Founded in 1983, the Carleton Economics Seminar has been located at the University of Cambridge for over 35 years. Starting in Brussels, the program familiarizes students with the institutions of the European Union. It was the experience of the world wars that made possible the creation of institutions of European governance. The memory of the Great War will be at the center of an excursion to the battlefields of Flanders, immortalized in countless poems and other works of trench literature. While memory of the conflict has done much to unite European elites around the idea of shared governance, it also continues to divide historians and Europeans generally. The seminar will continue to explore these divisions on location in Cambridge and London while studying Britain’s long and fractious relationship with Europe. Students will also read the works of some of the most famous political economists who made Britain their home in the 19th and 20th centuries. Their discussions of Capitalism and its crises will be supplemented with visits to sites of the Industrial Revolution in Manchester and the British Midlands.
Learning Goals
To learn about Britain’s complex relations with Europe in politics, art and architecture through site visits, reading and observation
To develop interdisciplinary insights into the history and politics of modern Britain in War and post-War
To facilitate an appreciation for the modern economic history of Great Britain as one of the leading economies and financial centers in the world
To develop a broad appreciation for the work and life of influential political economists in Britain by taking advantage of on-site facilities and resources
To develop and enhance skills related to living outside of the “academic bubble” including independence, financial management, navigating the unknown, making personal connections, and career exploration
Prerequisites
Students who have completed Economics 110 and 111 by the end of spring term 2019 are eligible to participate in the seminar. Students majoring in economics, political science, and history are particularly encouraged to apply, but the seminar is open to students of all majors.
Course of Study
18 Credits
ECON 221: Contemporary British Economy (6 Credits)
The course focuses on the development of the British economy since the inter-war period. The approach integrates economic and historical analysis to discuss the development of the structure of the British economy, economic policy and the institutions affecting economic performance.
Instructor: Dr. Solomos Solomou, Fellow, Peterhouse College Counts towards: Economics major, Political Economy minor, Social Inquiry, Quantitative Reasoning Encounter, International Studies
EUST 231: After Brexit–Britain in Transition (4 credits)
Instructor: Paul Petzschmann
EUST 232: The Great War in Poetry, History, and Memory (3 Credits) S/CR/NC
The memory of World War I looms large in the European Project. While memory of the conflict has done much to unite European elites around the idea of shared governance, it also continues to divide historians and the general public. Beginning with a tour of the battlefields of the Somme we will be reading some of the literature written by “trench poets” like Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon and Robert Graves alongside visits to the Imperial War museum in Manchester and to Orchard House in Grantchester, immortalized in Rupert Brook’s poem.
Instructor: Paul Petzschmann Counts towards: International Studies
EUST 233: Capitalism and Crises: Political Economy from Marx to Hayek (3 Credits)
Britain was at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution during the 18th and 19th century. That rapid economic growth unleashed by free competition brought with it the constant threat of crisis was an insight developed by Marx and later Keynes. Britain was home to capitalism’s cheerleaders as well as to its most important critics. Its economic dominance was accompanied by a tradition of tolerance, of open public discussion and free academic enquiry that made London and Cambridge attractive to students of political economy from Europe and across the world. Readings from the most important representatives will be supplemented by visits to industrial sites and museums in Manchester.
Instructor: Paul Petzschmann Counts towards: Political Economy minor, Social Inquiry, International Studies
EUST 290: Directed Reading (2 credits)
This course provides guided readings for students on the Economics and European Studies OCS in Cambridge. The course introduces students to the study of European Institutions and their development in the context of major political events of the day. It also covers the different crises that led to the Union’s establishment after the experience of two World Wars, the post-war settlement, and Britain’s awkward relationship with the EU from Churchill to Brexit.
Instructor: Paul Petzschmann
Paul Petzschmann
Faculty Director
Paul Petzschmann is a Lecturer and Research Associate in European Studies at Carleton College. He completed a DPhil and MPhil in Politics at Oxford University and received his BA in Politics and International Studies at the University of Warwick. Paul also held post-doctoral fellowships at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, Oslo, and Carleton College and served as a Carlo-Schmid fellow of the German Foreign Office at the Asian Development Bank in Islamabad, Pakistan.
His research interests are in political theory and the history of political thought, especially of 19th and 20th century Europe and the United States. In particular he is interested in intellectual migration and international debates about the state and crisis governance. Paul teaches a number of courses in the European Studies concentration on the history and politics of the European Union, the rise of the European Nation State, European political ideologies, and the European Studies capstone seminar. In Political Science he has taught numerous courses in Political Philosophy and International Relations, most notably a course on Karl Marx.
Housing
During their time in Cambridge, students will stay at Hughes Hall, one of the colleges that make up Cambridge University. They will have single rooms and a food allowance for meals, which can be taken at Hughes Hall or in town. Laundry facilities are available at Hughes Hall. On the Continent, they will stay in small hotels.
Excursions
The group will travel to WWI battlefields in Belgium and France and various locations around Cambridge. They will also spend several days in Manchester to look at Industrial Revolution sites and take several day trips to London.
Required Leave of Absence
The Cambridge Seminar functions as a Carleton term of the academic year. Participants are required to take a leave of absence during the following winter term 2020; juniors should consult with the program director to plan for Comps.
Dates
Program will take place mid-June to late-August. Specific dates will be communicated to program participants.
Costs
All Carleton-sponsored summer break programs cover the costs of instruction, lodging, some meals, group excursions, public transportation, medical and evacuation insurance, travel assistance, and most cultural events.
Students are responsible for passports and visas (when required), books and supplies, transportation to and from the program sites, and personal expenses during the program. Students will receive a program-specific Additional Cost Estimate at the time of acceptance.
Financial assistance is available. See the Off-Campus Studies website for further information on billing, financial aid, and scholarships.
No meetings or deadlines are available at this time. Please check back later.
