8. Social Constructivism and European Integration

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Risse
Keyword(s):  
European Integration ◽  
Social Constructivism ◽  
Eu Enlargement ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
National Identities ◽  
European Identity ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Liberal Intergovernmentalism ◽  
Contested Meanings ◽  
Agency And Structure

This chapter examines social constructivism as an approach to the study of European integration and a challenge to more rationalist approaches such as liberal intergovernmentalism and versions of neofunctionalism. It first defines social constructivism before discussing the constructivist emphasis on the mutual constitutiveness of agency and structure, along with communicative and discursive practices, in the context of the study of European integration. It then considers the question of European identity as a particular subject area to which research inspired by social constructivism can contribute, paying attention to the contested nature of European identity, ‘Europeanness’ and national identities, and contested meanings of Europe and the European Union. The chapter also analyses constructivist contributions to the study of EU enlargement and concludes with reflections on the future of European integration research inspired by social constructivism.

“My European feelings are not only based on the fact that I live in Europe”

2002 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 175-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michał Krzyżanowski
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
European Union ◽  
European Integration ◽  
Economic Impact ◽  
National Identities ◽  
European Identity ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Collective Identities ◽  
European Citizenship ◽  
Identification Processes

Identity has recently become one of the most frequently theorised and explored topics within various sub-branches of social sciences. Collective identities in general, and their ancestry and construction in particular, are being perceived in different ways by historians, anthropologists, sociologists, political scientists and, last but not least, discourse-analysts. This article aims at shedding a new light on the concept of European identity, which, so far, has been most frequently analysed within the context of the European Union and its political and economic impact on European space. Despite drawing theoretically on some well-grounded traditions of research on European identity, such as, e.g., analysis of its contradiction and suplementariness with national identities, or, its interconnection with such concepts as European citizenship or European integration, the analysis of European identity presented here is put in the context of globally understood identification processes. Empirically, the article draws on the analysis of TV talk show thematically bound by the topics concerning European Union’s impact on national identities.

2. Federalism

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Burgess
Keyword(s):  
European Integration ◽  
Eu Enlargement ◽  
Second World War ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
The European Union ◽  
World War ◽  
Liberal Intergovernmentalism ◽  
Comparative Federalism ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Second World

This chapter examines the relationship between federalism and European integration, with the goal of demonstrating the relevance of the federal idea to the building of Europe. It first clarifies some fundamental concepts such as federalism, federation, confederation, the modern state, and European integration. It then considers federalist theory and practice, along with three strands of federalism that emerged after the Second World War: Jean Monnet’s ‘federalism by instalments’, Altiero Spinelli’s ‘democratic radicalism’, and ‘integral’, ‘personalist’, or Proudhonian federalism. The chapter proceeds by exploring comparative federalism and the insights it provides on the future shape of the European Union, the implications of liberal intergovernmentalism for federalism, and the ramifications of the evolution of the EU Constitution for federalism. Finally, it assesses the questions that the challenge of EU enlargement poses for federalism and the federalists.

16. Enlargement

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana E. Juncos ◽  
Nieves Pérez-Solórzano Borragán
Keyword(s):  
Social Constructivism ◽  
Eu Enlargement ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Liberal Intergovernmentalism ◽  
Geographical Expansion ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Euro Area Enlargement

This chapter examines the implications of enlargement for the shape and definition of Europe in general and for the institutional set-up and the major policies of the European Union in particular. It first provides a historical background on EU enlargement before discussing the enlargement process itself, with a focus on the use of conditionality and the role of the main actors involved. It then considers the contributions of neo-functionalism, liberal intergovernmentalism, and social constructivism to explaining the EU's geographical expansion. It also evaluates the success and prospect of future enlargement in the context of wider EU developments, especially the effect of the financial crisis in the euro area, ‘enlargement fatigue’, the domestic context in the candidate countries, and evolving relations with Russia.

European Integration Theory

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Political Economy ◽  
European Integration ◽  
Social Constructivism ◽  
Normative Theory ◽  
Integration Theory ◽  
The European Union ◽  
European Governance ◽  
Liberal Intergovernmentalism ◽  
Emerging Issues

European Integration Theory provides an overview of all the major approaches to European integration, from federalism and neofunctionalism to liberal intergovernmentalism, social constructivism, normative theory, and critical political economy. The three sections of the text examine the topics of ‘Explaining European Integration’, ‘Analysing European Governance’, and ‘Constructing the European Union’. Within these sections, each chapter reflects on the development, achievements and problems of a number of approaches, and discusses historical and current issues of European integration. The concluding chapter then comparatively assesses the strengths and weaknesses of each approach and looks at the emerging issues. This edition includes two new chapters on European integration theory and critical theory.

scholarly journals 1. Introducing the Mosaic of Integration Theory

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Diez ◽  
Antje Wiener
Keyword(s):  
European Integration ◽  
Social Constructivism ◽  
Critical Dimension ◽  
Normative Theory ◽  
Integration Theory ◽  
Policy Network ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Liberal Intergovernmentalism ◽  
System Part ◽  
General Organization

This edition explores integration theory, its various approaches, and how they have developed. It consists of three parts. Part One includes approaches that explain European integration. Part Two deals with approaches that try to understand and analyse the European Union as a type of political system. Part Three focuses on more recent approaches that add a critical dimension to studying the EU. The approaches covered in this edition include federalism, neofunctionalism, liberal intergovernmentalism, the policy network approach, social constructivism, normative theory, and critical political economy approaches. This introduction makes the case for the relevance of theory when studying European integration. It also discusses the phases of theorizing European integration, along with the comparative framework that provided the guide for the chapters. It also provides an overview of the pattern of each chapter and the volume's general organization.

Gazing at Fiction in Brussels: Europe as Forgery in David Černý's Entropa

2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lina Zigelyte
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Visual Representations ◽  
National Identities ◽  
Political Institution ◽  
European Identity ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Politics And Culture ◽  
National Stereotypes

This article explores issues of visual representations and the interaction between fiction and reality in the making of the ‘idea of Europe’. It specifically focuses on David Černý's installation Entropa, exhibited at the headquarters of the Council of the European Union in 2009. The article argues that, despite the use of national stereotypes as the most characteristic representational element of the installation, Entropa does not limit itself to a sardonic critique of a political institution and a ridicule of national identities. Rather, it unveils the uneasiness of facing European identity as fiction. Entropa challenges the boundary between theatricality and reality, because it is exhibited in a political institution. The installation is addressed as a narrative of confusion, where fiction and fact interact in the construction of ideas on Europe, its history, politics, and culture. Therefore, the article concludes, such interaction potentially accommodates a critical standpoint towards the idea of Europe itself.

scholarly journals European Identity Issues in the Era of Globalization

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 239
Author(s):  
Elira Luli
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Member State ◽  
National Interest ◽  
National Identities ◽  
State Model ◽  
European Identity ◽  
The European Union ◽  
National State ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
European Dimension

Globalization is already an uncontestable process nowadays. Its impacts have affected areas such as: economy, politics, geographical territorial boundaries, identity and national interest, style of life, customs and traditions. Thinking about globalization, the European Union is one of the proper indicators of free circulation of goods, people, products and services. In this context, EU member states are not just a unity of states who share benefits such as single market, currency, space, common civilization values and identity but also a division when it comes to questions related to national interest and national state model and role, sovereignty and ideological issues that some member state are such in obsolete manner attached to them. This paper will examine identity issues within the frame of European Union, in particular not implicitly the unifying factors such as art, culture and history but the divergences that stems from the fact of a single policy for a joint European national interest and speaking in one voice. Ultimately, as the globalization process continue to expand how possible will be to still cultivate culture diversity beyond national frames and extend national identities within a European dimension.

scholarly journals Particularities of the European Union enlargement process

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreea Bucur
Keyword(s):  
European Integration ◽  
Regional Integration ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Eu Enlargement ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Integration Model ◽  
European Union Enlargement ◽  
And Function ◽  
Positive Results ◽  
The Eu

The European integration model has proven to be so far a successful one, with a high consideration from the other countries of the world and their attempts to replicate its components and to learn from its experience of regional integration is perhaps the most sincere form of appreciation. Contemporary global economy knows various other models of economic integration, but none of the existing forms of regional integration was not up to the achievements of the EU which is distinguished primarily by the stage reached and function and<br />its ability to create unity in the context of diversity. Irreversible process, and currently ongoing, and designed to produce positive results in perspective, the enlargement is one of the most significant factors of European construction success, always accompanying its history, marking the development, institutional structure, mode of cooperation and its policies. For these reasons, the present paper aims to approach the European integration model by the factors that influenced the enlargement and also by the course of events that are reflected in so-called “waves” of EU enlargement.

scholarly journals Integration processes and identity: a view of the European youth

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-61
Author(s):  
Elena V. Viktorova ◽  
Daria A. Petrenko ◽  
Natalia V. Vlasova
Keyword(s):  
European Integration ◽  
National Identities ◽  
European Identity ◽  
Study Materials ◽  
Depth Interview ◽  
Study Results ◽  
European Values ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Impact ◽  
European Youth

The presented article, based on the empirical study materials, examines the concept of European identity and the attitude to the European integration of the young people in a number of the EU countries. The relevance of the study is determined by the lack of a clear definition of the concept of “European identity” in the scientific discourse, as well as the need to assess to what extent the opinion of Europeans, in particular of the younger generation, coincides with the statements of researchers in this field. The objective of this study is to determine how representatives of European youth understand European identity, to highlight its main elements and assess the impact of European integration processes on the formation of European and national identities. Students from European countries were selected as the target group of the study, since their worldview was formed in the context of a united Europe. The research was carried out within the framework of the Erasmus + Jean Monnet Project “Transformation of identities in Europe and Russia in modern conditions” (Project No. 611458-EPP-1-2019-1-RU-EPPJMO-PROJECT). In conducting the research, the in-depth interview was chosen as the main method.he results of the study showed that respondents, whilst identifying themselves as Europeans, still find their national identity more important. Among the elements of European identity, the respondents name, first of all, “European values” (mobility, freedom, democracy), as well as cultural (religion) and behavioral characteristics (love of travel). The study results are preliminary and allow us to identify the most significant trends in the formation of the modern European identity, that will serve as the basis for further research.

Two Countries in Crisis: Economic Inequality in the EU and Disidentification With Europe in Spain and Greece

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 888-906 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katerina Petkanopoulou ◽  
Ángel Sánchez-Rodríguez ◽  
Guillermo B. Willis ◽  
Xenia Chryssochoou ◽  
Rosa Rodríguez-Bailón
Keyword(s):  
Economic Inequality ◽  
Economic Recession ◽  
National Identities ◽  
European Identity ◽  
The European Union ◽  
National Sovereignty ◽  
Subjective Socioeconomic Status ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Fundamental Values ◽  
The Eu

European identity is currently facing important challenges. From the beginning, European identity has been related to the national identities of Member States with different economic strengths. The recent economic recession made these disparities salient across countries. In this research conducted in two countries with relative low status in the European Union (EU), we explored whether the perceived disparities in wealth between the countries of the EU—perceived economic inequality—predicted disidentification with Europe. We also examined the mediators of this relationship. Study 1, conducted in Spain, revealed that perceived economic inequality positively predicted disidentification with Europe; importantly, this effect remained when controlling for individuals’ subjective socioeconomic status and the perceived status of the country. The experience of fear of economic inequality in the EU mediated this relationship. The results of Study 1 were replicated comparing a Spanish sample (Study 2a) and a Greek sample (Study 2b). These studies delved deeper into the specific appraisals of fear that mediate the relationship between economic inequality and disidentification with Europe. Four categories of fear appraisals obtained in a preliminary qualitative study were measured as potential mediators: losing national sovereignty, worsening of living conditions, being negatively stereotyped, and Europe losing fundamental values. The relationship between economic inequality in the EU and disidentification with Europe was mediated by fear of losing national sovereignty and fear of Europe losing fundamental values.

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