Thirteen papers were presented at the conference, which will be turned into a book, co-edited by Professor Claire Wallace and Kristin Stromsnes. Two of the messages at the conference were presented by Sophie Duchesne from Sciences Po in Paris and by Nikolai Tilkidjiev and Siyka Kovacheva from CESES in Prague.

A need to develop a concept of identification with Europe!

Sophie Duchesne emphasized that there is a need to develop a concept of identification with Europe - a concept where the different processes should start from the former identification with the nations. In this way Duchesne foresee better understanding of identity change although processes as political and social characteristics in European identification lead us to contradictory hypotheses about the relationships between national and European identifications. But as she says: “we have to face complexity and accept that different processes are under way whose effects are sometimes and often contradictory”. She ends her presentation by saying: “We cannot be sure that European identity will ever be; but I am convinced that it is yet only work in progress”.

Similarities between different social structures form the European Identity!

Also Nikolai Tilkidjiev and Siyka Kovacheva emphasized that the formation of European Identity is a complex process influenced by the interplay of social structures and values, where social classes, strata, occupational categories, age, gender and ethnic groups play substantial but different roles in the construction of modern European societies and European Union integration. Kovacheva and Tilkidjiev say: The European project needs e.g. legitimacy among citizens, support to the European institutions, shared cultural values and perceived common fate which is found in the similarities between social structures. They emphasized that the the European project today is an elite driven project which means that political, economic and cultural elites have the highest degree of identification with Europe. In order to achieve a European Identity, Kovacheva and Tilkidjiev conclude: “there is a need to define strategies and policies for differentiated support for the different social actors".

All workshop papers are available to download from the CINEFOGO outcomes database:
http://cinefogo.cuni.cz/index.php?&id_result=1341&l=0&w=16&id_event=20

If you are interested in hearing more about the conference or some of the topics, do not hesitate to contact scientific communications consultant Ellen-Kristina Kristensen on telephone number +45 4674 3307 or mail ellenk@ruc.dk

Source web: http://www.cinefogo.org/workpackages/wp8/wp8-workshop-european-identities