Research Methods In European Union Studies (palgrave Studies In European Union Politics)

This collection sets a new agenda for conducting research on the EU and learns from past mistakes. In doing so it provides a state-of-the-art examination of social science research designs in EU studies while providing innovative guidelines for the advancement of more inclusive and empirically sensitive research designs in EU studies. Research on the European Union over the past few years has been strongly implicated in the crises that currently grip Europe with a failure to ask the pertinent questions as well as a perceived weakness in the methods and evidence used by researchers providing the basis for these allegations. This volume moves the study of EU research strategies beyond the dichotomies of the past towards a new agenda for research on Europe through a rich diversity of problem-solving based research. This new agenda acknowledges the weaknesses of the past and moves beyond them towards greater openness and awareness of the importance of research strategies, designs and methods. The 20 chapters in this collection range from micro-level analyses of identities, single policy studies and European discourse, through meso-level analysis of agenda setting, bargaining, implementation and Europeanisation, to macro-level analyses of the EU as a global actor, European integration and globalisation as well as hard and soft governance, elections and party groups, attitude formation, and new-regionalism. As such, it provides a comprehensive and accessible guide to conducting research on the European Union today "Those researching the EU are confronted with a bewildering menu of epistemologies, methodologies, research designs, and methods of data collection and analysis. In this very welcome volume, seasoned EU scholars unlock these bodies of knowledge and tailor them to the specific needs of 'their' sub-fields. The volume is a must read for all who seek to find more convincing answers to their research questions. And who does not?"--Markus Haverland, Professor of Political Science, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands 'This volume will serve as an extremely useful compendium of methodological issues and options for both budding scholars and established experts on the EU. To get a strong, comprehensive view of where research methods in EU studies stand today, start here.' - Craig Parsons, Professor of Political Science and Director of European Studies, University of Oregon, USA 'This book is a must-read for any student and scholar working on European integration. Research methods and design in EU studies have, at best, been implicitly dealt with by individual scholars struggling through the maze of publications. The editors of this collective volume have brought together a stellar group of experts who provide highly instructive insights into the full range of methodologies associated with problem-driven research in EU studies. This excellent volume fills a huge gap in the literature.'-Sabine Saurugger, Professor of Political Science, Sciences Po Grenoble, France Front Matter....Pages i-xiii Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Crossroads in European Union Studies....Pages 3-17 Methodology in European Union Studies....Pages 18-36 European Union History....Pages 37-52 Front Matter....Pages 53-53 European Identity: Conflict and Cooperation....Pages 55-71 People and Social Groups in the European Union....Pages 72-85 Single Policy Study: Three Variations in Design....Pages 86-101 Analysing European Discourses....Pages 102-120 Front Matter....Pages 121-121 Studying Agenda Setting....Pages 123-135 Studies of Bargaining in the European Union....Pages 136-153 Implementation Studies: Beyond a Legalistic Approach....Pages 154-167 Analysing Networks....Pages 168-183 Visual Primes and European Union Identity: Designing Experimental Research....Pages 184-205 Europeanisation....Pages 206-218 Front Matter....Pages 219-219 The European Union in Global Politics: Normative Power and Longitudinal Interpretation....Pages 221-236 The Blurred Boundaries and Multiple Effects of European Integration and Globalisation....Pages 237-251 Hard and Soft Governance....Pages 252-265 Political Parties and the European Union....Pages 266-280 Studying European Union Attitude Formation Using Experiments....Pages 281-296 European Union Studies and the New Regionalism....Pages 297-308 Research Strategies in European Union Studies: Beyond Dichotomies....Pages 309-321 Back Matter....Pages 322-342 "Research on the European Union over the past few years has been strongly implicated in the crises that currently grip Europe with a failure to ask the pertinent questions as well as a perceived weakness in the methods and evidence used by researchers providing the basis for these allegations. This volume moves the study of EU research strategies beyond the dichotomies of the past towards a new agenda for research on Europe through a rich diversity of problem-solving based research. This new agenda acknowledges the weaknesses of the past and moves beyond them towards greater openness and awareness of the importance of research strategies, designs and methods. The 20 chapters in this collection range from micro-level analyses of identities, single policy studies and European discourse, through meso-level analysis of agenda setting, bargaining, implementation and Europeanisation, to macro-level analyses of the EU as a global actor, European integration and globalisation as well as hard and soft governance, elections and party groups, attitude formation, and new-regionalism. As such, it provides a comprehensive and accessible guide to conducting research on the European Union today"-- Provided by publisher