News

  • 23.05.13 MEPs vote to protect the cultural exception in the EU-USA free trade agreement Read more...
  • 23.05.13 Join Culture Action Europe in the first European Citizens’ Summit ever Read more...
  • 16.05.13 The Chair of the EP CULT committee answers to our call in defense of the ‘Creative Europe’ budget Read more...
  • 02.05.13 President of the 'S&D' group in the EP Hannes Swoboda answers to the cultural and creative sectors' concerns about the future budget of Creative Europe Read more...
  • 23.04.13 CAE member VVC celebrates 40 years of cultural centres in Flanders! Read more...
  • 11.04.13 NEMO publishes letter of concern regarding PSI directive on re-use of public sector information Read more...
  • 08.04.13 Letter to President Barroso signed by more than 250 cultural organisations and artists Read more...
  • 05.04.13 URGENT - Funding for Creative Europe needs your action Read more...
  • 19.03.13 CAE reacts to the EC communication on Rethinking Education jointly with the Access to Culture Platform and EUCIS-LLL Read more...
  • 12.03.13 Internships at Platform for Intercultural Europe Read more...
  • 08.03.13 we are more campaign newsletter #12 Read more...
  • 01.03.13 COMIX4 Project Read more...
  • 12.02.13 Culture Action Europe reacts to Council agreement on future EU budget Read more...
  • 05.02.13 Second Letter to EU Heads of State or government Read more...
  • 25.01.13 The Creative Clash Final Conference will take place on 19 March 2013 at the Goethe Institut in Brussels Read more...
  • 20.12.12 we are more campaign #11 Read more...
  • 30.11.12 CAE joined forces with the CSCG in a letter to EU leaders Read more...
  • 21.11.12 Letter to EU Heads of State and Governments on the occasion of the extraordinary EU summit 22-23 November 2012 Read more...
  • 08.11.12 Culture Action Europe values Ms Silvia Costa’s report on Creative Europe and calls on the EU institutions to support the proposed budget increase and to reach a first-reading agreement Read more...
  • 12.10.12 we are more campagin newsletter #10 Read more...
  • 10.10.12 Launch of BOZAR and CAE collaboration Read more...
  • 03.10.12 Culture Action Europe’s Conference and General Assembly ‘Act for culture, act for Europe’ – Brussels 9-11 November 2012 Read more...
  • 03.10.12 New EC communication on "Promoting cultural and creative sectors for growth and jobs in the EU" Read more...
  • 04.09.12 CAE is looking for a new intern Read more...
  • 30.07.12 EFA and its partners of the Access to Culture Platform’s Working Group on Audience Participation call for contributions Read more...
  • 24.07.12 Tandem – Moldova-European Union-Ukraine video now available online! Read more...
  • 23.07.12 we are more campaign newsletter #9 Read more...
  • 18.06.12 Sostenuto – Culture as a factor of economic and social innovation: final press conference Read more...
  • 24.05.12 VIVA IL LIVE! 4.0 and 2nd ARCI ReAL meeting Read more...
  • 22.05.12 European Year of Citizens 2013 Alliance - Manifesto published Read more...
  • 22.05.12 Culture Action Europe values the position adopted by the EU Council of Culture Ministers on the Creative Europe programme Read more...
  • 21.05.12 Festival «art links/l’art crée du lien», on thursday 24th and Friday 25 th in Brussels Read more...
  • 10.05.12 Civil society voices reached the EU Council of Culture Ministers Read more...
  • 30.04.12 'we are more' campaign newsletter #8 Read more...
  • 11.04.12 Banlieues d'Europe organizes a debate on the we are more campaign Read more...
  • 03.04.12 Conference on the role of culture in the inclusion of Roma minorities Read more...
  • 22.03.12 Sign petition to save the only public institution for contemporary dance in Slovenia! Read more...
  • 01.03.12 Warm welcome to our new Secretary General Luca Bergamo! Read more...
  • 22.02.12 'we are more' newsletter #7 Read more...
  • 19.12.11 'we are more' newsletter #6 Read more...
  • 03.10.11 'we are more' newsletter #5 Read more...
  • 16.08.11 Job position at EBLIDA Read more...
  • 07.07.11 'we are more' campagin newsletter #4 2011 special edition on budget is now online Read more...
  • 14.06.11 Artists and social inclusion: A Greens/EFA conference Read more...
  • 26.05.11 'we are more' newsletter #3 Read more...
  • 31.03.11 Summary of the position paper on the Culture Programme Read more...
  • 22.03.11 Remix the docks! Read more...
  • 10.02.11 'we are more' newsletter #2 Read more...
  • 16.12.10 Call for organisations to participate in Cultural Cooperation with Moldova and Ukraine Read more...
  • 09.12.10 'we are more' campaign: demands on the Culture Programme Read more...
  • 09.12.10 'we are more' newsletter #1 Read more...
  • 18.10.10 Culture's contribution to social inclusion Read more...
  • 12.10.10 'we are more' campaign launched! Read more...
  • 22.09.10 Culture Action Europe Newsletter #4 2010 Read more...
  • 22.09.10 Reflections on the challenges facing society today and how culture may offer answers to them Read more...
  • 06.09.10 LabforCulture reports live from the 'Culture and Policies of Change' conference in Brussels Read more...
  • 04.08.10 Members General Assembly and Culture Action Europe Conference 7-9 October 2010 in Brussels Read more...
  • 14.07.10 OMC working group reports have been published Read more...
  • 17.06.10 Culture Action Europe Newsletter #3 2010 Read more...
  • 06.05.10 The Platform for Intercultural Europe is recruting Read more...
  • 14.04.10 Culture Action Europe Newsletter #2 2010 Read more...
  • 12.04.10 The EU 2020 strategy: analysis and perspectives Read more...
  • 31.03.10 Culture Action Europe is looking for a translation intern Read more...
  • 29.03.10 Members’ meetings and policy consultation Read more...
  • 17.03.10 Already 6 new members in 2010! Read more...
  • 10.02.10 Culture Action Europe Newsletter #1 2010 Read more...
  • 10.02.10 Renewed EU commitmment to combating poverty and social exclusion – what perspectives for the Year? Read more...
  • 08.02.10 EP Hearing – Androulla Vassiliou Commisioner-Desginate for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth Read more...
  • 14.01.10 Our contribution to the EC consultation on the future EU 2020 strategy Read more...
  • 11.01.10 Our contribution to the EC consultation on financial regulation Read more...
  • 07.12.09 Culture Action Europe Newsletter #8 Read more...
  • 18.08.09 Post elections analysis – to know more about the composition of the new European Parliament and of the new Culture Committee Read more...

Tag Cloud

70 cents for culture
EU agenda for culture
arts
civil society
creative industries
culture programme
education
funding
intercultural dialogue
lisbon strategy
lobbying
mobility
open method of coordination
structured dialogue
glossary
glossary - Cultural Identity Print
Page 3 of 9

Cultural Identity


In the Treaty on the European Union (EU), the concept of identity appears in relation to the idea of a ‘European Identity’ (Preamble), which should contribute to a common sense of belonging of its citizens. At the same time we are reminded that the national identities of its Member States shall also be respected. Both the concepts of a European and a national identity are based on a variety of social, political and especially cultural practices and expressions, which are, in turn, derived from what is assumed to be shared experience, memory, tradition, etc. Identity is mostly conceived as stable, collective and coherent and often defined in opposition to what lies outside this assumed consent of a Community, be it the nation state or the EU.

A critical view on the concept, as developed in critical theory, suggests that cultural identity has always been constructed or invented along narratives, symbols and other forms of representation, building on underlying systems such as language, ethnicity, religion, heritage, history, etc. These mechanisms can be traced in the development and self-definition of nation states as much as in the project to create and foster a common ‘European (cultural) identity’ in order to gain cohesion in the political union.

Thus, identity is not a primordial category, but can always be traced in its construction process. It is to be seen as a concept in crisis, questionable in promoting essentialism and universalisation. This has also led to a critical revision of the so-called identity politics of minorities or discriminated groups from the late 1960s onwards (without disregarding their fight for political rights). Recent conceptions prefer to speak of ‘hybrid’, ‘multiple’ and ‘fluid’ identities, referring to migrant movements and the possibility to choose individually one’s identity through affiliation with a social group or consumption and life style.

What is at stake in the debate on cultural identity with regard to Europe is a feared ‘loss of identity’ either through political harmonisation as in the case of EU policy or through global economic trade developments. The protection of cultural diversity is invoked in order to prevent this ‘loss of identity’, an argument that underpins e.g. the doctrine of ‘cultural exception’. The concept of cultural identity as employed in this context remains, however, largely unchallenged and favours fixity, coherence and binary opposition. It does not take account of the fundamental changes in contemporary societies, especially in the contexts of migration and information technology, where identity is under constant negotiation, challenged by processes of differentiation and individualisation.


<< Prev - Next >>