Europe A Generation After the Cold War: Lessons and Portents

Thirty years after the joyous celebrations at the fall of the Berlin Wall, both the idea of “Europe” and Europe’s living experiment, the European Union, are facing intense challenges. In this seminar, we will examine the past, present and future of the idea of “Europe”, with a special focus on what Europe meant before, during and after the Cold War. We will discuss the legacies of communism, the erosion of the post-war liberal project, the question of racial, ethnic and religious multiculturalism in Europe, and the role of Russia in Europe’s past, present and future. Much of the discussion will be drawn from Prof. Graney’s 2019 book, Russia, The Former Soviet Republics and Europe Since 1989 (linked in the resources). Since receiving her BA from the College of the Holy Cross and her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, Professor Kate Graney has taught Political Science, International Relations, Inter-Group Relations and Gender Studies at Skidmore. A specialist in the politics of the former Soviet Union, she also teaches courses on European politics, international human rights, gender and international relations, and comparative racial politics. She is the author of two books and several articles, and currently serves as the Director of the Gender Studies program at Skidmore.