What leads young people to identify with Europe?: An exploration of "exposure" to Europe and resources for identification among young Europeans

Abstract: The paper explores the resources and experiences which allow young people to develop their identification with Europe. We take into consideration mobility experience, migration experience and knowledge of foreign European languages as factors of "exposure" to Europe and the everyday face-to-face discussion of political and social issues as well as learning about the EU at school as aspects of cognitive mobilization towards Europe. Empirical evidence shows that "exposure" to Europe andcognitive mobilization towards Europe are important prerequisites for identification with Europe. Therefore identification with Europe cannot be treated separately from the resources that may induce the process of identification. As these resources are unequally distributed, the paper points to the importance of concepts of social inequality in understanding identification with Europe. The paper draws upon sample surveys of young people between 18 and 24 carried out in 10 European regions: Bilbao, Madrid, Edinburgh, Manchester, Chemnitz, Bielefeld, Prague, Bratislava, Vorarlberg and Vienna (N=3890) in the course of the multi-national research project "Orientations of Young Men and Women to Citizenship and European Identity", funded by the European Commission within its 5th Framework Programme.