Suchergebnisse

'Die Europäische Union regelt in immer stärkerem Maß das Leben der Europäischen BürgerInnen, nicht nur im ökonomischen sondern im politischen und sozialen Bereich. Dennoch sind Wissen über und Interesse an diesen Entwicklungen gering. In diesem Zusammenhang ist die Einstellung junger Menschen als zukünftige WählerInnen und BürgerInnen besonders wichtig. Basierend auf einer Studie unter insgesamt 3890 18-24 Jährigen in 10 europäischen Regionen werden Faktoren analysiert, die das Interesse an Europäischer Integration und die Absicht sich an Wahlen zum Europäischen Parlament zu beteiligen, fördern. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Aspekte der 'Aktivierung' wie 'political efficacy' (wahrgenommene politische Wirksamkeit), Diskussionen politischer und sozialer Themen und das persönliche Interesse an einer Reihe von politischen und sozialen Fragen, beide Einstellungen beeinflussen. Zusätzlich stellte sich die emotionale Verbundenheit mit Europa als weiterer wichtiger Faktor heraus. Für die 'Aktivierung' spielt neben soziodemographischen Variablen 'citizenship education' (politische Bildung) eine wichtige Rolle. Art und Ausmaß von 'citizenship education' variieren beträchtlich zwischen den untersuchten Ländern. Die Daten unterstreichen somit die Bedeutung von 'citizenship education' im Allgemeinen und einer europäischen Ausrichtung im Speziellen.' (Autorenreferat)

Was hält Europa zusammen? Was ist das Fundament einer EU-Bürgerschaft in sozialer, kultureller, ökonomischer und politischer Hinsicht? Dieses Buch stellt die zentrale Frage nach den sozialen Grundlagen der Europäischen Union. Mittels einer Analyse des Konzeptes der "European Civil Society" zeigen die Autoren, dass dieses eine aussichtsreichere Basis für die Entwicklung einer wahren "Schicksalsgemeinschaft" darstellt als das Konzept der europäischen Identität. Zunächst werden die theoretischen und normativen Untermauerungen des Konzeptes analysiert und ein Verständnis einer Bürgerschaft entworfen, das das Mehrebenensystem der Europäischen Union berücksichtigt. Sodann wird dieses Modell in verschiedenen Bereichen (Zivilgesellschaft, Europäische Institutionen) und Ebenen (lokal, regional, national und supranational) angewendet und überprüft.Der Band ist nicht nur spannend für Europa- und Politikwissenschaftler, sondern auch für Praktiker in EU-Politik und Zivilgesellschaft

This book is a study of the multiple meanings of European citizenship, which has been represented and publicly communicated by the European Commission in five distinctive ways - Homo Oeconomicus (1951-1972), A People's Europe (1973-1992), Europe of Transparency (1993-2004), Europe of Agorai (2005-2009) and Europe of Rights (2010-2014). The public communication of these five distinct representations of European citizenship reveal how the European Commission conceived of and attempted to facilitate the development of a Civil Europe. Ultimately this history, which is based upon an analysis of public communication policy papers and interviews with senior European Commission officials past and present, tells a story about changing identities and about who we as Europeans might actually be and what kind of Europe we might actually belong to.

In this paper, an argument is developed in favour of further integration of "Europe" and, most importantly, its increased "politicization". It is not based on any romantic or idealistic vision of a positive European cultural identity, but on an assessment of Europe's reality as already integrated economically, socially and ecologically, however lagging behind politically in terms of democratic government and citizenship. The seemingly endless discussions about Europe's identity, limit, unity, civilization, etc. are not a problem that is yet to be solved, but are, precisely, the core of what makes Europe what it is: a plurality in unity instead of a "unity in plurality", as one of the official slogans of the European Union (EU) has it. Current social, economic and environmental problems require European solutions as well as a more active European citizenship. However, European civil identity that is to match European societal reality, will not be a unitary and homogeneous identity, but heterogeneous and diverse, covering a plurality of perceptions, preferences and ideals ‐ it will be plural, not as a first step towards unity, but in its core; and it will be divided, but not along national lines.

Examines citizenship practices & institutions of the European Union (EU), drawing on a wide variety of research to compare the actual situation against the theoretical concept of liberal democratic citizenship. Rights & identity provide a minimalistic formulation of democracy & citizenship. Because citizenship is sustained by more than common political institutions, a public identity must be fostered at the level of the EU even though geography may not become obsolete. Because an important aspect of such identities -- institutional accountability -- is judged lacking, it is concluded that European citizenship has little or no contemporary validity. E. Munson

We could expect that the introduction of the single currency had been accompanied by a significant share of studies and researches about the implications and impacts of such a watershed event on European citizenship. On the contrary, we soon discover to be facing a paradox, which could be phrased as follows: while the purpose of building European citizenship is the very rationale for the project of the single currency, the Scholars – but also the policy community – have mostly underestimated if not neglected this relation, both in terms of public policy making and discourse and of interpretation and forecasting. As a consequence of all of that, relevant features of the single currency happened to remain hidden, poorly considered and almost not thematized. In order to fill this gap, the first part of this article will present the main findings emerged from a documentary research conducted by FONDACA between 2010 and 2011, aimed at mapping the existing academic and policy thematizations about the hidden dimensions of the euro. The second part will be devoted to define "the other side of the coin" as an empirical phenomenon.

Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Contents -- Chapter 1 A Civil Europe -- 1 The European Commission and the Stimulation of a European Civil Consciousness -- 2 European Citizenship -- The National Approach to European Citizenship -- The Socio-Historical Policy Analysis Approach -- The Cosmopolitan Post-national Approach to European Citizenship -- 3 Five Representations of European Citizenship -- Notes -- References -- chapter 2 Homo Oeconomicus (1951-1972) -- 1 All Things Fall and Are Built Again1

Although traumatic, the ongoing Brexit process does not fundamentally alter either the legal status of European citizenship or the debates about it within the European Union (EU). Citizenship and free movement are so fundamental to the European project that even the new status of an important state like the UK does not change the political dynamics surrounding them.