Introduction: European and National Identity Constructions in Educational Media

Abstract

In their introduction, the editors discuss the importance of analysing the cultural and ideological contexts, reflected in and informed by educational media, that lay bare the fragility and yet interconnectedness of national and European identities, be it Brexit, the refugee crisis or the war in Ukraine. They outline the socio-cultural and media background of a critical and ongoing political challenge: the complex entanglement between European integration and strong national agendas in the context of globalisation. Denmark and Germany serve here as examples of how historical relationships and mutual perceptions are connected to and mirrored in the construction of Europe and associated narratives. Themes that permeate the book are discussed, including the construction of European and national identities via language, the interconnected nature of various constructions of the European and the national, and various group perspectives and self-perceptions that influence the discursive construction of identities, particularly in educational media. The editors also introduce linguistic and discourse-analytical methods as well as aspects of learners’ reception that inform the studies in the volume.