Nakano, Minoru
European Integration and changing British discourse on sovereignty
The concept of sovereignty has been discussed for many years. Further, the discussion has been re-activated under the process of European integration in Britain. The major questions raised are whether the nation state has lost its sovereignty and whether sovereignty has been delegated to the European Union or not. Under these circumstances, my research focuses on the question of how the perception of sovereignty has been changed by European integration. To answer this question, I analyze how the concept of sovereignty has been used in British political debates.
In order to conduct this investigation, I examine the following questions:
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How has the concept of sovereignty evolved and changed in the history of the nation state by adapting to political situations in different periods?
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How has European integration affected the nation state politically? Here the emphasis is on the constructivist approach and Europeanization approach to the study of European integration.
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On the basis of above examinations, how have British political elites discussed the concept of sovereignty? This question will be answered using discourse analytic techniques.
Dr Lauren McLaren
Self
CSEG
European integration, sovereignty, constructivism