Hostname: page-component-5c6d5d7d68-7tdvq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-08-11T07:05:18.669Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Instrumental and cultural considerations in constructing European identity among ethnic minority groups in Lithuania in a generational perspective

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2018

Natalia Waechter
Natalia Waechter*
Affiliation:
Department of Pedagogy, Education and Socialization Research, Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
*
*Email: natalia.waechter@lmu.de
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Research on European identity focuses mainly on majority populations in Western European countries without differentiating among specific population groups and generations, and, above all, disregarding ethnic minority groups living in Central and Eastern Europe. This paper addresses this gap by investigating the development of European identity among three ethnic minority groups in Lithuania: Belarusians, Poles, and Russians. Theoretically, the project is based on the instrumental approach, which argues that European identity is closely related to perceived benefits from “being European,” and on the cultural approach, which holds a common history, ancestry, and culture responsible for the development of European identity. Existing research has, above all, emphasized the importance of instrumental considerations. Analyzing qualitative interviews collected in the FP7 research project “ENRI-East,” the paper compares how young and adult members of ethnic minority groups construct European identity due to “instrumental” and “cultural” considerations. The results show that both instrumental and cultural considerations are relevant and further development of European identity depends on which age group or ethnic minority group an individual belongs to.

Keywords

European identityethnic minoritiesyoung peopleidentity constructiongenerations
Type
Articles
Information
Nationalities Papers , Volume 45 , Issue 4 , July 2017 , pp. 651 - 668
Copyright
Copyright © 2017 Association for the Study of Nationalities 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alekseeva, Olga, and Heinrich, Hans-Georg. 2013. Ethnic Minorities of Central and Eastern Europe in the Internet Space. A Computer-Assisted Content Analysis. Frankfurt on Main: Peter Lang.Google Scholar
Balogh, Brigitta, Bălţătescu, Sergiu, Bernáth, Krisztina, Biró-kaszás, Éva, and Hatos, Adrian, eds. 2011. “European, National and Regional Identity.” Proceedings of the International Conference “European, National and Regional Identity,” Oradea, March 24–26. Oradea: University of Oradea Publishing House.Google Scholar
Best, Marina. 2013. “The Ethnic Russian Minority: A Problematic Issue in the Baltic States.” Verges: Germanic & Slavic Studies in Review 2 (1): 33–41.Google Scholar
Bömelburg, Hans-Jürgen, Gestrich, Andreas, and Schnabel-Schule, Helga. 2013. “Die Teilungen Polen-Lithauens als Zäsur einer europäischen Strukturgeschichte.” In Die Teilungen Polen-Lithauens, edited by Hans-Jürgen Bömelburg, Andreas Gestrich, and Schnabel-Schüle, Helga, 9–36. Ösnabrück: fibre.Google Scholar
Bruter, Michael. 2005. Citizens of Europe? The Emergence of a Mass European Identity. Houndsmills: Palgrave Macmillan.Google Scholar
Chinn, Jeff, and Kaiser, Robert J. 1996. Russians as the New Minority. Ethnicity and Nationalism in the Soviet Successor States. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.Google Scholar
Chvorostov, Alexander. 2011. Final Report: ENRI-East. Interplay of European, National and Regional Identities: Nations between States along the New Eastern Borders of the European Union. Vienna: Institute for Advanced Studies, http://www.abdn.ac.uk/socsci/research/new-europe-centre/enrieast-project-364.php.Google Scholar
Chvorostov, Alexander, and Waechter, Natalia. 2011. “Moved Peoples and Borders: Research on the Interplay of Ethnic, National and Regional Identities in Central and Eastern Europe.” Slovak Journal of Political Sciences 11 (3): 179–186.Google Scholar
Eurobarometer. 2013. Eurobarometer 79.5. Soziodemographischer Anhang. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/pdf/eurobarometre/2013/election/eb79_5_annexe_sociodemographique_de.pdf.Google Scholar
Fligstein, Neil. 2008. Euroclash. The EU, European Identity, and the Future of Europe. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Fligstein, Neil, Polyakova, Alina, and Sandholtz, Wayne. 2012. “European Integration, Nationalism and European Identity.” In Journal of Common Market Studies 50 (51): 106–122.Google Scholar
Friedrich, Karin, and Pendzich, Barbara M. 2009. “Preface.” In Citizenship and Identity in a Multinational Commonwealth. Poland-Lithuania in Context, 1550–1772, edited by Friedrich, Karin and Pendzich, Barbara M., xv-xix. Leiden: Brill.Google Scholar
Gabel, Matthew, and Palmer, Harvey D. 1995. “Understanding Variation in Public Support of European Integration.” Journal of Political Research 27 (1): 3–19.Google Scholar
Hadler, Markus, Chin, Lynn, and Tsusui, Kiyoteru. 2012. “All or Nothing. Identity Bonding to Europe, the Nation, or Neither in a Changing Geopolitical Environment.” In Crossing Borders, Shifting Boundaries. National and Transnational Identities in Europe and Beyond, edited by Höllinger, Franz and Hadler, Markus, 237–262. Frankfurt-on-Main: Campus.Google Scholar
Herrmann, Richard K., and Brewer, Marilynn B. 2004. “Identities and Institutions: Becoming European in the EU.” In Transnational Identities: Becoming European in the EU, edited by Richard K. Herrmann, Thomas Risse, and Brewer, Marilynn B., 1–24. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.Google Scholar
Jiménez, Antonia M.R., Górniak, Jaroslaw J., Kosic, Ankica, Kiss, Paszkal, and Kandulla, Maren. 2004. “European and National Identities in EU's Old and New Member States: Ethnic, Civic, Instrumental and Symbolic Components.” European Integration Online Papers 8 (11). http://eiop.or.at/eiop/texte/2004-011a.htm.Google Scholar
Karolewski, Ireneusz P. 2006. “Citizenship and Collective Identity in Europe.” In European Identity: Theoretical Perspectives and Empirical Insights, edited by Karolewski, Ireneusz P. and Kaina, Viktoria, 23–58. Münster: LIT.Google Scholar
Kössler, Karina. 2013. Minderheitenschutz in Polen und Litauen. Ein Vergleich der Rechtslage und Rechtsanwendung im Lichte völkerrechtlicher Vorgaben. Bozen: EURAC.Google Scholar
Kraus, Peter A. 2008. A Union of Diversity. Language, Identity and Polity-Building in Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Macháček, Ladislav. 2011. “Slovak Republic and Its Hungarian Ethnic Minority: Sociological Reflections.” Slovak Journal of Political Sciences 11 (3): 187–209.Google Scholar
Matulionis, Arvydas, Beresnevičiūtė, Vida, Leončikas, Tadas, Frejute-Rakauskiene, Monika, Šliavaitė, Kristina, Heinrich, Hans-Georg, and Alekseeva, Olga. 2011. ENRI-East Research Reports No. 7 (The Belarusian Minority in Lithuania), No. 8 (The Polish Minority in Lithuania), and No. 9 (The Russian Minority in Lithuania), edited by Heinrich, Hans-Georg and Vienna, Alexander Chvorostov. http://www.abdn.ac.uk/socsci/research/new-europe-centre/enrieast-project-364.php.Google Scholar
Matysiak, Ilona. 2014. “Ethnic Identity as Stigma in Life Experiences of Different Generations: The Case of Belarusian and Ukrainian Minorities in Poland.” Nationalities Papers: The Journal of Nationalism and Ethnicity 42 (6): 1002–1014.Google Scholar
Mayering, Philipp. 2000. “Qualitative Content Analysis.” In Forum Qualitative Social Research 1 (2), Art. 20. http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/1089/2383.Google Scholar
Nurse, Lyudmila. 2013. “Biographical Approach in the Study of Identities of Ethnic Minorities in Eastern Europe.” In Realist Biography and European Policy, edited by Turk, Jeffrey D. and Mrozowicki, Adam, 115–140. Leuven: Leuven University Press.Google Scholar
Smith, Anthony D. 1992. “National Identity and the Idea of European Unity.” International Affairs 68 (1): 55–76.Google Scholar
Snyder, Timothy. 2003. The Reconstruction of Nations. Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, 1569–1999. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.Google Scholar
Spannring, Reingard, Wallace, Claire, and Datler, Georg. 2008. “What Leads Young People to Identify with Europe? An Exploration of the Impact of Exposure to Europe and Political Engagement on European Identity among Young Europeans.” Perspectives in European Politics and Society 9 (4): 480–498.Google Scholar
Lithuania, Statistics. 2002. Gyventojai pagal lytį, amžių, tautybę ir tikybą/Population by Sex, Age, Ethnicity, and Religion. Vilnius: Statistikos departamentas prie Lietuvos Respublikos Vyriausybės.Google Scholar
Székely, István G., and Horváth, István. 2014. “Diversity Recognition and Minority Representation in Central and Southeast Europe: A Comparative Analysis.” Nationalities Papers: The Journal of Nationalism and Ethnicity 42 (3): 426–448.Google Scholar
Tchistiakova, Natalia, and Waechter, Natalia. 2016. “How National Identification Matters: The Development of European Identification among Established Ethnic Minority Groups.” Identities. Global Studies in Culture and Power 23 (6): 725–744.Google Scholar
Verhaegen, Soetkin, Hooghe, Marc, and Quintelier, Ellen. 2014. “European Identity and Support for European Integration: A Matter of Perceived Economic Benefits?” Kyklos 67 (2): 295–314.Google Scholar
Waechter, Natalia, and Samoilova, Evgenia. 2012. “Attitudes Towards Europe. Ethnical and National Differences Across Central and Eastern European Border Regions.” In Twenty Years Later 1991–2011. The Reshaping of Space and Identity. The Proceedings of the International Congress Moscow, September 29–October 1, 2011, edited by Arel, Dominique, Pivovar, Efim, Radvanyi, Jean, and Tishkov, Valery, 367–376. Moscow: Russian State University for the Humanities.Google Scholar
Waechter, Natalia, and Samoilova, Evgenia. 2013. “The Formation of European Identity: Ethnic Minority Groups at the CEE Borderlands in Generational Perspective.” Conference Paper. 11th ESA Conference “Crisis, Critique and Change.” University of Turin, Italy, August 28–31.Google Scholar
Waechter, Natalia, and Samoilova, Evgenia. 2014. “European Identity and Its Relationship to National and Ethnic Identities among Younger and Older Members of Ethnic Minority Groups.” Slovak Journal of Political Sciences 14 (2): 99–120.Google Scholar
Wallace, Claire, and Str⊘msnes, Kristin. 2008. “Introduction: European Identities.” Perspectives in European Politics and Society 9 (4): 378–380.Google Scholar