For decades, European studies mainly focused on factors explaining the dynamics of regional integration from the point of view of political actors (institutional and economic actors). The difficult ratification of the Maastricht Treaty and the failure of the Constitutional Treaty put European citizens on stage, while the recent Euro crisis and the Brexit vote reflects existing resistances facing further integration at the European level. To understand the reactions of ordinary citizens towards European integration, this course questions citizens’ attitudes towards European integration that hinder or favour the Europeanization of European societies.

Beyond the study of structures and institutions, the seminar aims to understand whether and the ways in which European integration and its different dimensions – social, political and economic – has affected European citizens, their attitudes, their resistances and their behaviours. In turn, the course aims also to analyse how citizens’ attitudes and behaviours could influence the development of European integration. In order to do so, the course analyses the construction of the European Union as a community and as a political order with particular emphasis on its social and political dimensions. Topics under scrutiny include: citizen identifications’ levels and models to understand their attitudes towards European integration; Euroscepticism and its link with populism and nationalism; the process of (de-) politicization of European integration; the modes of interaction between elites and masses at EU level; the impact of Europeanisation (mainly in terms of public policies) on European public opinion.

By questioning the capacity of existing studies on citizens’ attitudes to analyse in a rigorous way the reactions of ordinary citizens, this course aims to familiarize students with both political theory and empirical analysis. The primary goal of this course is to provide students with the conceptual background of different approaches to social inquiry of citizens’ attitudes towards European integration, and various substantive subfields of European studies. It also seeks to provide a set of methodological and analytical tools that students can use to understand and critically analyse contemporary issues in European politics.

A serie of themes and journal articles that address, in a diversified manner, classical objects of citizens’ complex relationships with the process of European integration will be studied. All required articles and book chapters are provided in electronic format on Moodle. Additional readings could occasionally be sent to students after a session to complement the lecture. At stake is for students to identify and discuss the approach taken by the authors and thereby to use the theoretical and empirical tools to replicate these analyses on other objects and in other contexts. Upon the completion of this course, students should be able to: (1) Explain and evaluate what citizens’ attitudes studies, as a subfield, are about and be conversant with the main substantive debates in the field. (2) Critique approaches and articles, and identify weaknesses, using their own insights or those of other approaches. (3) Develop a scientific, inquiry-based research project and pursue further study of or research on related topics of their interest (4) Effectively communicate research findings in both written and verbal formats.