Media studies, Vol. 8 No. 15, 2017.
Preliminary communication
https://doi.org/10.20901/ms.8.15.3
EUens – The Rise of a New Identity Driven by Social Media
Domagoj Bebić
orcid.org/0000-0002-3316-2538
; Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Dijana Eraković
; PhD student in Political Philosophy at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities of the University of Rijeka, Croatia
Milica Vučković
; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Political Science, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The goal of this study is twofold: firstly, we want to explore specific identity that has been emerging as a consequence of many EU-related changes (e.g. development of transport, ICT, increasing number of different EU programs and new EU policies); secondly, we want to test the role of social media in building this new identity that we call EUens (European Union citizens). Conducting in-depth interviews with 25 EUens we find that some issues which are commonly seen as important factors in European identity construction, such as class and political attitudes, do not play any significant role in constructing European identity for members of our group. Secondly, our analysis suggests that social media have potential of becoming important driver of European identity.
Keywords
European identity; Euens; European Union; national identity; social media
Hrčak ID:
187459
URI
Publication date:
15.6.2017.
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