liberal intergovernmentalism, which emphasizes the importance of national preferences and interstate bargaining as the engines of integration. In the final phase, attention turns to newer theoretical approaches that capture the complexity of contemporary EU governance. These include institutionalism and historical institutionalism, which stress the role of rules and path-dependence; multi level governance, which highlights the dispersion of authority across local, national, and supranational levels; social constructivism, which examines the influence of ideas, norms, and identities; and the “new intergovernmentalism,” which reassesses the balance between supranational institutions and member states in the post-Maastricht era. Together, these frameworks provide the intellectual scaffolding for analyzing the EU’s evolution — from its early federalist visions to its present hybrid polity — and equip students with the conceptual tools to critically assess the Union’s past, present, and possible futures. Study-Unit Aims: “The Making of the European Union: Theoretical Foundations and Debates.” introduces students to the major intellectual traditions that have shaped—and continue to shape—the politics of European integration. The study-unit examines how competing theories, from federalism and functionalism to inter-governmental ism and beyond, have both influenced the Union's evolution and been reshaped by its unfolding development. Their enduring relevance is evident in contemporary debates, where these frameworks remain essential for interpreting the EU’s current challenges and future trajectories. Reflecting the multidisciplinary character of our postgraduate programme, the unit draws on insights from political science, history, and philosophy to provide a robust and comprehensive analytical foundation of the ideas that have and continue to shape the EU . As John Maynard Keynes famously reminded us, ideas—whether right or wrong—exert a profound influence on political life, often guiding actors who believe themselves immune to intellectual currents. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Discuss how European integration is not only as a political project but also as an intellectual endeavour, shaped by competing visions of sovereignty, cooperation, and governance; - Analyse critically with key theories and discuss both their historical significance and their ongoing influence on contemporary EU debates; - Explain how theoretical perspectives continue to shape interpretations of the EU’s evolution, purpose and policy choices; - Critically analyse the complexity of the EU that is structurally more than a state and not quite like many ordinary international organisations; - Apply the core drivers identified by different schools of thought to forecast how the EU is likely to respond to future crises and political challenges. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Compare and evaluate competing explanations of European integration, strengthening analytical reasoning and conceptual discrimination; - Apply abstract theoretical frameworks (functionalism, intergovernmentalism, constructivism, etc) to concrete historical and contemporary EU developments; - Strengthen critical thinking by assessing the assumptions, strengths and limitations of each theory and how they interpret, sovereignty, identity and change; - Build interdisciplinary literacy by linking political theory with economics, law and comparative politics, fostering the ability to integrate knowledge across fields; - Cultivate evidence-based reasoning by evaluating how theories account for empirical developments such as treaty reforms, crises and policy evolution. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: View reading list |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Seminar | |||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Roderick Pace |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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