Identity And Identity: 3.6 Aspects Of European Identity

3.5 Social Contact

Allport (1954) and Amir’s (1969) assumptions on the contact hypothesis suggests that when someone from one social group, which we name in-group is socializing with someone from another group, which we shall call out-group, under the right conditions their exchange and behavior to one another tend to improve. According to Wilson, though, “there is an extensive psychological literature on the effects of personally moving across international borders on attitudes to other countries and their nationals which greatly complicates this basic hypothesis” (2011). Some support that this theory is true, other supports that it results in the exact opposite behavior. Based on this, we shall note here a significant difference between
In the next paragraphs, I will analyze them including the three distinct ways I am planning to use in my research design.

Based on the cultural aspect, identity can be understood as being based on ethno – cultural factors, which are historically generated. The instrumental aspect sees identity as being based on self-interests and the civic perspective understands identity based on a commitment to the shared values of the Union as expressed in its constituent documents and a sense of belonging. Finally, Bruter (2008) identifies another aspect of identity, that being of a “spontaneous self-assessment” relating to both the civic and the cultural aspect of identity in the sense of feeling European and identifying with the EU. Below I will analyze the first three aspects in
The history of the European Union has been a complex unification. Even though, it started as an economic integration project political cooperation arose, something that made the formation of a common European identity an important factor. The member states have created their national identities through myths, history and shared cultural background. In the case of the European Union, this can be classified as something extremely difficult due to the expanded differentiation among the nations of the European Union. Smith has argued that, “the concept of a united Europe formed of pluralism must be based on the idea of branches sprouting from a common tree, where the starting point is not ethnicity but shared cultural traditions” (1992). Therefore, the cultural aspect should be observed through a symbiotic relationship between European identity and national identities (Örkény 2011) rendering the utopian identification of the cultural aspect of European identity. Indeed as was mentioned in the previous paragraphs, European identity can coexist with national identity and they should not be perceived as exclusive. Smith supports this as well by arguing, “a unified Europe will magnify the virtues and defects of each of Europe's national identities, precisely because it has been built in their