SYMPOSIUM: The Discipline of Political Science in Europe: How Different Is It from Political Science in North America?
Daniel Stockemer, University of Ottawa
Ekaterina R. Rashkova, Utrecht University
Jonathon W. Moses, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Alasdair Blair, (@Alasdair_Blair), De Monfort University
How do we do political science in Europe? What is political science in Europe? How do we teach it? How do we advance it? The 5 articles included in the symposium address these questions by tackling the academic job market in Europe, the effects of the financial crisis on European universities, teaching versus research excellence, the relevance of political science as well as ethics and ethical considerations. The studies show evidence that the practice of political science in Europe and North America is distinct. On the one hand there are commonalities on both sides of the Atlantic, such as a strong emphasis on research rather than teaching, or an increase in the number of students enrolled in secondary and tertiary education. Yet on the other, the differences are much more pronounced. The differences stretch from recruitment (fixed term contracts in many European countries versus tenure track lines in North America) to the relevance of the discipline (a greater focus on policy in Europe as compared to the US), to financing (a tuition hike in the US versus still predominantly free education in Europe) to a more developed ethics regime in North America in contrast to many European countries.
PS: Political Science & Politics / Volume 49, Issue 4 (Elections in Focus) / October 2016 pp. 813-815