3.1 Conference on European Identities

When & where: 21-23 September 2006, Prague (the Czech Republic)

Organizing Institutions: The Centre for Social and Economic Studies, Charles University, Prague and University of Aberdeen

The issue of identities has become an important one in social research, engaging the attention of political scientists, social psychologists, social anthropologists, historians and others. The conference will concentrate mainly upon contemporary European identities and the factors that affect them. The relationship to national identities is explored as part of this conference, since there is a range of different orientations to European identities depending upon the national context, which is in turn a product of specific cultural and historical events.

The aim of this discussion is to introduce a broader social perspective on European identities, by setting this issue within the context of social change in Europe. Another important focus would be divisions between countries (Northern, Southern, Eastern Europe) and social divisions within countries (age, gender, social class etc.) in terms of the way in which these construct or contribute towards different forms of identification with Europe. The conference touches upon key CINEFOGO themes, including citizenship, participation and civil society in the construction (or weakening) of European identities. The aim is to integrate different approaches and to develop one, which incorporates social structure and cleavages. The conference will draw upon a range of empirical materials in order to furnish an original approach to the topic.

Themes to be covered in the conference: Theoretical concepts of Europe, Approaches to European identity, Patterns of European identity (from the Eurobarometer) / Time zones of Europe (a tentative typology) / European identity from the point of view of the European Commission / Aspects of European identity (centrifugal and centripetal forces): Science, Art, Sport, Cities, Tourism, Religion, Participation and Europeanisation / Social structural differences. Cross-European cleavages: social class, education, age, economic status, urban-rural differences, religion, ethnic group, gender / Case studies: Gypsies/Roma, Muslims, Exchange Students etc.

The aim of the conference is to present papers that will be published as part of a book. The aim of the book is to take an interdisciplinary perspective on European Identities. Not all papers will necessarily be included because they need to cohere together in terms of quality and theme.

Contact: Claire Wallace, claire.wallace@abdn.ac.uk