What is Europe? – serie

An ideal text-book for students of European Studies, this collection of essays puts the idea of Europe in its historical context to provide a context for the understanding of contemporary developments.

The word `Europe' is seen and heard constantly, in newspapers, on television and children are taught about it in school. But what does it really mean to us? Does it have the same meaning for everyone? How does it affect our everyday lives? Do we consider ourselves to be Europeans and what does that mean in practice?This book concentrates on aspects of European cultural diversity. The four essays included deal with language, education, the mass media and everyday culture. The issues under discussion are those that strongly influence the way in which we define our common, everyday identity. They are also issues which determine our access to opportunities of different kinds.The book is designed to enable readers to identify those factors which make them and their own environment unique and to place themselves within the context of everyday Europe.

These essays go beyond conventional studies of the institutions and parties of Europe to address Europe's democractic future more widely.While the book does offer an analysis of the democratic institutions of European countries, identifying common features and differences, as the editors put it, "institutions cannot function alone, like machines to produce concensus". So the book focuses on the fundamentals of European democratic culture. The authors argue that European social life and scientific learning have been indispensable components in the growth of the shared values that democracy pursues. They also analyse the dynamic tension brought to the life of democractic institutions by law, the desire for freedom, and critical public debate.With Europe engaged in perpetual self-examination, and rapid change, this book provides insights into its democractic past and prognosticates for its democratic future.

This book examines the concept of Europe in its relations to those areas of the globe beyond its borders. In particular it is concerned with the historical evolution and contemporary setting of Europe vis-a-vis The United States of America, the developing world and the former Soviet Union. This involves drawing on the perspectives of international history, politics and economics.A unifying feature of the analysis included here is provided by the fact that the "bi-polar world" that emerged in the aftermath of the Second World War has effectively been brought to an end with the collapse first of Soviet control in Eastern Europe, and then by the break-up of the Soviet Union itself and a prospective reduction of American influence in western Europe. What will Europe look like in an increasingly "multi-polar world"? An answer to this depends not only on the evolving external connections between Europe and other parts of the world but also on the internal development of European political and economic integration. The dynamic of this crucial dual relationship is examined here.

This book examines the concept of Europe in its relations to those areas of the globe beyond its borders. In particular it is concerned with the historical evolution and contemporary setting of Europe vis-a-vis The United States of America, the developing world and the former Soviet Union. This involves drawing on the perspectives of international history, politics and economics.A unifying feature of the analysis included here is provided by the fact that the "bi-polar world" that emerged in the aftermath of the Second World War has effectively been brought to an end with the collapse first of Soviet control in Eastern Europe, and then by the break-up of the Soviet Union itself and a prospective reduction of American influence in western Europe. What will Europe look like in an increasingly "multi-polar world"? An answer to this depends not only on the evolving external connections between Europe and other parts of the world but also on the internal development of European political and economic integration. The dynamic of this crucial dual relationship is examined here.

An ideal text-book for students of European Studies, this collection of essays puts the idea of Europe in its historical context to provide a context for the understanding of contemporary developments.