RICERCA ITALIANA     

Becoming European. Actors, networks and processes in the construction of European identity

Università degli Studi di Salerno

Abstract

Our research deals with some networks, actors and institutions involved in the Europeanization of the Italian society. We aim to catch almost at its nascent stage the Europeanization of identities, norms and codes of action, ways of thinking and lifestyles. The different analyses conducted in the various projects are centered upon the construction of the European society as it results from two processes. The first one develops at the level of civil society, as a strategic whole of actions, relations and behavioural codes of individual and collective actors who view- more or less- Europe as the symbolic horizon within which the construction of their identity must be placed; the second one develops at the level of institutions as a strategic whole of actions taken by the European Union institutions or other public and private institutions that propose to take Europe as a framework of reference to actors, networks, associations and other institutions. The investigations planned by the project try to grasp the traits of the European society as they are emerging in the Italian society.
One of the aims of our research is to work out a model for the Europeanization process that could possibly be used to study other national settings.
Our research will specifically deal with some segments of population, social networks, associations or parts of institutions. They have been selected by means of a basic standard: their major or minor involvement in the Europeanization >>>

Principal Investigator

Vittorio COTESTA Università degli Studi di SALERNO

Research Objectives

In today’s globalized world, wavering between multipolarity and imperial designs, Europe seems to have trouble finding its own place. Such trouble appears to originate precisely from uncertainty about European identity. It is neither a state nor a nation, it has no constitution but it has its own currency (the Euro), that nevertheless is not circulated throughout Europe. What is Europe then? What will be its future identity like? The generally-accepted way to tackle this issue is to go back to the European states’ history: states create nations, nations create states. The European Union does not follow this path, therefore it is pointless to try and understand it by that approach. The European Union is a unique, sui generis reality. It arose from a great project for cooperation among states, it adopted the method of nonstop negotiation on open issues, it has formulated principles and directives, but it has never imposed codes, norms and laws. Moreover, the Union lacks the fundamental feature of a state organization: the monopoly of legitimate violence. While history – and not only European history- proves that a state, once it is established, tries to expand its borders forcing its sovreignty upon other peoples (its neighbours are most at risk), countries that wish to become members of the Union must stand the test of a lengthy procedure: if they pass muster, they then become “member-States of the Union”. If compared with the past, the European >>>

First Results

The work carried out in this phase will yield the final elaboration of research hypotheses and preparation of survey and data collection tools to be used in the subsequent phase. Expected products are layouts of interviews and, in some cases, exploratory interviews, annotated bibliographies on the subjects under study. We plan to circulate such products only within the research groups taking part in the general project.Various materials: interviews and focus groups protocols; database derived from interviews and questionnaires administered to samples; early reports on research findings and short analyses of the importance and value of the products obtained in the two research phases.The products expected at this stage are short reports on the quality of collected material, general reports on the overall results obtained by means of the investigations.The products expected in this last phase of research are papers in the form of working papers, books or short monographic studies. A publication containing the overall results will be edited by the research Coordinator

Timescale

24 months

National and international background

1.Research theoretical background and aims.
The project originates from the long-standing cooperation among the Universities of Florence, Genova, Perugia, Salerno and Trento both in terms of scientific activity and of high school education (master degree).
The research theoretical framework takes as its points of reference both sociological studies (Mendras, 1999; Crouch, 1999; Delanty, 1995 and 1998; Thernborn,1995; Eder, 2004; Cahloun,2003; Smith, 1992 and 1995) and political science studies of the Europeanization of the European Union member-States national contexts (Checkel 2000, Featherstone 1998; Kohler-Koch 1996; Radaelli 2000).
The present project tries to take another step forward in the study of the European identity and of the Europeanization of national societies. At the theoretical level it subscribes to a different definition of the European identity and of the process of becoming European. Future Europe, whatever its characteristics may be, will result from two interpenetrating processes:
- the first one develops at the social level, being a bottom-up process that manifests itself as voluntary action taken by citizens, who experience the European dimension through the mechanisms of social participation, of communication activated even informally via the social networks connecting groups, of interaction among more institutionalized networks and associations, such as professional associations, representative bodies and agencies and >>>