EUROPE

Overview  Background Video  Culture and Religion  Economic and Social Issues  Politics and Government

Culture and Religion  Europe is comprised of a mosaic of cultural groups sharing a long history of interaction  Roman Empire  Napoleon  History of violence  Two World Wars  Cold War  Ethnic/religious conflicts  Leads to shared perspectives…

 Generous social welfare system  Governments should look after society and provide extensive network of social welfare public services  Most countries significantly assist in reducing individual health care costs  Unfortunately, has led to extremely high taxes… Culture and Religion

 Vacation and leisure  Relaxation and enjoyment highly valued  This value is reflected in amount of vacation time taken by workers  Social life– dancing, celebrating, lounging– very important to daily life Culture and Religion

 Education  Historical legacy with nearly 2,500 years of formal education  Home to some of the world’s oldest universities  Literacy +90%  Many pursue higher education  Nearly all European countries require students to by multi-lingual Culture and Religion

 Many countries have one dominant ethnic group (i.e., Swedes in Sweden)  But most countries also have at least one minority group  Basques in Spain  Kurds in Turkey  Roma (Gypsies)  Not all ethnic groups have blended peacefully (i.e., the Balkans)… Culture and Religion

 Mixed or conflicting foreign policies, especially when dealing with Former Soviet Republics  Long standing historical hatred  Ethnic cleansing as in the former Yugoslavia  Current ethnic, religious, and nationalistic violence Culture and Religion

 Integration of immigrants into the overall European society has been a growing concern  Fall of Communism  Rise of EU and open borders  Can promotes cross-cultural interaction  May offset negative population growth Culture and Religion

 60+ languages, most of which fall into one of three categories:  Romance  Germanic  Slavic Culture and Religion  Many are multi-lingual and English is a common “go-between” language

 Europe is home to a variety of religions  Although immigrants have introduced Hinduism and Buddhism to Europe, the three dominant religions are:  Christianity  Judaism  Islam Culture and Religion

Christianity  Europe’s dominant religion, and most European Christians are:  Roman Catholic  Protestant  Eastern Orthodox  Provided spiritual meaning and played key role in the formation of European culture and rise of democracy in Europe Culture and Religion

Judaism  Practiced since Roman times  Some of the greatest Jewish philosophers were European  Pre-WW2, significant Jewish communities throughout Europe… but majority of Jewish population killed by Nazis  Small communities still exist in urban areas around Europe Culture and Religion

Islam  Practiced since the 8th Century  Fueled recently by immigration from Africa and Middle East  Fastest growing religion in Europe today Culture and Religion

 Europe's religious diversity contributes to its cultural diversity and transnational ties  Religious similarities between countries can be positive, differences have led to persecution and warfare:  Northern Ireland  Balkan wars  Breakup of the former Yugoslavia  While religion can unite people… It can also be divisive Culture and Religion

Economic & Social Issues Communist legacy  Communist-era economic policies were difficult to dismantle  Restricted basic freedoms  Significantly poor economies  Rampant corruption

Economic & Social Issues Communist legacy:  Lack of incentives… workers guaranteed jobs, so no reason to excel and workers did no more than what was required  Absence of free-market system… State ran banks and manufacturers  Decaying infrastructure… Transportation and communication systems tended to be poorly maintained

European Union  Foundation dates to post-WWII as many countries sought economic integration  Two critical initiatives that boosted the formation of the EU:  Single European Act (1987)  Maastricht Treaty (1993) Economic & Social Issues

 Single European Act  Expanded powers of the EC’s parliamentary body  Promotes economic integration and political unity  Maastricht Treaty  Blueprint for political, economic, and monetary unity among EU members  Included plans to create a standard European currency (Euro) Economic & Social Issues

Politics and Government  Since fall of the Soviet Union, Europe has remained largely steady on the path toward greater continental integration  EU growth:  10 new members added to EU in 2004  2 more in 2007… 2 more in talks!  Coincides with NATO expansion

NATO  Created in 1949, reflected commitment to protect common values  Sought to provide collective defense against expanding Soviet influence  Post-Cold War, struggling to redefine itself  International Security Assistance Force  Joint US-European law enforcement efforts  Decisions remain consensus based Politics and Government

 Even with NATO, the EU has committed to creating European “battle groups”  22 of the EU’s 25 nations will supply troops on a rotating basis  Unlike NATO, the US will have no say in the employment or operations of the new EU battle groups Politics and Government

Summary  Background Video  Culture and Religion  Economic and Social Issues  Politics and Government

Questions?

 Culture and Society  Europe in World Affairs  Economics and the Environment  Politics and Government SCIS Videos and Student Presentations

Student Briefings

 Culture and Society  Europe in World Affairs  Economics and the Environment  Politics and Government SCIS Videos and Student Presentations

Student Briefings

 Culture and Society  Europe in World Affairs  Economics and the Environment  Politics and Government SCIS Videos and Student Presentations

Student Briefings

 Culture and Society  Europe in World Affairs  Economics and the Environment  Politics and Government SCIS Videos and Student Presentations

Student Briefings

Questions?