Development Of European Identity Research Articles

The Philosophy of Ancient Culture in the Context of the Evolution of the States of European Culture: An Analysis of the Autonomy of Cultures

The importance of ancient philosophical culture for modern Western civilization is extremely tangible since the foundations of social functioning and its reception were laid in Greece and Ancient Rome. The aim of the article is to examine the influence of ancient philosophical culture on the development of national cultures of our time, to identify certain philosophical categories that are rooted in contemporary thought and influence social and political life. Study design: the main theoretical works of scholars were studied using the method of content analysis of contemporary literature: a total of 50 positions of professional literature were considered. Methodology: authors of the paper used primarily the methods of theoretical cognition: analysis and synthesis. To draw conclusions, the authors also used the method of comparison, which helped to identify contradictions in the interpretations of the ancient philosophical heritage. The results focus on the formation of the ancient concept of ethics and its development in the reception of subsequent philosophers, the impact of ethics on the present, the characteristics of cosmopolitanism in the modern cultural definition and the philosophical culture of the Greco-Roman period, and the definition of the ancient heritage in the resolution of intercultural conflicts used in the modern world. It is proved that the relevance of ethical issues, intercultural coexistence, and cosmopolitanism is growing in modern processes of globalization. The importance of the ancient cultural heritage, which permeates many aspects of modernity, is also emphasized. The scientific novelty consists in a comprehensive study of the influence of ancient culture on the development of European identity. The conclusions emphasize that the ideas that were formed in the period of antiquity have a great influence on the sociology, politics, and philosophical thinking of subsequent generations. Thus, ancient ideas played a significant role in the formation of European civilization.

The impact of EU Cohesion Policy on European identity: A comparative analysis of EU regions

This article investigates the role of European Union Cohesion Policy in the development of European identity, drawing on an original and representative survey in 17 regions across 12 member states. We advance a theoretical model which distinguishes cognitive, instrumental and communicative drivers of identity formation. Contrary to existing scholarship, we find that EU Cohesion Policy does contribute to European identity. Citizens that perceive benefits for themselves and for their region's development from EU Cohesion Policy are more likely to develop a European identity. We also find that awareness of the EU Cohesion Fund and exposure to publicity on EU funded projects is positively correlated with European identity. However, while Cohesion Policy contributes to citizens’ self-categorization as European, it does not associate with their emotional attachment to Europe. The study has important implications for understanding European identity formation and communicating the benefits and role of the EU in regional policy.

European Identity Today: Thought or Feeling?

Introduction. The paper analyzes the strategies for the formation of European identity. The author examines how identity was conceptualized in political science through the history of the development of the concepts of nation and community. The constructivist interpretation of the nation as an “imaginary community” and the understanding of identity as a direct holistic understanding of oneself as a unique unit of the national political culture in relation to the rest of the world today form the basis of the political direction of European integration.Methodology and sources.In conducting the study, a comparative historical method, an analysis of sources (official documents, scientific and journalistic texts), a discourse analysis, and also data from opinion polls were used.Results and discussion. Political crises of the last two decades have shown that the dominant theories of European integration in the last century, focused on economic aspects, are not always able to give adequate answers to the political challenges of our time, which sometimes puts the construction of a united Europe in a precarious position. The question of what makes Europe common remains open and no less, and perhaps even more relevant than before. The political essence of united Europe remains abstract and is not fully understood by Europeans as the subjective component of an individual political culture. In this paper, an attempt is made to trace the transformation of a request for political identity. Promising for the sociocultural development of European identity and the formation of a collective sense of self is a guide to the deliberative activities of the population and elites to determine the vector of political integration. A constructivist approach in this direction allows us to make positive forecasts for relations between the EU and Russia.Conclusion. The obviousness of the ideological request for the construction of a European identity is manifested in the nature of current scientific discourse, broadcast through the media and mass culture products, and is also formulated in the system of priorities of Europeans. In fact, the 2010-ies became for the EU a period when the political component of integration processes began to come to the fore.

Instrumental and cultural considerations in constructing European identity among ethnic minority groups in Lithuania in a generational perspective

Research on European identity focuses mainly on majority populations in Western European countries without differentiating among specific population groups and generations, and, above all, disregarding ethnic minority groups living in Central and Eastern Europe. This paper addresses this gap by investigating the development of European identity among three ethnic minority groups in Lithuania: Belarusians, Poles, and Russians. Theoretically, the project is based on the instrumental approach, which argues that European identity is closely related to perceived benefits from “being European,” and on the cultural approach, which holds a common history, ancestry, and culture responsible for the development of European identity. Existing research has, above all, emphasized the importance of instrumental considerations. Analyzing qualitative interviews collected in the FP7 research project “ENRI-East,” the paper compares how young and adult members of ethnic minority groups construct European identity due to “instrumental” and “cultural” considerations. The results show that both instrumental and cultural considerations are relevant and further development of European identity depends on which age group or ethnic minority group an individual belongs to.

The crisis of legitimacy of the European Union from the constructivist perspective

The article is an attempt to analyse the legitimacy of the European Union, taken from the perspective of moderate constructivist theory. First, the author presents the constructivist assumptions about the legitimacy of the European Union. Then he emphasises the importance of discourse for the development of the EU and describes categories occurring in the multi-level political system. It is argued that strengthening of the discourses (their scope and communicated content) at European level in addition to the national discourses would promote the process of enhancing the legitimacy of the European Union. These discourses are relevant for the development of European identity that allows citizens to recognise the European political system as “their”, which will be – according to the author – the result of the processes concentrated on political activities, institutions and legal system embracing pluralism of opinions, attitudes and behaviors. The result would be “a common space of existence for the European citizens”.

The significance of developing European identity - the analysis of Polish students

Adolescents are the future of the European Union. They are the ones who will make strategic decisions and shape relations among the member countries. In order to manage political and economic challenges and to create Europe of knowledge, the significance of education and promotion of the European identity among young people has to be emphasized. The purpose of this research was to become acquainted with the opinions of the younger generation on the EU member countries, foreigners living there and the European economy during/after crisis. The tasks were to ask students, who spent at least 3 months abroad, to share their views on how they were treated by foreigners while staying abroad, and what they frankly think about the other European countries and their inhabitants. They also commented on the development of European identity and their potential place of residence in the future. The primary methods used in the study were a survey and a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the results. A survey was conducted in May 2011 among 100 of Polish students who took part in European student exchange programmes (e.g. Erasmus or Leonardo da Vinci). The study included 13 detailed questions, both open and closed. It helped in pinpointing the pros and cons of the system. What is more, it highlighted the advantages of seeking challenges abroad and temporary change of environment. It may also be useful in eliminating the possible drawbacks mentioned by respondents. The results of this research are particularly significant for economists because they forecast possible migrations in the nearest future due to distinct and fast development of the European identity. The vast majority of the young people feel responsible not only for their country of birth but also for the whole Union as well. They tend to name themselves Europeans as often as Poles. They are not guided by stereotypes and treat foreigners as individuals without generalizing. The young generation is not afraid to work abroad and/or with foreigners, and even looks forward to it. People become better educated, aware of who they want to be, more creative and innovative. Because of constantly improving level of languages, development of the European Research Area, transfer of knowledge and open access to information, it happens that particular institutions, enterprises or smaller companies exchange among one another products, services and employees. The results lead to certain conclusions. Despite the fact that the European educational policy was so heavily criticized, it appears that it has at least one reason to be valued for – the development of European identity among young people. The economic growth may be based on culture. The success of the European Union and its strategies depends on well-informed citizens who understand, support, identify and feel responsible for all actions undertaken by UE. That is why, there is a need for new models of communication and cooperation between EU institutions, the economy and European citizens. The globalization leads to constant integration of the European countries, societies and economies. Because of the Internet the distance is no longer a problem, that is why people may easily maintain relations with foreigners after returning to their country. It makes them pay more attention to their behavior and tendencies. In other words, it makes them more responsible European citizens. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.eis.0.6.1521

European Identity: Diversity in Union

This paper discusses the dynamics of identity within the European Union. The authors describe the necessary preconditions for the development of European Identity; including the value of freedom, equal rights and a re-conceptualization of the concept of solidarity in the context of citizenship. Highlighted are how debates about immigrant rights, the rise of neo-racist movements, and the role of political parties create a sociopolitical context for the reassertion of nation-state power, giving rise to neo-national and neo-communitarian sentiments. In contrast, the construction of European Identity requires the development of intercultural competencies and shared framings of common interests.

Relation between European and national identity and rigidity as a personality trait

The research presented in this paper is a part of the project ?Condition, Factors and Development of European Identity in Serbia and Montenegro?, which started in 2002 with the financial support of the Ministry for Science and Protection of Environment of the Republic of Serbia. The research studied the relation between certain kinds of social identity ( European, i.e. national identity ) on the one hand, and the degree of rigidity of the subjects on the other. The sample consisted of 2685 inhabitants of Serbia and Montenegro, of both sexes, different levels of education and 18 to 43 years old. European, i.e. national identity was measured with the questionnaire EUROID2002, which consisted of 36 items related to different aspects of social identity. Factor analysis singled out five factors of social identity: pro-European orientation, advocating the preservation of national identity, confronting traditional values and technological civilization, globalization as a threatening factor for small and poor nations, and exclusive national attachment. Rigidity of the subjects was determined with the application of the RG-2 questionnaire which consists of 30 items related to the rigidity of thought in various life situations. Factor analysis singled out two factors of rigidity: rigidity toward oneself and others, as well as rigidity in one?s life habits. The relation between social identity and rigidity was determined with the technique of canonical analysis. Two significant canonical roots were singled out: the first canonical root includes two aspects of rigidity which were positively related to the factors implying a strongly pronounced national identity ( advocating the preservation of national identity and exclusive national attachment ). The second canonical root indicates a positive relation between rigidity in life habits and traditional standpoints and fear of globalization.

Achievement motive and locus of control as motivation factors of European identity

The research presented in this paper is a part of the project "Condition, Factors and Development of European Identity in Serbia and Montenegro" which is financed by the Ministry for Science and Protection of Environment of the Republic of Serbia. The goal of this research is to determine the relation between the achievement motive and locus of control on the one hand, and European identity on the other. These motivational factors were selected as the indicators of the active orientation of persons, which is a psychological prerequisite for the development of consciousness of the people and the society as a whole. The research was carried out during 2003 with the sample of 2635 subjects from four regions of Serbia and Montenegro, of both sexes, different levels of education, 18 to 43 years old. The scale EUROID2002 was applied to measure the European and national identity. The achievement motive was measured with the MOP2002 scale, and locus of control with LOKKON2002. All these instruments were created at the Department of Psychology in Novi Sad. The canonical correlation analysis was used to process the data. The results point to the existence of two statistically significant regularities in the relation between the achievement motive and European identity. The achievement of the goal, which is experienced as a source of pleasure and followed by the need to compete with others, was related to two factors of social identity, namely with the need to preserve national identity and with the exclusive national attachment. Thus, the results indicate that the persons for whom competition with others is a significant goal also express a higher degree of nationalism. Furthermore, the results indicate that the degree of nationalism is higher with the higher degree of persistence in the competition with others. In the relation between the locus of control and European identity, three statistically significant regularities were obtained. If the faith in the power of destiny is more pronounced, the need to preserve national identity and exclusive national attachment is also more pronounced. Stronger internal locus of control is related to greater openness for technological progress. Furthermore, the results indicate that those who in achievement situations attach great importance to the activities of other people also have a more pronounced pro-European orientation.