Decentering European Union Foreign Policy in the Mediterranean: Insights from Religious Engagement and Migration

About

Drawing from the decentering agenda in the study and practice of the EU as an actor of international relations, this course will address the gap between the centers and peripheries in the study of EU foreign policy towards the Mediterranean. Building upon postcolonial theories, the decentering agenda aims to reconstitute European agency through three main steps: provincialization, engagement and reconstruction. To illustrate the potential of this research agenda, the course will draw from two policy areas as case studies: religious engagement and migration. Drawing from her award-winning book (Secular Power Europe and Islam, MUP, 2021), Sarah Wolff will discuss the centrality of secularism as a narrative of EU external action and the ensuing constraints it creates for its engagement with the religious. The course will also introduce the importance of using a decentering agenda in the field of migration. This will enable the students to understand how to evolve from institutions to meanings produces, the construction of narratives and their relation to migration practices.

Course leader

Sarah Wolff (Queen Mary University of London)

Target group

The Barcelona Summer School of the Mediterranean and the Middle East is a joint initiative of IBEI, Blanquerna, DIPLOCAT and IEMED.

The 2023 edition of the School will consist of a number of interactive courses on the politics and international relations of the Mediterranean and the Middle East, taught by experts of international reputation. These will be complemented by various panel discussions, field trips and cultural events such as visits to the Union for the Mediterranean, La Pedrera-Casa Milà, FC Barcelona Museum and a movie afternoon, among others. This integrated structure will enable the programme to cater to the needs of both students and practitioners. The events will be free for all registered participants.

Course aim

Drawing from the decentering agenda in the study and practice of the EU as an actor of international relations, this course will address the gap between the centers and peripheries in the study of EU foreign policy towards the Mediterranean. Building upon postcolonial theories, the decentering agenda aims to reconstitute European agency through three main steps: provincialization, engagement and reconstruction. To illustrate the potential of this research agenda, the course will draw from two policy areas as case studies: religious engagement and migration. Drawing from her award-winning book (Secular Power Europe and Islam, MUP, 2021), Sarah Wolff will discuss the centrality of secularism as a narrative of EU external action and the ensuing constraints it creates for its engagement with the religious. The course will also introduce the importance of using a decentering agenda in the field of migration. This will enable the students to understand how to evolve from institutions to meanings produces, the construction of narratives and their relation to migration practices.

Fee info