Economic, Political and Social Identity in the European Union
Professor John Wilton
Lecture 1
Identity as a concept: the ‘narrative of identity’

                                                                      Timetable
ALL CLASSES WILL TAKE PLACE AT ESF
14.4.23 (Room S305)      16.00. Lecture 1 and Lecture 2
17.4.23 (Room S305)      16.00  Lecture 3 and Lecture 4
21.4.23          NO CLASS
28.4.23 (Room S306)      09.30  Lecture 5 and Lecture 6
03.5.23 (Room S315)      09.30  Lecture 7 and Lecture 8
05.5.23          NO CLASS
10.5.23  (Room S315)      10.00  Workshop
18.05.23  SUBMISSION OF ESSAY  - Essays to be submitted by email to jitaly25@hotmail.com or through
the  Masaryk University Information System

Lecture 1
1.What we mean by ‘identity’ – the theoretical concept.
2.  The symbols and processes that contribute to the production of identity at the national level
1.
3.  Processes that could produce and promote a European Union identity

Lecture 1
-THE ‘NARRATIVE OF THE NATION’
- national history
- literature
- through the media
- through popular culture
                            these provide:
- a set of stories, images, historical events, national symbols and rituals
       …. which represent
- the shared experiences, triumphs and disasters,  which give meaning to the nation.

Lecture 1
- Processes and symbols contributing to production of an E.U. identity:-
E.U. flag (cultural)
E.U. anthem – ‘Ode to Joy’ Beethoven’s 9th symphony                            (cultural)
E.U. laws and regulations (political)
Harmonisation of European statistics (political, social            and economic)
Educational and cultural exchanges (cultural and social)
E.U. institutions (political and economic)
E.U. passport (political and social)
Euro?? (economic, social and political)

Lecture 1
“The nine member states shared the same attitudes to life, based on determination to build a
society which measures up to the needs of the individual, that each wished to ensure that the
cherished values of their legal, political and moral order are respected. And that all were
determined to defend the principles of representative democracy, the rule of law, social justice
(the ultimate goal of economic progress) and respect for human rights.”
                       (Commission of the European Community, 1973)

Lecture 1
      SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT:
- establishing over time a greater degree of mutual acceptance or tolerance amongst the different
peoples (different populations of each state) of the E. U.
- through processes such as:
   - education
   - cultural exchanges
   - communication processes
   - economic and political processes
   - social celebrations/anniversaries/festivals