Representation of Europe

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Representation of Europe

• Commonalities and national differences

Paszkál Kiss EuroPhD on S.R. C. Roma, 2005
2
Main points

• National identity its complexity, and its
  functions
• Different aspects and debates in studying
  national identity
• Commonalities and differences the representations
  of the nation and of the EU

3
National identity components and functions

• National identity is multidimensional
• Different functions of national identity
• Levels and aspects in social identification

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National identity is a multidimensional construct
(Smith)

• Historic territory, homeland
• Shared myths and common historic memories
• Shared popular culture
• Same rights and duties
• Single economic territory with mobility of labour
  and exchange of goods

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Some functions of national identity

• Locates the community in space and time
• Supports state power and institutions
• Reinforces economic control over a given
  territory
• Provides framework for socialization of people as
  citizens
• Establishes a social bond between individuals (by
  providing shared values and symbols)
• Provides a social framework for individual
  identification

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Cumulative hierarchies of regional, national, EU,
and international attitudes (Dekker)
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Different aspects and debates in studying
national identity

• Different disciplines about NI
• Debates about when is the nation
• Psychological theories

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Different disciplines about national identity

• History (emergence of nations)
• Philosophy (nation as an end/value)
• Anthropology (cultural analysis and comparison)
• Political Science (national institutions,
  governance, international order)
• Sociology (societal structure of nations)
• Psychology (national identification, national
  stereotypes, prejudice)

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When is the nation?
Primordialists
Ethnosymbolists
Modernists
Nations are eternal Nations are natural
collective phenomena Psychologism social need
(group selection)
Ethnic roots of nations Elite redraws previously
existing ethnic heritage Cultural and political
bases for nations (role of symbols and
remembering)
Nations are only in modernity Elite
construction State has primary role (idea of
nation-state)
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Classic and modern psychological theories about
nations

• Nations from inside
• group dynamics (centripetal and centrifugal
  forces)
• leader and public (mass psychology)
• indigenous culture studied by cultural psychology
• social representations
• Nations in comparison
• study of national character
• national stereotypes
• intercultural comparison
• social identity theory
• realistic conflict theory

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Empirical research

• Euronat poject
• Survey on public opinion

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Euronat project 2001-2004

• Research on elite (media, political discourse)
  and everyday (questionnaire, interview)
  representations about nation and Europe
• Multiple methods used historic analysis, media
  analysis, analysis of political discourse,
  survey, interview
• Countries involved Austria, Czech Republic,
  Great Britain, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Italy,
  Poland, Spain
• Founded by European Commission Research DG, Key
  Action Improving the Socio-Economic Knowledge
  Base (contract no. HPSE-CT2001-00044)

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Survey on public opinon

• Spring, 2002
• Representative samples from 9 countries
  (N10,023)
• Three questions
• 1. Social distance 2. representation of the
  nation3. representation of Europe

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Closeness as a general attitude

• The question
• Correlations
• National identification patterns

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what extent you feel close to the following
groups?

• people in city, village
• people in region
• fellow nationals
• EU citizens
• fellow Europeans
• people in CEU

• Arabs
• Turks
• Russians
• US citizens
• Gypsies
• Jews

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Optimal Scaling social distance
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National-European identification
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Cognitive aspects of representing the nation

• The question
• Results

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I feel Hungarian because I share with my
fellow Hungarians

• a national economy
• national defence system
• our homeland
• a feeling of national pride
• national independence and sovereignty
• our national character
• our national symbols (e.g. the flag, the national
  anthem)

• common culture, customs and traditions
• common language
• common ancestry
• common history, destiny
• common political and legal system
• common rights and duties
• common system of social protection

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Optimal Scaling rep. of nation
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Cognitive aspects of EU-representation

• The question
• Results

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I feel European because I share with fellow
Europeans

• common civilisation
• Membership in a European society with many
  languages and cultures
• common ancestry
• common history, destiny
• EU institutions and an emerging common political
  and legal system
• common rights and duties
• common system of social protection within the EU

• free movement and residence in any part of the EU
  territory
• emerging EU defense system
• common European homeland
• feeling of pride for being European
• Sovereignty within the EU territory
• a (future) common EU currency
• set of EU symbols (e.g. flag, anthem)

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Optimal Scaling rep. of EU
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Conclusions

• Commonalities
• Differences

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Conclusions I.

• Attachement to EU between (parochial) ingroups
  and outgroups
• Dimensions for differences ethnic (emotional,
  cultural) civic (legal, instrumental)levels of
  identification (region, nation, EU)
• National identity is not in conflict with
  European attachments (not only independence but
  also synergy)

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Conclusions II.

• In both the attitudinal and representational
  aspects there are great national differences
• In attitudes there is a difference in
  distinguishing between ingroups and outgrups
• There is a difference in inclusive-exclusiveness
  of national identification (to EU-attachment)
• In rep. of nation there is a difference in
  emphasizing cultural or non-cultural elements
• In rep. of EU there is a difference in
  emphasizing cultural or non-cultural elements
• Differences depend on national history and culture

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Thank you for your attention!

• paszkal_kiss_at_ludens.elte.hu