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This paper examines the dynamics of the development of Euro-Islam as a discourse which offers a modern interpretation of Islam that fits with European context. It investigates how Europe-wide Muslim umbrella organisations promote Euro-Islam discourse while at the same time gain position to represent European Muslims at the European level by mobilising the discourse. Drawing from constructivist literature, this paper argues that Tariq Ramadan's version of Euro-Islam has been in the stage of socialisation characterised by (1) the existence of network of organisational platforms such as Federation of Islamic Organisation in Europe (FIOE) and Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO), (2) the support from supranational actors such as European Parliament and European Commission, and (3) the efforts to codify the discourse through the creation of the Muslims of Europe Charter. However, given the lack of organisational infrastructure to diffuse the discourse due to the diverse nature of Muslim communities in Europe, further internalisation of the discourse has been hindered. Additionally, the connection between Euro-Islam's organisational platforms with Islamist movement has made the discourse on Euro-Islam being perceived as a camouflage for Islamist agenda. Thus, at this stage, Euro-Islam has become 'empty signifier' that are open to continual contestation which serves Muslim umbrella organisations with speaker position to lobby at the European level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent electoral successes of right-wing and far-right actors in different parts of the world have prompted discussion on various topics: the causes of their rise, their characteristics and strategies, the motivations of electorates and the depth of the right-wing shifts in a range of societies. This paper proposes key themes for systematising this debate and some clues to understanding the rise of the right in such diverse and heterogeneous national realities. It also suggests recovering a constructivist conceptualisation of "authoritarian traditions" in order to analyse the mobilisation strategies, behaviour and coordination of right-wing groups from a perspective that highlights their dynamic and innovative nature. This approach allows us to (re)think authoritarianism as the result of symbolic practices and discourses that are assembled, (re)invented and updated to serve various purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European integration is a process that involves and combines transferable competences, from the national to the supranational level, in order to create a form of cooperation, both political and economic, that will lead to a united Europe, respectively to the development and progress of the Union. European. This article aims to outline a clear picture of European integration from the perspective of theories that can be considered the systematic roots of the integration process. Within the scope of this paper, related to the research objective, was used both the analysis method and the comparative method. Of the theories of European integration, neofunctionalism, intergovernmentalism and constructivism remain the most important tools to understand why states decide to unite their destinies in order to achieve a united economic, political, social and cultural Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EU is clearly in the process of developing an external dimension to the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ). This paper focuses on ex. Police and Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters (PJCCM) provisions. These developments pose specific legal basis issues for the EU, given its complex EU–member state legal relationship, and the inter-institutional balance, all reflected in the treaty framework post-Lisbon. New Court of Justice rulings are now emerging which will assist in this issue. Equally the approach to be taken in developing these relationships will be crucial. This paper proposes the adoption of an Onuf style constructivism in order to best capture the reality of the process that is developing, and has developed for the ex. PJCCM measures internally. This then needs to be allied with a constitutionalism model to ensure a balanced development of all three aspects of the AFSJ. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As is known, the racist worldview rising in Europe, particularly in Germany of the 1930s, affected also the socio-political realities in Turkey, and became in effect a part of the official policy of the country. Many theories of obvious Turkist nature, such as Güneş Dil Teorisi (Sun Language Theory), were even shaped by the government and introduced into the university programmes. In this framework, the ancient Near Eastern states were declared Turkish, and the idea about the primordial presence of the Turks in Anatolia and Mesopotamia became a sort of axiom or absolute truth. From anthropological perspective, thousands of Armenian and Greek graves were opened and examined for the purpose of determining the real Turkish type; the skulls taken from these graves were compared with those of the contemporary Turks. The racist ideology defeated in Europe as a result of World War II, was correspondingly overthrown in Turkey too; even some sanctions were imposed to its defenders. However, since the 1980s, the similar ideas have been brought to the agenda again via the project of 'the re-discovery of the proto-Turks in Anatolia'. Moreover, some Turkish academics have argued that the non-Muslim and non-Turk peoples, such as the Pontus Greeks, the Armenians, and the Assyrians are, indeed, of Turkic origin. This paper examines the recent publications by several Turkish authors who vehemently advocate the above summarised views, which, at the same time, are shared and embraced by a clear majority of the academics studying identity and ethnicity issues in Turkey. The introductory part of the paper discusses the theoretical aspects of ethnicity-again with a focus on the relevant literature published in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent developments in the field of history of chemistry have introduced new topics, challenges, and connections to a broad range of scientific, political, cultural, economic, and environmental issues. New audiences for the history of chemistry have emerged along with new topics, protagonists, spaces, and historical narratives. This paper summarizes the main results of a recent survey to map the current situation of the teaching of history of chemistry in Europe. We review how and where history of chemistry is taught in Europe, considering not only graduate students in science programs, but also other audiences such as science teachers, and the general public. This paper also provides updated information on journals, museums, and teaching resources across Europe. Finally, it considers how recent educational reforms have affected the teaching of history of chemistry, while evaluating the main risks and challenges for the discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically assesses the discourse that justifies the latest educational reforms in European and Spanish higher education. It is presented as a techno-scientific discourse that attempts to support one of the most important current practices of subjectivity -the educational one- using a particular definition of psychology that forget the fact of the irreducible plurality of psychological practices and knowledges. This paper aims thus to make a double critical assessment. On the one hand, about the rhetorical use of psycopedagogic knowledge as scientific (indisputable) support for the reforms. On the other hand, about the assumption that there is a well definite discipline (Psychology) which is unified, scientifically established and able to offer that support. The paper consider also the current socio-cultural scenario of globalization and neoliberalism as a context that makes sense, within the ideology of entrepreneurship, such use of Psychology as a scientific guarantor of education reform. Special emphasis is placed on the promotion of subjectivity linked to that ideology, which requires individuals gifted with flexibility, self-monitoring skills and full responsibility for their fate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During 1996 the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) was created with the purpose of constituting a mechanism of nonexistent interregional dialogue until that moment and that united the both extremes of the Eurasian territorial mass: East Asia (represented by group ANSEA 3) and Europe (represented by the European Union). The expectations erected at the moment of ASEM's creation were many, but with the years it has demonstrated a set of limits that has diminished its effectiveness, at least in the area of the political dialogue, in this paper is described the particular experience of the diplomacy of the European Union in the mechanism of the ASEM, the kind of interregional policy that this one has implemented and the contradictions that it has had to tolerate with respect to his own legal and institutional exigencies. In the paper it is argued that, despite its limits, the ASEM can be a referential case on the reaction of the European Union forehead to the transformation that in historical terms means the political and economic emergency of Asia in the international system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enlargement of the European Union places it at an important threshold in its development. Fundamental questions on its nature and functions have to be discussed and agreed upon by its members. France, as one of these members, has repeatedly shown concern about the reform of the Union's institutions. The French elite daily, Le Monde, reflects this important debate in its news coverage, and ties in its own position, particularly through its editorials. This paper examines the concept of Europe as it is presented in Le Monde's editorial discourse from 1999 to 2001. The study is conducted in the constructivist approach and within the methodological framework of Critical Discourse Analysis. This perspective adds to other studies on European identity by strengthening the background of their argumentation, integrating their sometimes apparently contradictory conclusions, and describing the construction of identity from a national perspective in a more detailed and nuanced manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As European integration progresses, scholars have become increasingly interested in the definition and development of a collective European identity. Based upon analysis of European Union (EU) policies and viewed through the lenses of constructivism and collective identity theory, this paper examines construction of an emergent European identity and why it differs from that initially envisioned by the EU. Due to the intersubjective and context-dependent nature of collective identity, policies not explicitly intended for identity construction have had a profound impact on the ultimate constructed identity. While somewhat subtle, the difference and, perhaps, contradiction between the initially envisioned and emergent European identities can change the effectiveness of EU domestic and international policies. This impacts not only relations among those living in the EU, but also interactions between the EU and the international community as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Practicum (post-graduate teacher education) is an area critical to the formation of a student to finish college. In the new framework of European Higher Education Area (EHEA), classroom practices have become even more important for the development of the skills required for a particular professional profile. In this paper we present the organization and monitoring of the Practicum as part of a virtual university. From a constructivist and socio-cultural teaching, learning and assessment, the proposal presents a model of practicum of the degree of 2 nd cycle of psychopedagogy, which combines mentoring and monitoring the work of students in the training center work simultaneously with a reflection on practice which takes place in the classroom of the virtual campus. The results are analyzed from the satisfaction questionnaire administered to students at the end of each semester, which assesses four areas: overall satisfaction, teaching activities, resources and assessment of learning. The application of this methodology has many benefits for students training as skill acquisition warrants intervention own psychology in context together with reflection on the contexts, purposes and objectives of the psychopedagogy intervention. The implications, advantages and disadvantages of this model of practicum are discussed taking into account the guidelines of the European Higher Education Area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on hermeneutics, cultural anthropology and critical social theory, this article analyses different ways of 'speaking about the European Union'. Firstly, it argues that 'Europe' should be seen as an imagined space to which different social and political actors attribute different meanings over time. Secondly, it points out that intersubjective moment of (self-)identifi cation of Europe is of paramount importance for what is Europe today, especially in context of postmodernity and contemporary technocratic modes of the EU governance. Lastly, it calls for establishment of Critical European Studies and puts an emphasis on the role academic critique in 'speaking about the EU'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how the topics of news stories are socially constructed through journalistic practices is an important question for the study of journalism. We contribute to this strand of research by reconstructing the process of news making from the perspective of the journalists. The method used for this purpose is the comparative reconstruction of the ‘biographies’ of news stories by interviewing the authors of news stories. This was done during the same two weeks covering European news in 23 elite, popular and regional newspapers in six countries (Great Britain, France, Germany, Poland, Denmark and Austria). A cluster analysis identifies the complex constellations of different components that trigger European news making. Four trigger constellations co-exist that represent different sets of journalistic practices of news making. These transnational patterns of journalistic practices show that journalism is not only a professional community based on a common professional ideology, but that journalism is a transnational community of practice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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Over the past few years, the dollar has been trading at historically low values against the Euro. Does the current trend indicate that the Euro is poised to challenge the long global supremacy of the American greenback? And how might currency rivalry reflect and shape the broader balance of power between the United States and the EU? The approach to the general relationship between power and currency is discussed, the determinants and characteristics of a key currency assessed, and the advantages and disadvantages that accrue to a key currency nation briefly reviewed. The current, and likely future, state of play in the global usage of the dollar, the Euro, and other major currencies are sketched out, stressing the interaction of material factors and the role of ideas and social processes in determining key currency status. On balance, the essay concludes that the Euro has many of the underlying economic factors that would make it a peer competitor to the dollar, but that the necessary political power and social requirements are missing to make it the focal point of the global economy. Nonetheless, observers of the transatlantic relationship should be on watch for indicators of a possible transformation in the Euro-dollar relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overall, the Nice Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) was not a story of success in deepening integration. Therefore, all hopes shifted to the European Convention. According to a widely shared expectation in the constructivist literature, the Convention's institutional design facilitates argumentative discourses and consensus outcomes above lowest common denominator solutions. Rationalist approaches, on the other hand, assume for all institutional settings that bargaining is conducive to compromise, often close to lowest common denominator outcomes. This article theoretically assesses the impact of institutional variables on dynamics of interactions and illustrates its claims empirically. Based on a bridge–building approach between rationalists and constructivism, it identifies scope conditions under which polity and policy variables are conducive to argumentation and consensus or to bargaining and compromise. It concludes that the most prominent constructivist institutional variables, such as transparency or plurality of actors, were less important for the achievements of the European Convention than policy variables. The comparison of institutional designs reveals that Conventions are even less conducive to argumentative dynamics than Intergovernmental Conferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, German philosopher Jürgen Habermas has called for the adoption of a federal constitution by the EU. As such — particularly given the impact of his thought on the social sciences more generally, and its affinities with traditional theories of European integration — a question arises: why has a specifically Habermasian theory of European integration not developed? This article argues that one is already present, albeit implicitly, in the interstices between Habermas’ journalistic and theoretical oeuvres, merely requiring delimitation, exegesis and application. It combines a sophisticated and comprehensive account of European integration and democracy with an innovative ‘hermeneutic’ dimension. The latter broadens the parameters of EU studies to encompass relevant developments in European culture. Having identified its component parts and ‘reconstructed’ this theory, the article concludes by subjecting it to a preliminary empirical test against the results of interviews with radical left and social democratic MEPs and personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Originated in the 1970s, decried in the 1990s, theory-based evaluation recaptured debate at the European Evaluation Society conference in 2002. The promise is that the set-up, implementation, delivery and utilization of evaluation research may be facilitated by taking the assumptions and objectives of public policy as a starting point. In addition, a theory-based approach is considered to be valuable for a government that wants to learn, whilst potentially reconciling positivism and constructivist approaches. This article explores the rationale for a theory-based approach in policy development, debate, learning and evaluation utilization. It does so by confronting the — often paradoxical — dilemmas that haunt every evaluator (and policy maker). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current debates on Europe and European culture illustrate the growing difficulties in agreeing on the meaning of Europe. More than ever, Europe is a contested concept. Through a conceptual analysis, this article outlines different positions taken in filling the concept of Europe with meaning. The focus is on Europe as a culture. In line with modern cultural theory, articulations of Europe as a culture may be viewed as displaced within a gamut going from the most essentialist to the most constructivist. Essentialist articulations of European culture typically follow the traditional model of culture as it has been fixed through the nation-states. As is shown in the article, attempts of articulating a European culture along the lines of nations run into conceptual troubles. Recently, a more constructivist mood has come to dominate the ways Europe can be given meaning. A shift from culture to identity has marked this new constructivism. But constructivism also points in the direction of a political field where culture is challenged by a political vocabulary. This article demonstrates the different transfers from a cultural to a political field in current statements on European culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article introduces constructivist approaches to research on European integration. While stressing middle-range theory, it recognizes that meta-theoretical choices also matter for theorizing and analysing European integration. Tracing developments in the philosophy of science and in international relations theory, social constructivism is introduced as a way of establishing the 'middle ground' in juxtaposition to rationalism and reflectivism - not as a grand theory for the study of European integration. Crucial aspects of the integration process - polity formation through rules and norms, the transformation of identities, the role of ideas and the uses of language - are thereby opened up to systematic inquiry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union (EU) has issued hundreds if not thousands of directives and decisions over the last twenty-five years. Yet questions of compliance - to what extent do states comply, which states are likely to comply, what patterns of compliance exist within and across areas of regulation? - have not been extensively investigated and remain poorly understood. This article argues that compliance is a matter of state choice, and reviews current theoretical writings in international relations and comparative politics in order to better identify reasons for states' choices to comply with EU directives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]