Values in Europe

Are younger cohorts more environmentalist than older cohorts, and if so, why? What explains that Norwegians are more attached to Europe than Italians? Are people in countries with many migrants more opposed to migration, and what can explain this? What is the relationship between national wealth and happiness? The aim of the course ‘Values in Europe’ is to make students of the Excellence Program acquainted with the empirical study of differences and similarities of relevant moral, social, and political values and orientations across European countries. The course is set up around the ‘Atlas of European Values: Changes and Continuity in Turbulent Times’ (Halman, Reeskens, Sieben & van Zundert, 2002) and its six chapters: identity, welfare, migration, sustainability, solidarity, and democracy.

To contribute to this aim, the course is organized in two distinct parts, each with their own assessment. The first part of the course will confront students with theoretical mechanisms and recent research findings. In addition to a review of the mechanisms explaining values change in the introduction of the course (week 1 of block 3), the course will zoom in on six distinct domains which will also be the focus of the final blogs. These domains are identity (week 2), welfare (week 3), migration (week 4), sustainability (week 5), solidarity (week 6), and democracy (week 7). For each week, in addition to the chapter from the Atlas for inspiration, students need to read two relevant papers (to be announced later). Each session will be concluded by an in-class pop quiz with multiple choice questions (over Canvas, so please bring your laptop or your phone to participate). The pop quizzes account for 30 percent of the final grade. You can miss one pop quiz without consequence (or alternatively: the six highest grades will be taken into consideration). In case of an insufficient grade, a resit multiple choice exam will be organized.

The second part of the course consists of working on an individual analysis of values differences (or similarities) across European countries, which will result in an individual blog post (approx. 1,200 words), which will count for 65 percent of the final grade. Inspiration for this assignment should come from the Atlas, which combines several relevant maps and charts, yet without much interpretation or theoretical background for each graph. The idea is that you select one of these graphs and write a whole blog around it (including working out a narrative that demonstrates the necessity for or the relevance of the blog, some theoretical backdrop, some additional data analysis (up to bivariate correlations and multiple regression analysis), and a strong conclusion). The first session (week 1 of block 4) of the second block will introduce you to blog writing: examples are discussed, tips are given, and pitfalls are being pointed at. The next four weeks (weeks 2-5 of block 4), attendance will be voluntary: a classroom is being reserved and organized in a helpdesk format: you can drop by to discuss with your group, ask me questions about analysis or writing style, and so on. At the end of week 5 of block 4, you need to submit your draft blog for peer review. The discussion of this peer review will take place in class (mandatory attendance) in week 6 of block 4. The submission of your blog is expected in week 8 of block 4. In case of an insufficient grade, students that incorporate the comments can have a maximum grade of 6. Higher grades (regardless of a fail or not) need to write a completely new blog.