In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a compelling question arises, could this event have brought Europeans closer? Armed conflicts often strengthen in-group identity as individuals seek safety from external threats. This study speculates that the perceived threat of the invasion might have intensified emotional attachments to Europe across the continent. Additionally, it explores how the response differed between Western Europe and Central and Eastern European countries. This study bases its conceptualization, hypotheses, and interpretations on social identity theory, alongside a comprehensive review of the literature on armed conflict and identity. Utilizing a quasi-experimental method to investigate the probable causal link and using 12 countries from the 10th round of the European Social Survey to generalize the findings across a diverse European population. The findings reveal that Europeans did not develop a stronger sense of European identity in response to the invasion, suggesting that Europeans do not perceive Europe as a meaningful identity to unite under or seek safety in when military conflicts intensify on the continent. This study contributes to the understanding that the European project, along with its socio-political efforts, has been relatively unsuccessful in establishing itself as a significant unifying point when conflicts intensify.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:su-230859 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Portolani, Lyon |
| Publisher | Stockholms universitet, Sociologiska institutionen |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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