Deadline for the final paper: June 8th.
The final paper should be 5-10 pages long (2,000-4,000 words) and should involve some research as well as personal opinions. Don't forget to quote your sources and include a bibliography.You will find useful articles and book extracts in the set of photocopies as well as in the blog.
The final paper should be 5-10 pages long (2,000-4,000 words) and should involve some research as well as personal opinions. Don't forget to quote your sources and include a bibliography.You will find useful articles and book extracts in the set of photocopies as well as in the blog.
The topic of the final paper is "What is then a European?"in response to J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur's definition of Americans: “What is then the American, this new man? He is either a European or the descendant of a European, hence that strange mixture of blood, which you will find in no other country… He is an American, who, leaving behind him all his ancient prejudices and manners, receives new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced, the new government he obeys, and the new rank he holds. He becomes an American by being received in the broad lap of our great Alma Mater. Here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men, whose labors and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world … The American is a new man, who acts upon new principles; he must therefore entertain new ideas, and form new opinions.
(J. HECTOR ST. JOHN DE CRÈVECOEUR Letters from an American Farmer, 1782)
(J. HECTOR ST. JOHN DE CRÈVECOEUR Letters from an American Farmer, 1782)
American history and character have been fundamentally shaped by three important myths:
· The American Dream: the belief that their country offers the best opportunities for a good and successful life. A dream of freedom and opportunities. Anybody can get rich, anybody can become president. But there are some American nightmares, as many writers and film directors keep pointing out ...
· The Melting Pot: a phrase used to describe the USA
· The Manifest Destiny, as we have already mentioned, is a phrase coined in the late 19th century to justify the right of the US to own and occupy land across the continent to the Pacific Ocean, buying or stealing land from Europeans, Indians, Mexicans (California, Texas,...) or Spaniards (the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Cuba). This idea is linked to the concept of the frontier (the border between settlements and wilderness), which has had a tremendous influence in the American psyche as shown in American popular culture (westerns).
These three myths are still alive in many ways and their effects can be seen in aspects such as the way the economy is handled (an extension of the concepts inherent to the American Dream), the problems with immigration and the ‘English Only’ movement (the Melting Pot), North-American foreign policy in Latin America (the Manifest Destiny), individualism, love of guns, the permanent conflict between nature and civilization or even the space race (the frontier).
Adapting these ideas to the European context, you can try to answer the following questions:
- What is then a European? is there such a thing as a European identity? How is it created? (You may think of the European Union and the monetary union, but also of the Council of Europe and other identity-forming elements like the Erasmus program, the Schengen agreement, the Cultural Capital of Europe, or even UEFA and the Eurovision song contest)
- What are the different European dimensions or ways to understand Europe? Think about Geography, History, Languages, Religion, Politics, Foreign Policy, Economy, Human Rights, etc.
- Is there a European Dream? What is it made of? Is it similar to the American Dream? Is there a social dimension vs. the more individualistic American dream?
- Is there a European Melting Pot? Should there be one? Is European diversity an asset or a curse? How should Europe deal with immigration (both from inside Europe and from outside Europe)?
- Is there a European Manifest Destiny? Was there one (in the 19th century colonialization period, for example)? How should Europe expand its influence outside its borders (think, for example, of democracy, human rights, prosperity, protection of the environment, the destruction of borders as a recipe for peace, the so-called social market...)?
- Think of your own experience: Do you have a European identity? Do you feel more European after your Erasmus experience?
