The New Europe
Europe Old and New
Based on Taras, Ray. 2008. Europe Old and New:
Transnationalism, Belonging, Xenophobia. Lanham,
MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Reading: Introduction and Chapter 1, sections
ÒInevitable Convergence,Ó ÒThe Integrationist Momentum of the West,Ó and ÒThe
Communist Legacy in the East.Ó
Begins with an allusion to
HuntingtonÕs Clash of Civilizations
Rather than a clash between
civilizations, Taras calls our attention to clashes WITHIN civilizations, European
civilization
Hints at a CULTURAL DIVIDE
between ÒoldÓ and ÒnewÓ Europe
Reference?
Quip
by then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in 2003 lead up to Iraq invasion
As Taras characterizes them
here,
The
Old Europe
What
countries?
What
values?
What strategic orientation?
The
New Europe
What
countries?
What
values?
What
strategic orientation?
TarasÕs Project:
To describe the contestation occurring
today over European identity
Among political elites
Cultural
elites
European
citizens
Immigrants
ÒOthersÓ
He gives us a detailed
explication of
*Political identity, nationalism,
transnationalism, cosmopolitanism
*Feelings of belonging to EuropeÕs
various political communities
*Insider/outsider
dynamics in the new united Europe
Quoting
Nira Yuval-Davis:
If citizenship signifies the participatory dimension of
belonging, identification relates to the more emotive dimension of
association. Feeling that one is
part of a collectivity, a community, a social category, or yearning to be so,
is not the same as actually taking part in a political community with all the
rights and responsibilities involved(1-2).
WhoÕs
in, whoÕs out
Who
belongs, who can belong, who can never belong
ÒThe WestÕsÓ Political
Culture
liberal
inclusive
civic
multicultural
ÒtolerantÓ
post-materialist
Growing out of WestÕs
post-war experiences
Healing the relationship between
France and Germany
Binding their economic interests
together to create political cooperation, peace
Political
model: Social democracy
Social solidarity
Why?
Results:
Economic
prosperity
Social
cohesion
Peace
ÒThe EastÕsÓ Post-War
Experience
Different
Soviet
domination
***Unintended consequence of (W) European
integration
East
isolated, left to its own devices
Sold
down the river to the Soviets
Soviet
Economic Model
Forced
industrialization/Autarky
Central
Planning
Results
of the Soviet Economic Model
Continued
economic backwardness
Lower Standards of Living
Leading
to the persistence of Materialist Values
Soviet
Political Model
Un-civic
political culture
Top-down
decision making
Manufacturing
the appearance of public participation
State control of all organization
Media censorship
Political control of education,
intellectuals
Atheism, anti-religion
Lasting
Effects of the Soviet Political Model
Resurgent
nationalism
In Poland, religiosity, closer
correspondence between Catholic doctrine and public policy
Less participatory political cultures
Deep-seated longing to Òreturn to Europe,Ó prove their European pedigree
Need for security, protection from
Russia
TarasÕs contribution
Focuses
our attention on the subjective aspects of European integration
How
political elites and cultural elites try to manufacture or
CONSTRUCT
Europe
European
identity
He
calls this process ÒEuropeanizationÓ
Òthe
open ended process of constructing European societyÓ (7)
European Integration
An elite driven process
Sense of belonging, citizenship,
democratic
Legitimacy often missing
No
visceral connection to Europe
Elite Values vs. Mass Values
Tolerance vs. xenophobia
Multiculturalism vs. cultural
particularism
Trans-nationalism vs. nationalism
Cosmopolitanism vs. parochialism
Why is it important to
consider these differences?
Given deep seated and intensely
felt public attitudes on identity and belonging it seems imperative that the
construction of an attractive—if less politically correct—political
home needs more accurately to reflect the values of citizens—wart and
all—than elite propositions, which anyway may go down as the false
consciousness of our age (10).