Languages Seminar 3: The Borders of 'Being European'

The third OxNet Languages seminar was led by Dr Alexander Benham, from Christ Church, Oxford. The central consideration of the discussion was that of the migrant crisis in Europe, and what the continent's response to this reveals about its values and perceptions of itself. The notion of 'Europeanness' was again raised, but this time from beyond Europe. What, if anything, is a 'European way of life', and how does one access it? Rather than seek a definitive answer to question such as this, the ways in which they have been presented in the media and other outlets were considered: particularly thought-provoking was discussion which analysed the agenda of the far right in shaping discourses around migration within Europe in the past decade.