Abstract
The European Union is facing multiple challenges. Departing from mainstream theory, this paper adopts a fresh approach to understanding integration. It does so by taking two theoretical steps. One proposes that the state of integration should be understood as the outcome of contestation between competing hegemonic projects. The other introduces the structure-agency debate. EU structures, it is argued, arise from competing hegemonic projects that derive from underlying social processes and that find their primary expression in domestic politics. These two steps facilitate an analysis of the key areas of contestation in the contemporary EU and open up the development of an alternative, critical, theory of integration.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 725-748 |
| Number of pages | 24 |
| Journal | European Journal of International Relations |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Early online date | 2 Nov 2015 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Dec 2016 |
Keywords
- hegemony
- structure–agency
- Domestic politics
- European integration
- governance
- Eurozone crisis
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'European integration in crisis? Of supranational integration, hegemonic projects and domestic politics'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Profiles
-
Professor Jonathan M Joseph
- School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies - Professor in Politics and International Relations
Person: Academic