Europeans: essays on culture and identity

Book abstract:

A group of European academics were asked to use their own personal perspectives to discuss the topic of national identity in Europe. In this volume, their responses to this challenge give an insight into a community of people who are drawn together for political reasons, yet who retain their distinctive cultural identity. This book consists of a series of scholarly 'snapshots' covering a range of topics illuminating the cultural diversity of the European arena. The first theme to be presented is a collection of papers depicting national cultural characteristics; verbal communication in Sweden, the British class society reflected in the British at the dinner table, the Irish way of life, French educational policy. There follows papers dealing with the current unification process, all from a specific national standpoint. Two of these touch directly on the European Union; Marianne Gullestad gives a broad cultural analysis of the Norwegian 'no' to the European Union and Sören Jansson writes on changes in consumer values in Sweden indicating some connections with the newly established membership of the EU. Next there are three papers developing a comparative cross-cultural perspective looking at the position of Denmark as 'gatekeeper' between the Nordic countries and continental Europe, a piece about the Finns as contrasted with the Swedes, and there is an extensive paper on the modern history of the Iberian Peninsula. Another aspect of diversity is presented in two papers discussing the 'cultural division' of the nation state. A final paper deals with contemporary economic strains on the once extremely wealthy landed aristocracy in Italy and with their strategies for defending the ownership and survival of their old castles, manor houses and country residences. Altogether, this is a fascinating collection of essays on what it means to be European