From Europe to Europeans and beyond. Meanings of Europe through people’s biographical experiences

• Authors: Antonella Spanò , Ulrike Nagel , Pasquale Musella , Elisabetta Perone

Title variants

PL

Od Europy do europejczyków i dalej.Znaczenia Europy w doświadczeniachbiograficznych

• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

This paper outlines results from the EU-research project “Euroidentities – The Evolution of European identity: Using biographical methods to study the development of European identity” (www.euroidentities.org). Based on narrative interviews collected in seven EU Member States the study can show processes of Europeanization in everyday life and everyday practices emanating for those who in one way or other are taking up the opportunities offered by an integrated Europe. Against the observation of the phase of erosion of loyalties the institutional European Union is undergoing, the bottom up study points to a “European Collective Mental Space of Reference” [Schütze, 2011] as created in cross-border and cross-cultural communication and cooperation. The paper delineates this collective phenomenon of mental space as defined through structures of opportunity for mobility and encountering diversity of cultures and ways of life, through frames of reference orienting and affecting processes of learning and mutual understanding across borders and boundaries, through occasions for comparison between differences, and new collective identification and changing feelings of belonging. The last chapter deals with unequal risks and chances for encountering the European mental space and beyond.

PL

Artykuł przedstawia rezultaty projektu badawczego „Euroidentities – Tożsamości europejskie. Zastosowanie metod badań biograficznych w badaniach nad rozwojem tożsamości europejskiej” (www.euroidentities.org). Na podstawie wywiadów biograficzno narracyjnych zebranych w siedmiu krajach opisany został proces europeizacji w codziennych praktykach tych, którzy w różny sposób wykorzystują oferowane przez UE struktury możliwości w zintegrowanej Europie. Chociaż obecnie zaobserwować można kryzys lojalności w instytucjonalnym wymiarze aktywności UE, badania nad perspektywą „oddolną” (bottom up) pokazują istnienie „europejskiej mentalnej przestrzeni odniesienia” [Schütze 2011] jako wytworzonej ponad granicami i kulturami sfery komunikacji i kooperacji. Fenomen przestrzeni mentalnej zdefiniowany jest tu jako struktury możliwości dla mobilności, konfrontacji z różnorodnością kulturową, możliwości porównywania odmienności, budowania nowych identyfikacji kolektywnych i zmian poczucia przynależności.

Keywords

EN

European collective mental space sensitivity towards otherness; biographical cost and risks biographical learning; sense of belonging to Europe; old and new inequalities

PL

europejska kolektywna przestrzeń mentalna; wrażliwość wobec innych; koszty i ryzyka biograficzne; poczucie przynależności do Europy w perspektywie biograficzne

• Publisher: Łódzkie Towarzystwo Naukowe, Stowarzyszenie
• Journal: Przegląd Socjologiczny
• Year: 2011
• Volume: 60
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 217-249

Dates

published

2011

Contributors

author

Antonella Spanò

• University of Magdeburg, Germany

author

Ulrike Nagel

• Federico II’ University, Naples, Italy

author

Pasquale Musella

• Federico II’ University, Naples, Italy

author

Elisabetta Perone

• Federico II’ University, Naples, Italy

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Identifiers

ISSN

0033-2356