Globalization has made cultural identity an increasingly significant factor in contemporary political conflicts. Nowhere is this trend more apparent than in Europe. European populations are more diverse and mobile than in the past, and more closely connected to other parts of the globe. Immigrants, migrants and refugees challenge Europe’s borders and core values. Public policy and debate on national identity, multiculturalism, migration, minorities, and so on, draw explicitly on contested religious, racial, gender, and generational identities.
This programme explores the multifaceted opportunities and challenges globalization brings to Europe. Will Europe come out of this challenging period with a stronger commitment to post-1945 values of respect for human dignity, liberty, democracy, equality, the rule of law, human rights, and the rights of persons belonging to minorities? Or will Europe retreat to older, exclusionary ideals of nationalism, race, and culture? Will Europe's older and newer immigrants embrace European values? Or will these new Europeans revolt against everything that might be called the Westernization of the world?
By situating Europe within a global context, students will study both the politics of culture and the culture of politics in Europe today; exploring how culture both structures conflicts and is used as a strategic tool to resolve them.
The programme will enable students with backgrounds in the social sciences or the humanities to engage with contemporary cultural conflicts in a multi- and inter-disciplinary way, using methods of investigation from international relations, political theory, sociology, anthropology, and media studies.
Programme Specifications
Career destinations
MSc Global Europe: Culture and Conflict has been designed to provide a strong foundation for a variety of academic and non-academic careers. We have taken the time to ensure that our course content will prepare you for a career in the the private or public sector at national, European, or global levels.
This programme appeals primarily to those interested in foreign policy; journalism; education; working for activist organisations in the NGO sector; or working in specialised agencies concerned, for example, with migrants or minorities.
During the programme, students will have opportunities to meet alumni who have established a network actively engaged with a global Europe across multiple sectors. This opportunity is invaluable in order for students to gain meaningful insights about their chosen sector, and to broaden their networks of connections.