Synopses & Reviews
What do citizens say about Europe? Before the crisis of 2008 citizens in Britain, France and Francophone Belgium were 'overlooking' Europe by ignoring it in favour of globalisation, economic flows, and crises of political corruption. Innovative focus group methods allow analysis of the nature of their reactions and positions, and demonstrate how euroscepticism is a red herring. Instead they articulate indifference to and ambivalence about Europe contrasting with activists who engage in conflict about European issues. The analysis shows national and social differences. French projection contrasts with British exteriorisation and Belgian incorporation. The social gap is not a matter of deficits: workers have real arguments about issues close to home while managers show more concern about European politics.This book is part of the qualitative turn in European studies and both complements and challenges established knowledge on European attitudes.
Review
'For their focus group data, the authors take a very useful interpretive approach. I especially appreciated the way they investigated a political topic by encouraging debate that helped in understanding different political positions. This method for carefully studying similarities and differences is exactly the kind of innovation that we need in focus group research.'
-Professor David Morgan, Department of Sociology, Portland State University
Synopsis
Pre-financial crisis, EU citizens were 'overlooking' Europe ignoring it in favour of globalisation, economic flows, and crises of political corruption. Innovative focus group methods allow an analysis of citizens' reactions, and demonstrate how euroscepticism is a red herring, instead articulating an indifference to and ambivalence about Europe.
About the Author
Sophie Duchesne is CNRS Senior Research Fellow, Sciences Po Political Research Centre, France.
Florence Haegel is Research Professor, European Studies Centre, Sciences Po, France.
Virginie Van Ingelgom is Research Fellow, Center of Comparative Politics, Universite Catholique de Louvain, Belgium.
Table of Contents
Notes on Contributors
Preface and Acknowledgements; S.Duchesne, E.Frazer, F.Haegel and V.Van Ingelgom
Introduction: Outline of the Book; S.Duchesne, E.Frazer, F.Haegel and V.Van Ingelgom
Concepts and Theory:
Political Sociology and European Study; S.Duchesne, E.Frazer, F.Haegel and V.Van Ingelgom
National Frames: Reactions to a Multi-level World; F.Haegel
Social Gap: the Double Meaning of 'Overlooking'; S.Duchesne
When Ambivalence meets Indifference; V.Van Ingelgom
Representation and Legitimation; E.Frazer and V.Van Ingelgom
Reflections on Design and Implementation; S.Duchesne, E.Frazer, A.P.Frognier, G.Garcia, F.Haegel and V.Van Ingelgom
Conclusion: Citizens Talking about Europe; S.Duchesne, E.Frazer, F.Haegel and V.Van Ingelgom
Post Script: Searching for the Grail; A.P.Frognier
References
Appendices
Notes