GEMENSAMMA RÖTTER, GEMENSAM FRAMTID? En studie av europeisk identitet i Tjeckien och Slovakien.

Abstract

Since the dissolution of Czechoslovakia the Czech and Slovak republics have parted ways and developed into different countries. Previous research has identified several factors that play an important role for individuals who identify with Europe. Social class and urban vs. rural life are among those factors. The aim of this study is twofold. The first part of this study examines the evolution of a European identity in the Czech and Slovak republics over time. The second purpose of this study is to analyse the important factors of individual identification with Europe and whether the factors differ in a comparison between the two countries. Previous research has studied European identity in a broader perspective and it is common to include every country of the European Union when studying identity construction. The case of Czech Republic and Slovakia are therefore going to provide a narrower and detailed analysis of identity construction as well as a comparison between the countries. The individual factors of social class and urban vs. rural life are highly important to people's daily lives in terms of education, economy and employment. The result of the linear regression analysis shows that social class plays an important role in the identity construction of individuals in both countries and that individuals in urban cities in the Czech Republic feel European to a great extent, but not in Slovakia. Future research is discussed.