European Borderlands
Summary
This course provides a historical perspective on European borderlands. You will not only study spatial borders, but also mental, physical and cultural borders that have been emerging, changing and dissolving in Europe. You will gain a comprehensive understanding of key concepts and perspectives in the field of borderland studies and improve your skills in assessing primary sources.
About
Throughout history, people have erected borders against the outside, the unfamiliar, and ”the other”. Borders have sometimes been the result of conscious choices, other times of unintended developments. But borders, whether spatial or mental, physical or cultural, have neither been static nor impermeable. This course takes an interdisciplinary approach and examines the histories of a set of borderlands.
This course will provide you with the tools to analyse how movements of peoples, goods, and ideas shaped the process of European integration and border-making. The course content spans from the earliest encounters with the peoples and societies of the New World to the rise of the European nation states. By studying how borderlands have changed and developed throughout history, you will be equipped with tools to better understand the great challenges facing Europe today.
Representatives from different academic disciplines will participate in the course as teachers, which provides students with insights into the theoretical and practical experiences of different fields within European studies.
Prerequisites and selection
Requirements
The entry requirements for admission to the course is a Bachelor's degree of 180 credits, with a minimum of 90 credits in consecutive courses in a social sciences discipline, humanities discipline or equivalent. Students at the Law programme are also eligible the course after three years of studies (180 credits, equivalent of a bachelor degree). Applicants must prove their knowledge of English: English 6/English B from Swedish Upper Secondary School or the equivalent level of an internationally recognized test, for example TOEFL, IELTS.
Selection
Selection is based upon the number of credits from previous university studies, maximum 165 credits.
Facilities
The Department of Political Science is located in Campus Haga, which lies right in the centre of the city of Gothenburg.
