GEOG213-16SU1 (C) Summer Jan 2016 start

Remaking the New Europe

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 4 January 2016
End Date: Sunday, 7 February 2016
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Friday, 8 January 2016
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Friday, 22 January 2016

Description

Europe is environmentally diverse, with a complex history, and long duration and high intensity of human occupancy. It is of special importance to New Zealand, due to strong and persistent cultural linkages, and the continuing but transforming economic and political ties. The first half of the course is an overview of Europe's environmental diversity and complicated history as expressed in highly uneven development, contrasting landscapes, and a tradition of conflict now countered by such institutions as the EU. The second part focuses on European integration since 1945 (in both its European and global contexts) through such themes as migration, investment, international relations and tourism.

The new Europe is being built on the ruins of the old. Europe for all its problems is one of the key nodes in a globalised world. In addition to its intrinsic interest as a global macro-region, Europe is of special importance to New Zealand because of persistent and very strong cultural, economic and political linkages.  The course provides an understanding of how European integration (emergence of the EU, and changes in Eastern Europe) contributes to an increasingly homogeneous and interrelated European economy and society. However, geographers also emphasise continuing diversity within contemporary Europe, reflecting differences in environment and resources and economic and political experiences.  

This course focuses especially on how Europe was remade in the post 1945 period, although this is set in context of longer term changes. The first part of the course reviews the place of Europe in the world economy, then considers the broadening and deepening of EU membership, before proceeding to analyse the particular roles of capital and migration flows. After this broad overview, the course then considers a number of more specific themes including agriculture and rural change, the shift from traditional manufacturing to the knowledge economy, financial services and world cities, tourism as a  transformer of production and consumption, and regional inequalities.

Learning Outcomes

The overall goal of this course is to provide an understanding of the current political and economic circumstances of Europe, set in context of how these have been remade in the post 1945 period. At the end of this course, students will understand:

1. the current geopolitical economy of the EU in a globalised world
2. how conflicts and co-operation between member states have shaped the evolution of the EU
3. the underpinning processes of economic and political change in Europe, including integration versus national interests, that have affected its economy and society
4. how ongoing political tensions and relationships affect Europe's place in the world

Prerequisites

Any 30 points of 100-level Geography, or
any 90 points approved by the Head of Department.

Restrictions

EURO223, EURA223

Equivalent Courses

Course Coordinator / Lecturer

Allan Williams

Assessment

The test involves answering two questions chosen from a list of 6-8 questions during a two hour test.
The project/essay paper title is selected from a list distributed at the start of the course.

Textbooks / Resources

Recommended Reading

Hudson, Ray , Williams, Allan M; Divided Europe : society and territory ; SAGE Publication, 1999.

There is no single text book for the course. A reading list, and a collection of selected readings, will be made available at the start of the course. Background reading before the start of the course is provided by: HUDSON, R. and WILLIAMS, A. M. , "Divided Europe: Society and Territory", Sage

Course links

Library portal
LEARN The full Course Outline is available on LEARN (only for students enrolled in this course).

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $801.00

International fee $3,450.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see School of Earth and Environment .

All GEOG213 Occurrences

  • GEOG213-16SU1 (C) Summer Jan 2016 start