The 2014 Annual Conference of the Comparative European Politics Specialist Group of the Political Studies Association, UK

A Europe in Crisis, A Europe in Flux

University of Gothenburg, Sweden

November 6-7, 2014

Full Programme

Organizers: 
Gregg Bucken-Knapp, School of Public Administration and Centre for European Research, University of Gothenburg

Umut Korkut, Glasgow School for Business and Society, Glasgow Caledonian University

While scholars of European comparative politics focus on a broad set of substantive research questions, an increasingly shared realization unites them: in the wake of the recent global economic crisis, fundamental transformations in European politics are taking place. New challenges have emerged in both dramatic and subtle ways. These challenges can be seen in recent debates over the free movement of peoples, concerns over the viability of the European social model, problems with the quality of democracy in the EU and EU's periphery in the East and South, the specter of a security crisis in the heart of Europe, ongoing revelations that corruption is deeply entrenched in many European polities, the continued growth of far-right populist parties in both national and EU elections, and a growing skepticism among the general public towards the European project as a whole.

Against this backdrop, the Comparative European Politics Specialist Group of the Political Studies Association will be holding its 2014 annual conference on November 6-7 at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, co-hosted by the School of Public Administration and the Centre for European Research at the University of Gothenburg. This one and a half day conference provides an ideal setting for scholars of European politics to explore these transformations across countries and policy settings from a wide range of theoretical and methodological approaches.

Abstracts of 250 words are invited in the following areas:

· Gendering Politics and Policy in European Societies

· The Policy and Implementation Challenges of European Multi-Level Governance: From Localities to Brussels

· The Discursive Framing of Political Problems in European Polities: Policymakers, Bureaucrats, Media and Civil Society

· Political Economy and The Politics of Economic and Social Policy Reform in Post-Crisis Europe

· Immigrant Entry and Integration Policies: Permeability in the Walls of Fortress Europe?

· Putting European Politics under the Microscope of Arts & the Humanities

· Corruption Across Europe: Institutions, Actors and Ideas

Please note that there will also be two panel sessions devoted specifically to research from doctoral students. For these panels, abstracts are welcome from PhD students at any stage of the dissertation process.

Full or partial funding for hotel accommodation will be provided to all paper presenters. For full funding, Political Studies Association (PSA) membership will be required. A conference dinner will be held on the evening of November 6th, and lunch will also be provided following the close of the conference on November 7th. With the exception of selected PSA members, presenters will be responsible for their own travel costs to and from Gothenburg. For PSA membership and membership of PSA Comparative European Politics Specialist Group, please contact Umut Korkut (umut.korkut@gcu.ac.uk).

Please submit your abstract and complete contact details to Umut Korkut and Gregg Bucken-Knapp no later than September 20th. For those wishing to be included in the doctoral student panels, please submit your abstracts to either Anjelica Börjesson (angelica.borjesson@spa.gu.se) or Karin Zelano (karin.zelano@gu.se)

For any other questions, please contact Gregg Bucken-Knapp (gregg.bucken-knapp@gu.se)

This conference is made possible through funding generously provided by the Swedish Network for European Studies in Political Science, the School of Public Administration, the Centre for European Research at the University of Gothenburg, and the Political Studies Association (PSA).