The Narrative Construction of European Identity. Meanings of Europe ‘from below’

ABSTRACT

This article forms a part of the scientific debate on the change of identities related to the process of European integration. It draws on sociological tools for putting forward the concept of ‘narrative identity’ for the analysis of the European sense of belonging. It assumes that the narratives of Europe shared in the transnational networks, which have developed with Europeanization and globalization, contribute to the construction of European identity. It also presumes that the meanings attributed to Europe are shaped by the social context in which people live and are influenced by the local dimension where everyday life takes place. By presenting a qualitative empirical research conducted in two different Italian local contexts, the article highlights the narratives of Europe shared by Europeans from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, how different stories take shape and what types of European identity they contribute to construct. Results show that the narratives of Europe are multi-level stories, a mixture of values and references coming from local cultural heritages and national history, and linked to the European post-national plot. Both subjective autonomy and structural social conditioning influence the conceptualization of Europe and European identity is embedded in local territories. The dynamics of identity formation and the openness toward Europe in local identities are connected to the ‘habitus’ and related to variables such as education, socio-economic background, media exposure, transnational networking, participation and experiencing Europe.

Key words:

• European identity
• narratives of Europe
• local context

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 Although I chose to use this contextual and dynamic approach for the study of European identity, following Klaus Eder's theory, it could also be a useful tool to shed new light on national identity.

2 ‘Habitus’ in the sense elaborated by Pierre Bourdieu, as a system of definitions, schemes of thought and action which generate practices and perceptions, acquired as a result of the objectification of social structure at the level of individual subjectivity (Bourdieu 1972).

3 The regional Council of Tuscany was one of the first local Councils in Europe to show a strong interest in the process of EU integration. In 1979 it established a special commission for EEC affairs to give advice on the European programs concerning regions, carry out studies and formulate proposals regarding the relations between the region, the state and the European community. In the nineties Tuscany increased its participation in the European associations of local bodies and in European decisions on cooperation with regional institutions, with a particular focus on rights and inequalities (Regione Toscana 2002).

4 These biennial events, organized by territorial and EU institutions, include exhibitions and conferences which inform about opportunities to participate in Europe and provide a place of meeting and communication between the EU and its citizens.

5 Prato's industrial district and its local system of small and medium-size firms has been extensively studied. See Becattini et al. 2003; Trigilia 1989.

6 For each of the four schools the following have been undertaken: two focus groups, one in a class with international mobility and exchange experiences, and the second with students without any international background; two in-depth semi-structured interviews with pupils – eight interviews in all; four in-depth semi-structured interviews with teachers – sixteen interviews in all; four in-depth semi-structured interviews with parents – sixteen interviews in all.

Additional information

Gemma Scalise is a research fellow in the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the University of Florence. Her research interests focus on the social dimension of European integration, identity change in post-national Europe and social citizenship challenges in the EU. She is currently working on the strategies and practices of active inclusion in Europe from a multi-level perspective.