Building of the European Union

As the 21st century briskly moves forward, the entire planet finds itself presented with ever more complex ways of conducting commerce, international relations, and virtually every other aspect of human interaction- in other words, the building of strategic partnerships. In the classic view of the various classes of people and their development of strategy, each class struggles to reach their full potential, in the midst of other classes fighting to do the same (Cohen). Perhaps one of the most diverse coalitions to emerge in recent times is that of the European Union, or EU. This strategic partnership of many of the nations of Europe holds the potential to quite literally change the world. In this paper, the EU will be examined not only based upon the current relevant literature, but also in the scope of "Five Lenses Class Theory".

Review of Relevant Literature

In order to adequately discuss the European Union or EU for short, it is necessary to first present a brief history of how the EU began. Because of Europe's history of war and destruction throughout the late 1800's into the mid 1900's, many European leaders believed that the best way to secure a lasting peace throughout Europe was to create an economic and political bond between her nations. In 1950, it was proposed that the coal and steel industries of Western Europe be united. In response, the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was formed in 1951 by Belgium, West Germany, Luxembourg, France, Italy and the Netherlands. Because of the success of the ECSC, its member nations formed the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) and the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1957, with a goal of creating a common market (Brittan). Moving ahead to 1992, the Maastricht Treaty laid groundwork of cooperation between European nations on such items as defense and justice, which when combined with the earlier strategic alliances, created the EU. Over time, the EU has expanded to include nearly half a billion people from 25 member nations (Borowiec).

The potential of this coalition is quite obviously tremendous, and deserves closer analysis. With this analysis in mind, the coalition will now be examined according to one of the most comprehensive analytical tools in existence.

Analysis of the Coalition According to "Five Lenses Class Theory"

Moving beyond the classic considerations of class theory that were first popularized by such controversial thinkers as Karl Marx and others, the use of "Five Lenses" gives the opportunity to give the EU a closer, more thorough examination, based upon the criteria of "Five Lenses" as follows:

Formality- Regarding the use of formality in the class structure of the EU, it is paradoxically an asset as well as liability within the EU itself. On the positive side, formality allows the EU a great deal of control in terms of the nations that are, or are not admitted, in a sort of quality control mechanism; negatively, however, this same formality in many cases leads to the kinds of bureaucracy that some say impedes legitimate progress (Borowiec). In this, there lies an important lesson about the role of formality in class structure; while there is certainly a given amount of formality that is important to maintain order within and among the classes, too rigid of a formal structure will in fact have the opposite effect, stifling progress and deterring new participants in the coalition. In the case of the EU, this sort of controversy, for example, has brewed around Turkish admission to the coalition for many years (Gorvett).

Power- At the heart of any coalition, and class structure is the pursuit and maintenance of power, for the ones who hold power are reluctant to relinquish it, and those who seek power are constantly seeking to seize it from someone more powerful than they. This was one of the factors that led to the foundation of the EU, as small, less powerful nations united in an effort to gain and hold power in a collective effort (Tyldesley). Therefore, in the "Five Lenses" and especially so in the case of EU, power is in essence the coin of the realm. In other words, without holding a superior position to others, class structure would not really help any coalition, as the ability to leverage into more lucrative relationships would not exist.

Risk- Any coalition is extremely risky; referring back to the earlier elements, there is the possibility of losing power or coming out of the collaborative effort worse off than when the effort was entered into. Risk being understood, when looking at the coalition that has come to be known as the EU is extremely risky, especially when one considers the turbulent and violent past of Europe as a whole.

Structure- Class structure is an often overlooked, but perhaps the most important facet of the Five Lens Theory. Within this structure, a coalition must operate and therefore, the structure must, quite literally, be strong enough to "hold" the coalition in its present state, and to be able to accommodate future growth. The EU is undoubtedly experiencing growing pains due to an often murky structure (Brittan). Going forward, it will be extremely important for the EU to form structure from an efficient strategic planning viewpoint. While it is impossible for the future to be predicted, the EU, with wise planning of strategy, can maintain an inner structure that promotes external growth.

Timeframe- It is estimated that at least a dozen countries will join the EU over the next decade or so, in part because member nations of the EU enjoy a wide range of benefits which are significant in a modern world that is threatened by international terrorism, war, and economic/political instability. Most noteworthy benefits of joining the EU, and which expansion of the EU would seem to magnify are free movement of goods/services/people/capital, stable price structures, and internal and external security. Also, a move is underway to improve social conditions, employment prospects, and industrial conditions for citizens of member nations (Springer). Through these benefits, the EU hopes to create an environment of robust economic activity, an excellent quality of life for workers and their families, and an assurance that the rampant terrorism that has dominated the world stage in recent times will subside.

Conclusion

The European Union is a fascinating coalition, both within the parameters of the "Five Lenses" and beyond. In conclusion, what should be understood about the EU is that within it resides the power to flourish or fail. Only time will tell which direction the coalition takes, but one thing is for sure- the "Five Lenses" theories will always apply.

Works Cited

Borowiec, Andrew. "EU Expansion Sows Doubt About the Future." World and I October 2004: 10.

Brittan, Samuel. "International Economy." 18 3 (2004): 34+.

Cohen, Jean L. The Limits of Marxian Critical Theory The Limits of Marxian Critical Theory. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 1982.

Gorvett, Jon. "Now You See It, Now You Don't." The Middle East Nov. 2003: 20+.

Springer, Beverly. The European Union and Its Citizens:the Social Agenda. Westport, CT: Greenwood P, 1994.

Tyldesley, Mike. "Stephen A. Resnick and Richard D. Wolff. Class Theory and History." Utopian Studies 14.2 (2003): 200+.