The question of whether Britain should remain in or leave the European Union has become one of identity. Does Britain see itself as part of this project or is it different? So it makes sense for anyone still undecided on which way to vote to ask themselves a similar question.<\/p>\n
In our research, we\u2019ve found that how people see their own identity connects to how they understand the world to be organised \u2013 including how they see the European Union.<\/p>\n
In less tense times, between 2008 and 2013, we asked 100 people<\/a> across seven European cities, including Edinburgh, Glasgow and London, whether they considered themselves to be citizens of the EU. We asked a range of people \u2013 an equal number of men and women and an equal number of migrants and non-migrants. Our migrants came from both within and outside the EU. We talked to people about European ideals and asked them about migration, whether they travelled or were likely to move.<\/p>\n People who identified as British or English above anything else, saw the EU as democratically deficient and out of touch. They emphasised the distinctiveness of countries and saw the world as a \u201cworld of nations\u201d.<\/p>\n Scotland continues to debate<\/a> whether the UK or Europe should be its union of choice. And sure enough, we found a greater variance in the way people saw themselves in the two Scottish cities than in the others we visited. Some also saw the world as a \u201cworld of nations\u201d. To be Scottish or British was an exclusive identity and the EU was distant and out of touch.<\/p>\n Others comfortably combined their Scottish identity with a European identity \u2013 here Scotland was understood as a country within the European Union. Both these views of the world have a protectionist feel. The first is the classic sovereignty position we have heard so much about. The second frames the world as bounded regions.<\/p>\n Those who had this more regional outlook regarded mobility as important for the region to be an effective player in the world. Such people saw the collective benefits of easy short-haul travel. European holidays, working with European counterparts, visiting a relative who lives in France, travelling to Europe for work or settling for a time in the rest of Europe, all reinforced a sense of the value of European regional cooperation.<\/p>\n Things get more complicated still for ethnic minority citizens who attached salience to their heritage. Irrespective of how much they moved around in Europe, these citizens often didn\u2019t identify as \u201cEuropean\u201d and felt they were rarely perceived by others as European<\/a>. These interviewees were more likely to see themselves as part of \u201cone world\u201d, rather than one defined by nation or regions. They focused on solidarity and common humanity. The EU risked, for them, becoming a cold and overblown \u201cfortress\u201d project.<\/p>\nWhat\u2019s your heritage?<\/h2>\n