EVS465 Brexit: Politics, Policies and Processes

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2020
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Monika Brusenbauch Meislová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Monika Brusenbauch Meislová, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Tue 16:00–17:40 P31 Posluchárna A. I. Bláhy
Prerequisites
! EVSn5065 Brexit && !NOW( EVSn5065 Brexit )
No prerequisites or co-requisites
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 11 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The course focuses on one of the most important and controversial topics in modern British politics – Brexit. Having placed Brexit in the appropriate historical context, the module helps students understand the United Kingdom’s (UK) uneasy engagement and entanglement with the European Union (EU). It sets out the key fundamentals for understanding the issues, events and development, both short-term and long-term, that led to the 2016 in/out referendum (and its result), the political turmoil that has resulted from it and the crisis that the UK currently faces. In doing so, the module helps students understand some of the historical, political, legal, cultural and socio-economic dynamics of Brexit, whilst inter alia examining key debates over immigration, economy and sovereignty, explaining the changing media landscape and scrutinising various exit strategies. As such, the course will appeal to those who want to make sense of the complexities of Brexit as well as to those who seek to discuss the Brexit process and related debates as they evolve.
The aim of the course is to offer students a chance to understand some of the historical, political, legal, cultural and socio-economic dynamics of Brexit. It also aims at providing students with a critical understanding of the key issues underlying the Brexit process and its dynamic (and uncertain) agenda. At the same time, it seeks to place Brexit in the appropriate historical context and locate the key Brexit-related issues within the relevant theoretical and conceptual debates.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
- place Brexit in its appropriate historical context
- describe key short- and long-term factors and issues behind the UK’s vote to leave the EU
- demonstrate an understanding of wider political, economic and socio-cultural dynamics surrounding Brexit
- identify and describe current trends in negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU
- have a deeper insight into complex and wide-ranging consequences of Brexit
- get a better understanding of how to study Brexit – an area that touches on a myriad of other issues and is in state of constant flux.
- show an ability to place the key Brexit-related issues within the relevant theoretical and conceptual debates
Syllabus (in Czech)
  • (Tentative) syllabus:
  • - Studying Brexit
  • - History of UK-EU relations I (British approach to the beginnings of the European integration; the accession process to the EC; 1975 referendum on the EC membership)
  • - History of UK-EU relations II (British EU policy since Margaret Thatcher)
  • - Analysing renegotiations, referendum Campaign and rreferendum result - Managing Brexit - Article 50 withdrawal negotiations: legal processes and key actors
  • - Detailed history of withdrawal negotiations
  • - Brexit and party politics
  • - Brexit means Brexit: Brexit narratives in political discourse
  • - EU’s Brexit: perspectives on Brexit of EU27 and EU institutions
  • - Brexit implications for the UK and the EU
  • - Conclusion: making sense of Brexit?
Teaching methods
The course combines lectures and seminars, with the seminars thematically related to the lectures. Apart from traditional teaching methods, also various activating teaching methods (such as, for instance, discussions, heuristic or situational methods and didactic games) will be regularly included. Moreover, the module will also incorporate specialist guest lectures delivered by external experts (tentatively from the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the British Embassy in Prague but also others) with extensive experience in dealing with Brexit. Students will benefit greatly from being exposed to additional perspectives that these experts will provide.
Assessment methods
Requirements for successful completion of the course: • - a presentation given either individually, or in groups (depending on the number of students in the course) • - up-to-date overviews of the current developments in the Brexit process • - participation in seminars • - active participation in seminar discussions • - passing a final written test
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2019.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2020/EVS465