Rethinking Central Europe - a perspective for comparative literature?

First, I would like to define the topic of my presentation more precisely. I will try to question the present topicality of the idea of Central-Europe, as it has been developed mainly in the mid-eighties and starting from that try to characterize perspectives and goals of a comparative literature dealing with so called Central-European topics.

The New Europe - Visions and Perceptions. Some Teaching Ideas and Materials

My theme has a strong affective dimension. Therefore it has been necessary to create pedagogical material which describes values and attitudes but also actions of solidarity. The first part of this report tells about the attachment of students to their nation and region, to Europe and human kind. In order to be able to analyse the special situation in different geographical regions and social environments in Europe, students are given different instruments for their own research activities. “European Awareness” and “European Attachment” are the main elements of the first part of the teaching ideas. (...)

Geopolitical Visions of Central Europe

At an American geographers roundtable in March 1991, I predicted that the most likely scenario for the post Cold War geopolitical order would be a "unilateralist American order", with a lower probability of a revival of a Cold War bipolar order, centered on the United States and Russia relationship (O’Loughlin, 1992). (...)

Bauman, Liquid Modernity and Dilemmas of Development

The concept of liquid modernity proposed by Zygmunt Bauman suggests a rapidly changing order that undermines all notions of durability. It implies a sense of rootlessness to all forms of social construction. In the field of development, such a concept challenges the meaning of modernization as an effort to establish long lasting structures. By applying this concept to development, it is possible to address the nuances of social change in terms of the interplay between the solid and liquid aspects of modernization.

Reshaping the EU Budget: Yet another missed opportunity?

A study of the evolving policy strategies in a range of countries to secure adjustment to internal economic disequilibrium under EMU.

Globalisation, European Integration and the Persistence of European Social Models

Concerns as to the relationship between globalisation and European integration on the one hand, and the impact of such processes upon ‘social models’ or ‘welfare regimes’ on the other, currently animate both academic and practitioner debates across Europe.

Labour Market Flexibility in Northern Europe

With the restraints on both monetary and fiscal policy in Stage 3 of Economic and Monetary Union great pressure is put on structural policies and the operation of the labour market in particular to limit the adverse impact of asymmetric shocks and economic fluctuations. This paper contrasts the position of Finland, which is the only part of Northern Europe in the euro area with other parts of the region and similar regions. (...)

Russia and the Dual Expansion of Europe

In June 1997, the European Council, meeting in Amsterdam, recommended that the European Commission should begin negotiations for membership of the European Union (EU) with the governments of Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia. A month later, at a NATO summit meeting in Madrid, invitations were issued to the governments of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland to begin accession talks. (...)

Legitimacy, Democracy and the EU: when abstract questions become practical policy problems

This paper reviews the range of theoretical discussions of democracy, legitimacy and European integration and suggests how they might be useful in framing practical proposals for institutional change at Union level. For reasons of space, it only provides a brief summary of a rich and complex literature that has recently sought to show how the lessons of political theory might be used to fashion EU institutions that are acceptable to the public they are designed to serve.

The Future of Europe Debate: Opportunities for British Policy

The European Council in Nice in December launched a debate on 'the future of Europe' to culminate in another Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) in 2004. Specific issues for discussion were identified by the heads of state or government as: the delimitation of policy powers and subsidiarity; simplification of the treaties; the role of national parliaments; and the status of the Charter of Rights. Apart from the Charter question, the other issues have been around for a long time in the discussion of how the European Union (EU) should develop.

The Idea of Europe

What is Europe? What are its borders? What or who can be considered “European” (other than according to Jerry Seinfeld) and why? If you have ever asked yourself this, if you wonder, for instance, what is the relationship between the European Union--its institutions, its functions, and its future goals—and Europe at large, this is a course you should take. Though focusing on the Idea of Europe from antiquity until today, this course is not one strictly for those interested in European studies. It is as important to look at times at how people outside of Europe have defined this continent and its people. (...)

GIDDENS, A.; BAUMAN, Z.; LUHMANN, N.; BECK, U.
Las consecuencias perversas de la modernidad. J. Beriain (comp.). Barcelona: Anthropos, 1996.

BERIAIN, Josetxo. La integración en las sociedades modernas. Barcelona: Anthropos, 1996.

El imperio del individuo. Entrevista a Zygmunt Bauman

Protagonista insoslayable del debate sociológico contemporáneo, el autor de "Modernidad líquida" habla del peligroso debilitamiento de la solidaridad social y de la consecuente fragilidad de los lazos humanos, tema de su último libro, "Liquid Love" (Amor líquido)

Au fil de mes lectures (citations). www.gilles-jobin.org