Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Roose, Jochen

Titel

European Identification in International Comparison: A Comparison of the Levels and Social Structure of One Aspect of European Integration

Ist Teil von

• Zeitschrift für Soziologie, 2011-12, Vol.40 (6), p.478-496

Erscheinungsjahr

2011

Quelle

Alma/SFX Local Collection

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• European identification is a crucial aspect of European social integration. Previously, such continental identification has been explained with regard to the European integration process initiated by the European Union. Economic gains brought by the European integration process, transnational experiences and the symbolic representation of Europe have been said to strengthen European identification. Consequently, this effect should be more pronounced among the economically better off. ISSP data has been used to test whether the extent of European identification and its distribution across the social structure support this assumption. Contrary to prevalent assumptions, the results document that the current extent of continental identification is not higher in Europe than on other continents, and there has been no increase over time. Furthermore, a multiple group path model indicates that the socio-structural distribution of continental identification is similar in EU and non-EU countries. A connection between transnational relationships (measured by immigrants from other countries of the same continent) and economical exports, on the one hand, and continental identification, on the other cannot he substantiated either. In the light of these findings, EU-related explanations of European identification and respective political programs appear highly questionable. Adapted from the source document.