Euroacademia Conferences
Europe Inside-Out: Europe and Europeanness Exposed to Plural Observers (9th Edition)April 24 - 25, 2020
Identities and Identifications: Politicized Uses of Collective Identities (9th Edition)June 12 - 13, 2020
8th Forum of Critical Studies: Asking Big Questions AgainJanuary 24 - 25, 2020
Re-Inventing Eastern Europe (7th Edition)December 13 - 14, 2019
The European Union and the Politicization of Europe (8th Edition)October 25 - 26, 2019
Identities and Identifications: Politicized Uses of Collective Identities (8th Edition)June 28 - 29, 2019
The European Union and the Politicization of Europe (7th Edition)January 25 - 26, 2019- 7th Forum of Critical Studies: Asking Big Questions AgainNovember 23 - 24, 2018
Europe Inside-Out: Europe and Europeanness Exposed to Plural Observers (8th Edition)September 28 - 30, 2018- Identities and Identifications: Politicized Uses of Collective Identities (7th Edition)June 14 - 15, 2018
Papers
The EU’s Endogenous Identity or the ‘Genetic Soup’
The dense multilateralism as a specific feature of western politics stays at the core of EU formation while the enlargement brings to saliency the question whether there is one Europe or several in embracing Central and Eastern European countries with different inheritances. This presentation looks to interrogate whether recent developments and detachments of politics in CEE toward what is called an 'illiberal trend' are unintended consequences or spillover effects of the western genetic soup or an autochthonous developments based on rational gains calculus of populist politics. In both cases however, dichotomies emerging in European politics need to be addressed.Sovereignty at Stake? Small States and the European Union: Strategies, Challenges and Opportunities after The Lisbon Treaty
The small states are now being compelled to adapt or change their foreign policy strategies in order to exert more influence on the European Union as a whole, all of which is taking place amid the growing migrant crisis, rise of nationalism and common safety policies, as well as the Brexit. This paper first examines different criteria and views on the definition of redefining small states, as well as their foreign policy strategies. It then describes flaws, downsides and limitations the small states face in international relations. Finally, it deals with the issue of sovereignty of the small states within the larger international political associations, such as the European Union.Thinking about United Europe during the Interwar: Lessons for XXI Century?
The European Union is going through one of the most difficult periods of its existence. Ever before it was growing through crises, using them as pretext for a deeper integration. Today EU encounters so many challenges, that it begs into question the previously self-evident premise that European integration is irreversible. This presentation aims to a) examine interwar period`s visions of European unification and their philosophical foundations; b) determine, which elements of those interwar conceptions became parts of later European Community project and which were left unrealized; c) evaluate, in what ways elements of surveyed conceptions could contribute to the solution of the current European crisis.European (Dis)Union: Revisiting Theory
I study whether the phenomenon of European disintegration can be explained within the framework of three theories of integration - neofunctionalism, liberal intergovernmentalism, and multi-level governance. I revisit primary scholarship, analyze each theory’s basic assumptions, and examine the scholars’ original claims to test whether these theories have the capacity to explain the process of disintegration within the EU.Policy-Mix in Euroland in the New Era of Globalisation and Digital Revolution: Challenges and Priorities for the Current Decade
In this paper we apply standard econometric tools and use the Eurostat database (annual data) in order to estimate the contribution of the production factors to the dynamics of the potential GDP in Euroland and to identify the priorities for the regional policy-mix during this decade. The results point out the importance of rebalancing the policy-mix, with a focus on the acceleration of the implementation of the Digital Revolution, the development of the capital markets and the improvement of trade and investments with emerging countries in Asia.Are Some People More Equal than Others? Experimental Evidence on Group Identity and Income Inequality
The political debate in the recent decade has shifted towards the issues of income inequality and immigration. It has been argued that both factors contribute to the increasing polarization of politics and rise of extreme parties, but it is difficult to disentangle their individual effects, since they typically appear simultaneously. An important example is Brexit. The polls showed that the immigration was the most important argument for Leavers, but their specific motivation remains unclear: was it a straightforward dislike of the “aliens", or an economic anxiety that these “aliens" will take over jobs and social safety programs?Language Gap Between Democratic and Authoritarian Discourses: Critical Discourse Analysis of the Interwar Central European Regimes
Although critical discourse analysis has been initially formed to unmask the contemporary injustice and inequalities in the framework of prevailing language structures, its application might come in handy also for the interpretation of the past political discourses. This is especially true for the research of the “fine line” between democratic and non-democratic systems, whose identification and classification have been traditionally burdened with the dominant focus on the objective institutional, economic and social differences.Multiple Identities. The Representation of the Self in Postmodern Time
Whilst postmodernism theorists discussed contemporary identity, several artists created self-portraits that multiplied, fractured or disguised their image, reflecting on the status of identity in contemporary society. My aim is to investigate the nature of this kind of self-representations by exploring the problematic process of identity making in postmodern time. The focus will be on works such as Spermini (1997) by Maurizio Cattelan, The Book of Food (1985-1993) by Vanessa Beecroft, History Portraits (1988–90) by Cindy Sherman and the Cremaster Cycle (1994–2002) by Matthew Barney.Middle Ages in Cinema: A Paradoxical Flight
Movies and films tend to provide a fantasy for its audience, where the realm of thoughtful criticism is replaced with unquestionable social orders and hierarchies. This is especially the case when considering the Historical Film of the 21st Century. The proclaimed time-travel, however, cannot fulfill its promise. Although the public wants to partake in a journey to the past and to the imaginary place “where everything was better and clearer”, they nonetheless import their own ideals and world view into a newly created fantasy. I would like to present the pop-cultural figure of the Knights Templar as an example for this paradoxical state of postmodern society.‘Things Turn Against Us’: The Future as Present, as Project, and as Unpredictable
This paper puts forward two theses on thinking the future: 1. the future is now, 2. the future is beyond our control. The first thesis will be defended on the basis of its greatest efficacy for responsible, transformative praxis and through neuroscientific work. The second thesis will be illustrated by reference to literature and philosophy. Specifically, through a reading of the satirical science-fiction novel, 'Cat’s Cradle' (1963), by Kurt Vonnegut, and an early essay by Emmanuel Levinas, 'Is Ontology Fundamental?' (1951).
