History: Politics, Culture and National Identities, 1789 to the Present

In the master’s programme Politics, Culture and National Identities you will be at the forefront of a new approach to understand how national politics and identities in Europe are conceived. You will be part of a master's programme that takes a broad, comparative approach to the study of the political and national identities of a number of European countries and the United States spanning the period from 1789 until the present. The programme takes an international perspective by looking at the relations between different countries in the Western World instead of the more limited national approaches. Your understanding of how national identities and political views have evolved will enable you to make a valuable contribution to the debates that continue to dominate both public and academic forums, including discussions about the EU, democracy and populism.

Cultural transfer

You will examine the evolution of the political culture and national identities of countries such as the Netherlands, Great Britain, Russia or the United States – and how these countries influenced each other through 'cultural transfer': the adoption of examples from other countries and the inspiration they engender. You will explore how ‘cultural transfer’ can be applied to the political domain, for instance with regard to social movements, parties, parliaments and the use of national symbols and myths.