C

Identity and Diversityin the European Union

Table of ContentsIntroduction31.The Concept of a Stranger4Who could be considered as a wanderer?6Buried history7Does a stranger disturb?82.Identity92.1 Personal Identity10"Person" a forensic term.14Who am I?15Personhood.15Persistence.15Sa scurtezi mult partea de teorie de pana aici17National identity17National Identity in the European Union21European Identity22Being European22European Identity and the European Union25European Values.25Ar trebui sa faci o analiza a modului in care imigrantii deci diversitatea influenteaza identitatea cetateanului din host country, viata economica, sociala. Poti folosi ca exemple concrete emisiuni TV BBC, CNN, sau din Romania, show-talks cu acest subiect si astfel sa faci ultimul capitol, un studiu de caz27Religion as a European value.27Diversity28Cultural Diversity in the EU29The Headscarf Issue poate fi folosit ca exemplu la diversitate, dar trebuiesa te axezi pe aceasta problema atunci32Different perspectives36Erasmus +38

Introduction

This dissertation serves as a stage for numerous concepts and the spot light will be put on identity and diversity in the European Union. In order to offer a general overview regarding the upcoming pages and paragraphs it is important to keep in mind the complexity of the topic, it is at least as complex and various as the European Union itself. One phrase could serve as description for it: unity in diversity The first paragraphs will focus on the following concepts: identity and diversity. On one hand it will discuss the concept of identity on various levels, this means that it will distinguish and present the differences and characteristics of the: identity, national identity and European identity. On the other hand it will present the concept of diversity, this concept tends to involve a wide rage of concepts due to the complexity of the European Union. The upcoming paragraphs will present the following: immigration/emigration, cultural differences and minorities. The previously mentioned figures could be brought in connection with the concept of globalization due to the fact that we live in a very internationalized world.Capitals, sorted out. Advancing forward, the upcoming segments will serve as a melting pot for the concepts mentioned above. It will deal with clarification of all the concepts and present how these concepts are found and perceived in the European Union. European Unity and Identity will play a key role in the final part of the thesis. The concept of European Unity could serve as a perfect example how these various Identities and Diversities can be found in the European Union.Last but not least the last part of the dissertation will be built up by a short recap of the previous paragraphs and it will serve as a conclusion by clarifying the majority of the doubts and questions, which could accrue in connection with this topic.

Moreover all the figures and facts are presented and explained with the help of various articles, texts, academic papers and books. This wide range of bibliography will also illustrate the complexity of the presented topic. All the information which was used to compose this thesis can be found at the end of the paper.

1.The Concept of a Stranger

The state of being a stranger is of course a completely positive relation; it is a specific form of interaction (). The stranger is an element of the group itself, not unlike the poor and sundry inner enemies an element whose membership within the group involves both being outside it and confronting it. ( Simmel in Levine, 1971: 143-144)[footnoteRef:1] [1: Student mobility and narrative in Europe, Elizabeth Murphy-Lejeune p:12, 2002]

By reading the quotation mentioned above a few questions may arise, such as: Who is a stranger? What is he or she confronting with? How does he or she become a stranger? Why even mention the concept of stranger?In order to offer a clear view on the topic the descriptions will contain the ideas and thoughts collected by Elizabeth Murphy-Lejeune from her texts regarding Student Mobility and Narrative in Europe (the new strangers). To offer a short preview about the content of the paragraph its worth mentioning a few points which the description will follow: The stranger placed in space, Space from another angle, Discontinuities in time, Who could be considered a wonderer, Buried history, A strangers relations and Does a stranger disturb?The ideas collected by Elizabeth Murphy-Lejeune are in strong connection with different text (Simmels seminal essay 1908, which was developed by Park in 1928 and Schtzs essay 1944) & (Wood 1934, Stonequist 1937 and Sius article on the sojourner 1952 ) which helped her to analyze a more specific case of sociology of the stranger

One of the characteristics of a stranger is their physical position in space or in other words their attribute of mobility (Wood)[footnoteRef:2]. According to the texts collected by E.M.Lejeune, those who had set foot in another space or had left a primary space can be considered strangers. In order to define a strangers position in space we need to take into consideration the synthesis of two conceptual opposites, wandering and fixation, nomadism and territorial attachment (Simmel)[footnoteRef:3]. [2: Student mobility and narrative in Europe, Elizabeth Murphy-Lejeune p:13, 2002] [3: Student mobility and narrative in Europe, Elizabeth Murphy-Lejeune p:13, 2002]

A definition of the stranger is accorded by its geographical position. The social environment may be affected by the arrival of the stranger; his arrival comes together with energetic situations which may summon changes in the social environment. Shifting the geographical positions? could come together with duality and dislocation which may be brought in connection with the strangers feelings; the feelings may arise from the different poles of two geographical, linguistic, social, cultural and national spaces. On the other hand all the above mentioned what?can be influenced by factors such as duration and aims of the departure.Approaching it from a historical point of view, it could be deducted that mobility and wayfaring had always been part of the construction of Europe. As a land which is giving home for migration and also immigration Europe serves as a mixing tray for cultures and ethnicities or in other words Europe had advanced, evolved due to the persistent mix of population and culture[footnoteRef:4]. [4: Student mobility and narrative in Europe, Elizabeth Murphy-Lejeune p:15, 2002]

In addition to this, it is worth mentioning that the spatial membership is put to the test (Meyer 1951)[footnoteRef:5] by globalization and power of the virtual world. Connections regarding virtual globalization, mobility and the concept of the home are being affected by the globalization of information through the internet; which is demolishing the barriers represented by the geographical space. However migration deeply affects the migrant or in other words migration can generate a trauma which is related to the loss of origin and also to the need of reconstruction of a homeland.[footnoteRef:6] [5: Student mobility and narrative in Europe, Elizabeth Murphy-Lejeune p:15, 2002] [6: Student mobility and narrative in Europe, Elizabeth Murphy-Lejeune p:15, 2002]

This new social position requires a place to settle down, a home. Home is described by the roots, origins which a person has or by where family and friends are placed. Separating from the roots and the worm circle of friends and family comes hand in hand with homesickness and heartache. As a result of mobility, migration influences the stranger to reconfigure the concept of space. From the migrants/strangers point of perception the space and geographical position seems to be more dangerous than before, it is constantly changing, wondering becomes a more acceptable way of life and the traditional interpretation / conception of home is questioned.[footnoteRef:7] [7: Student mobility and narrative in Europe, Elizabeth Murphy-Lejeune p:15, 2002]

[footnoteRef:8]According to Schtz, departure from the homeland represents a detachment from the past; the stranger becomes a person without history also the future for the wanderer cannot be predicted. In addition to this the stranger has to deal with its deep rooted discontinuities in connection with his track. His reactions towards changes are strongly influenced by the circumstances, which could be a lifelong desire or an insupportable situation forced by external conditions. [8: Student mobility and narrative in Europe, Elizabeth Murphy-Lejeune p:16, 2002]

Who could be considered as a wanderer?A potential wanderer could be described by a simple sentence, a wanderer is the person who comes today and stays tomorrow (Simmel, 1950: 042)[footnoteRef:9]. The agenda of the strangers movement is a factor which could offer some description. Nowadays the strangers had modernized as well, to be more precise this means that the concept of the stranger is getting closer to a wanderer, which means that if the stranger had chosen to settle down at a certain place he still sustains the independence of leaving it. [9: Student mobility and narrative in Europe, Elizabeth Murphy-Lejeune p:16, 2002]

On the other hand a wanderer could also be described as a cosmopolitan citizen of the world[footnoteRef:10]. Associated with a cosmopolitan person, the stranger has the ability to navigate through borders easily and decides to live in various worlds without putting down roots in any of them. Referring to the previously mentioned characteristics, the stranger wishes to experience the worlds gifts away from its home land, continuously sailing across spaces and living in a constant diversity. [10: Student mobility and narrative in Europe, Elizabeth Murphy-Lejeune p:16, 2002]

Another characteristic is offered by E.M.Lejeune and it is strongly connected with frustration, which means that the stranger has lived with the opportunity of freedom without disconnecting from the links of its previous bonds. On the other hand; this could be also applied on strangers who had chosen to leave their original habitat mostly for occupational causes and initiating roots for a restricted amount of time in a new geographical space without any desire of settling down.Last but not least, students represent a unique type of wanderer who is settling down for a limited amount of time while their departure is governed by the rules of transition and passing (E.M.Lejeune, p: 17). This could also be a milestone for the student because this event is in between youth and adulthoodBuried history By deciding to depart into a different time and space the stranger gives up on a segment of its life and stays eliminated from its past. According to the ideas presented by E.M.Lejeune a person without a history has an aching connection with its history, memories are buried in his\hers motherland. In addition to this the strangers relations to the new history and new cultural heritage are crucial regarding the concept of the present and the future. An external view will be projected for the outsider if he\she is willing to become a member of the new group. Regarding the future, which offers an endless possibility for exploring new horizons, however this concept of future is wag, unclear and indefinable. Being a stranger involves different kinds of social connections to certain groups. Each stranger / wanderer possesses a particular position in the social space which is determined by one simple fact that the stranger has not belonged to the group from the start, the stranger effects troops\groups by importing qualities into it.A stranger leaves a group and enters another one; this means that the stranger says yes for the relations based on mutual recognition and a feeling of common belonging. The cohesion of the group is composed by the sentiments which are shared in common by all members of a group" (Wood, op cit.:31)[footnoteRef:11] [11: Student mobility and narrative in Europe, Elizabeth Murphy-Lejeune p:19, 2002]

Does a stranger disturb?The appearance of a stranger in an unknown social group tends to be complex, and questionable. The stranger represents the outsider who is not part of an initial group, questions everything and maintains its possibility to stay or leave the group. However the arrival of the stranger can perturb the group itself. The presence of the stranger imports qualities into the group which, can originate from its cultural background/heritage The stranger represents a person who enters a sphere where he\she does not belong (arrives and disturbs). The stranger could also be perceived as a person who does not share the basic assumptions of the historically defined cultural group where he arrives he becomes essentially the man who has to place in question nearly everything that seems to be unquestionable to the members of the approached group ( Schutz, 1971a:98)[footnoteRef:12] [12: Student mobility and narrative in Europe, Elizabeth Murphy-Lejeune p:21, 2002]

Strangers who find themselves in a different atmosphere than their natural habitat or separated from their cultural heritage are in the position to be illuminated. On one side, the past is profane, and the new culture can never be praised as much as the first one, which is rooted in the past. (Elizabeth Murphy-Lejeune)[footnoteRef:13] [13: Student mobility and narrative in Europe, Elizabeth Murphy-Lejeune p:21, 2002]

Subcapitole puse sub un titlu general

2.Identity

This section of the thesis will serve as the lead in regarding the concept of Identity, and the characteristics related to it. In order to understand the complexity of the term Identity, we need to dig deep and approach it from a philosophic point of view. The concept evolved as the time passes, nowadays Identity has an intensive charge compared to the past years, decades, centuries.Personal identity serves as a starting grid for this journey due to the fact that we need to understand what Identity means for a citizen of the European Union. The definition of the concept could be different from country to country/citizen to citizen and this is the reason why the paper aims to present a general aspect of the concept.The segment will deal with National Identity and with European Identity; several nations live under the flag of Europe. Numerous nations helped the development of the Union and enriched its cultural development.simplified/ shorter intro In order to clarify these questions the answers will be mostly based on the ideas of John Locke and Olson, Eric T. Due to the richness of the texts used to explain this term it will provide a legit overview of the topic

2.1 Personal Identity Personal Identity, considered to be founded on consciousness and not on the substance of either the soul or the body. The issue of personal identity and its determents has always been of concern for many philosophers. Questions are raised as to what does being the person that you are, from one day to the next, necessarily consist of. Personal identity theory is the philosophical confrontation with the ultimate questions of our own existence, such as who are we, and is there a life after death? This sort of analysis of personal identity provides a set of necessary and sufficient conditions for the identity of the person over time. In the modern philosophy of mind, this concept of personal identity is sometimes referred to as the diachronic problem of personal identity. The synchronic problem is grounded in the question of what features or traits characterize a given person at one time. There are several general theories of this identity problem. This segment of the pepper will concern the theory of personal identity. Locke holds that personal identity is a matter of psychological continuity. Arguing against both the Augustinian view of man as originally sinful and the Cartesian position, which holds that man innately knows basic logical propositions, Locke posits an empty mind, a tabula rasa, which is shaped by experience, and sensations and reflections being the two sources of all our ideas. Locke creates a third term between the soul and the body. [footnoteRef:14]For the brain, as the body and as any substance, may change, while consciousness remains the same. Therefore, personal identity is not in the brain, but in consciousness. However, Lockes theory also reveals his debt to theology and to Apocalyptic great day, which in advance excuses any failings of human justice and therefore humanitys miserable state. The problem of personal identity is at the centre of discussions about life after death and immortality. In order to exist after death, there has to be a person after death who is the same person as the person who died. [footnoteRef:15]This being premised, to find wherein personal identity consists, we must consider what person stands for;- which, I think, is a thinking intelligent being, that has reason and reflection, and can consider itself as itself, the same thinking thing, in different times and places; which it does only by that consciousness which is inseparable from thinking, and, as it seems to me, essential to it: it being impossible for any one to perceive without perceiving that he does perceive. When we see, hear, smell, taste, feel, meditate, or will anything, we know that we do so. Thus it is always as to our present sensations and perceptions: and by this every one is to himself that which he calls self:- it not being considered, in this case, whether the same self be continued in the same or divers substances. For, since consciousness always accompanies thinking, and it is that which makes every one to be what he calls self, and thereby distinguishes himself from all other thinking things, in this alone consists personal identity, i.e. the sameness of a rational being: and as far as this consciousness can be extended backwards to any past action or thought, so far reaches the identity of that person; it is the same self now it was then; and it is by the same self with this present one that now reflects on it, that that action was done[footnoteRef:16] [14: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3115296/] [15: http://enlightenment.supersaturated.com/johnlocke/BOOKIIChapterXXVII.html nr.9] [16: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3115296/]

In section 12 of the chapter Identity and Diversity, he raises the question, if the same Substance which thinks be changed, it can be the same person, or remaining the same, it can be a different person (Locke, 1689/1997). Lockes answer to both of these questions is in the affirmative. Consciousness can be transferred from one substance to another, and thus, while the soul is changed, consciousness remains the same, thereby preserving the personal identity through the change. On the other hand, consciousness can be lost as in utter forgetfulness while the soul or thinking substance remains the same. Under these conditions, there is the same soul but a different person. These affirmations amount to the claim that the same soul or thinking substance is neither necessary nor sufficient for personal identity over time. [footnoteRef:17] [17: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3115296/ Consciousness Can Be Transferred from One Soul to Another]

Though the distinction between man and person is controversial, Lockes distinction between the soul or the thing which thinks in us and consciousness is even more radical. One answer is that the distinction solves the problem of the resurrection of the dead. What is this problem? The problem begins with Biblical texts asserting that we will have the same body at the resurrection as we did in this life.[footnoteRef:18] [18: http://enlightenment.supersaturated.com/johnlocke/BOOKIIChapterXXVII.html nr. 10 Consciousness makes personal identity]

Consciousness makes personal identity. But it is further inquired, whether it be the same identical substance. This few would think they had reason to doubt of, if these perceptions, with their consciousness, always remained present in the mind, whereby the same thinking thing would be always consciously present, and, as would be thought, evidently the same to itself. But that which seems to make the difficulty is this, that this consciousness being interrupted always by forgetfulness, there being no moment of our lives wherein we have the whole train of all our past actions before our eyes in one view, but even the best memories losing the sight of one part whilst they are viewing another; and we sometimes, and that the greatest part of our lives, not reflecting on our past selves, being intent on our present thoughts, and in sound sleep having no thoughts at all, or at least none with that consciousness which remarks our waking thoughts,- I say, in all these cases, our consciousness being interrupted, and we losing the sight of our past selves, doubts are raised whether we are the same thinking thing, i.e. the same substance or no. However reasonable or unreasonable, concerns not personal identity at all. The question being what makes the same person; and not whether it be the same identical substance, which always thinks in the same person, which, in this case, matters not at all: different substances, by the same consciousness (where they do partake in it) being united into one person, as well as different bodies by the same life are united into one animal, whose identity is preserved in that change of substances by the unity of one continued life. For, it being the same consciousness that makes a man be himself to himself, personal identity depends on that only, whether it be annexed solely to one individual substance, or can be continued in a succession of several substances. For as far as any intelligent being can repeat the idea of any past action with the same consciousness it had of it at first, and with the same consciousness it has of any present action; so far it is the same personal self For it is by the consciousness it has of its present thoughts and actions, that it is self to itself now, and so will be the same self, as far as the same consciousness can extend to actions past or to come. and would be by distance of time, or change of substance, no more two persons, than a man be two men by wearing other clothes to-day than he did yesterday, with a long or a short sleep between: the same consciousness uniting those distant actions into the same person, whatever substances contributed to their production.Te-ai bagat in problem de filozofie pe care nu le stapanesti, mai bine vorbesti despre identitate poti folosi inele concept, dar la un nivel general de intelegere, nu fa analiza. E valabil pentru ceea ce urmeazaDifference between identity of man and of person. But yet it is hard to conceive that Socrates, the same individual man, should be two persons. To help us a little in this, we must consider what is meant by Socrates, or the same individual man. First, it must be either the same individual, immaterial, thinking substance; in short, the same numerical soul, and nothing else. Secondly, or the same animal, without any regard to an immaterial soul. Thirdly, or the same immaterial spirit united to the same animal. Now, take which of these suppositions you please, it is impossible to make personal identity to consist in anything but consciousness; or reach any further than that does. For, by the first of them, it must be allowed possible that a man born of different women, and in distant times, may be the same man. A way of speaking which, whoever admits, must allow it possible for the same man to be two distinct persons, as any two that have lived in different ages without the knowledge of one another's thoughts. By the second and third, Socrates, in this life and after it, cannot be the same man any way, but by the same consciousness; and so making human identity to consist in the same thing wherein we place personal identity, there will be no difficulty to allow the same man to be the same person. But then they who place human identity in consciousness only, and not in something else, must consider how they will make the infant Socrates the same man with Socrates after the resurrection. But whatsoever to some men makes a man, and consequently the same individual man, wherein perhaps few are agreed, personal identity can by us be placed in nothing but consciousness, (which is that alone which makes what we call self,) without involving us in great absurdities. [footnoteRef:19] [19: http://enlightenment.supersaturated.com/johnlocke/BOOKIIChapterXXVII.html Difference between identity of man and of person]

"Person" a forensic term. Person, as I take it, is the name for this self. Wherever a man finds what he calls himself, there, I think, another may say is the same person. It is a forensic term, appropriating actions and their merit; and so belongs only to intelligent agents, capable of a law, and happiness, and misery. This personality extends itself beyond present existence to what is past, only by consciousness,- whereby it becomes concerned and accountable; owns and imputes to itself past actions, just upon the same ground and for the same reason as it does the present. All which is founded in a concern for happiness, the unavoidable concomitant of consciousness; that which is conscious of pleasure and pain, desiring that that self that is conscious should be happy. And therefore whatever past actions it cannot reconcile or appropriate to that present self by consciousness, it can be no more concerned in than if they had never been done: and to receive pleasure or pain, i.e. reward or punishment, on the account of any such action, is all one as to be made happy or miserable in its first being, without any demerit at all. For, supposing a man punished now for what he had done in another life, whereof he could be made to have no consciousness at all, what difference is there between that punishment and being created miserable? And therefore, conformable to this, the apostle tells us, that, at the great day, when every one shall "receive according to his doings, the secrets of all hearts shall be laid open." The sentence shall be justified by the consciousness all persons shall have, that they themselves, in what bodies soever they appear, or what substances soever that consciousness adheres to, are the same that committed those actions, and deserve that punishment for them. [footnoteRef:20] [20: 26. "Person" a forensic term http://enlightenment.supersaturated.com/johnlocke/BOOKIIChapterXXVII.html]

There is no single problem of personal identity, but rather a wide range of loosely connected questions. Here are the most familiar ones: [footnoteRef:21] [21: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/identity-personal/]

Who am I? We often speak of one's personal identity as what makes one the person one is. Your identity in this sense consists roughly of what makes you unique as an individual and different from others. Or it is the way you see or define yourself, or the network of values and convictions that structure your life. This individual identity is a property (or set of properties). Presumably it is one you have only contingently: you might have had a different identity from the one you in fact have. It is also a property that you may have only temporarily: you could swap your current individual identity for a new one, or perhaps even get by without any. (Ludwig 1997 is a typical discussion of this topic.)Personhood. What is it to be a person? What is necessary, and what suffices, for something to count as a person, as opposed to a non-person? What have people got that non-people haven't got? This amounts more or less to asking for the definition of the word person. An answer would take the form Necessarily, x is a person if and only if x , with the blanks appropriately filled in. More specifically, we can ask at what point in one's development from a fertilized egg there comes to be a person, or what it would take for a chimpanzee or a Martian or an electronic computer to be a person, if they could ever be. (See e.g. Chisholm 1976: 136f., Baker 2000: ch. 3.)Persistence. What does it take for a person to persist from one time to anotherthat is, for the same person to exist at different times? What sorts of adventures could you possibly survive, in the broadest sense of the word possible, and what sort of event would necessarily bring your existence to an end? What determines which past or future being is you? Suppose you point to a child in an old class photograph and say, That's me. What makes you that one, rather than one of the others? What is it about the way she relates then to you as you are now that makes her you? For that matter, what makes it the case that anyone at all who existed back then is you? This is the question of personal identity over time. An answer to it is an account of our persistence conditions, or a criterion of personal identity over time (a constitutive rather than an evidential criterion: the second falls under the Evidence Question below).Historically this question often arises out of the hope (or fear) that we might continue to exist after we diePlato's Phaedo is a famous example. Whether this could happen depends on whether biological death necessarily brings one's existence to an end. Imagine that after your death there really will be someone, in the next world or in this one, who resembles you in certain ways. How would that being have to relate to you as you are now in order to be you, rather than someone else? What would the Higher Powers have to do to keep you in existence after your death? Or is there anything they could do? The answer to these questions depends on the answer to the Persistence Question.Evidence. How do we find out who is who? What evidence bears on the question of whether the person here now is the one who was here yesterday? What ought we to do when different kinds of evidence support opposing verdicts? One source of evidence is first-person memory: if you remember doing some particular action, or at least seem to remember, and someone really did do it, then that person is probably you. Another source is physical continuity: if the person who did it looks just like you, or even better if she is in some sense physically or spatio-temporally continuous with you, that is reason to think she is you. Which of these sources is more fundamental? Does first-person memory count as evidence all by itself, for instance, or only insofar as we can check it against publicly available physical evidence?The Evidence Question dominated the philosophical literature on personal identity from the 1950s to the 1970s (Shoemaker 1963 and Penelhum 1970 are good examples). It is important to distinguish it from the Persistence Question. What it takes for you to persist through time is one thing; how we might find out whether you have is another. If the criminal had fingerprints just like yours, the courts may conclude that he is you. But even if that is conclusive evidence, having your fingerprints is not what it is for a past or future being to be you: it is neither necessary (you could survive without any fingers at all) nor sufficient (someone else could have fingerprints just like yours).Sa scurtezi mult partea de teorie de pana aici

National identity

National identity is one of those concepts, like political culture,1 which historians have somewhat casually borrowed from the social sciences and then used promiscuously for their own purposes

Once upon a time historians interest in nation focused on an ideology nationalismits means of diffusion from intellectuals and politicians to wider audiences and its impact upon international and domestic politics. For this purpose the traditional tools of intellectual and political historians were well suited. Ideas could be extracted from well-formed and bounded sets of texts, then analysed and compared; their adoption and diffusion could be studied in the archives of organizations and states; eventually social historians would get in on the act by extending this study of diffusion by means of the mass media, propaganda and finally (something looser, and more dangerous) cultural hegemony. The cultural turn from the 1970s, however, inaugurated a new historiographical era. Now it was important to try to get inside peoples minds. At this point it would have been useful to draw on the latest social-psychological and sociological thinking about what actually goes on inside peoples minds in the construction of identitythe self-conceptand of various kinds of collective identity, including the national kind. But instead there grew up a sort of historians folk wisdom about what identity and national identity are. If one could sketch a pastiche of that historians folk wisdom, it might look something like this. An individual can have lots of identities; possibly, if you sum them all up, you might get the self. These identities are constructed by means of binary oppositions. We identify an other and then define ourselves against it: we know what we are (in some versions, only) through what we are notand, possibly, vice versa. Identities can be donned and doffed like hats. However, national identity is a peculiar kind of identity. It may be traceable back to premodern periods (the primordialist view), when people were already defining themselves as members of groups that look a lot likenationsethnicities, cultures, rulerships. In the modern period, however, this process of national identification became more ubiquitous and also more consequential, thanks to some distinctively modern phenomena. In Benedict Andersons influential formulation, the modern development of print and other communications technologies made it possible for the first time for individuals scattered across distances to feel themselves strongly andsimultaneously part of a single imagined community. The modern state developed new technologies of its own to build up, configure, manipulate and mobilize that sense of national identity. At this point national identity becomes the trumpidentity. It is more durable and more pressing than all the others. People will die for itand do, in huge numbers. Even when not trumping, it colours all other identities. It is everywhere, all the time. [footnoteRef:22] [22: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=459148&fileId=S1479244306000746]

National identity in EuropeAsa trebuie sa arate aranjarea in pagina:Approaching national identity from a different angel we can see that the citizens of the European Union have little to fear allegorically from the European integration. Due to the fact that in Brussels no attempts were noted from EU policy makers regarding a uniformly spoken language across the old continent. In addition to this the EU cooperates with numerous translators in order to offer information for citizens in their mother tongues.This raises the question, how much are the Europeans attached to their national identities? To determine the answer for this question is more difficult than we would think, it is hard to estimate or study such an enigmatic question. Nonetheless this segment of the thesis will try to elaborate an answer for this question, in order to offer an elaborate idea regarding the answer it will present numerous figures from assorted information fountains. [footnoteRef:23] [23: Identity, Interests and Attitudes to European Integration p. 74]

Starting with the International Social Survey Program Survey on National Identity from 1995, the survey combines a subdivision of EU Member States. Table 1.1 will offer an over view regarding the percentage of citizens who claim to feel proud, fulfilled in connection with their nation-states achievements.[footnoteRef:24] Apparently the majority of the countries felt proud regarding their achievement regarding arts science and sports. Regarding the question related to democracy the proudest countries were: western Germany, Britain, Austria, Ireland, the Netherlands and Sweden. Advancing forward Germans, the British, Austrians and the Irish lean towards proudness regarding the topic of political influence in the world. Moreover, a large percent of the Germans, Austrians, Irish and the Dutch feel pride regarding their countries economic achievements. In some countries, there is also a great deal of pride in the way the social welfare system works: a clear majority of western Germans, Austrians, Irish, Dutch and Swedish are proud of this element of the functioning of their political systems. Levels of pride in history are generally quite high, except amongst Germans. On the other hand, pride in the degree of equal treatment given to all groups is comparatively low, but a majority in Britain, Austria, Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain are proud of this factor. Thus, there is clear evidence of national pride in each of these eight EU member states. [24: The questions begin with the following: How proud are you of (Rs country) in each of the following?, and then ask about the various dimensions that appear in Table 1.1. The percentages in the table are those who feel either very or somewhat proud]

[footnoteRef:25] [25: Quote from: Identity, Interests and Attitude to European Integration, Lauren M. McLaren pp. 75 ]

momentan nu dispun de sursa respective dar se va rezolva

Level of pride regarding history is more distinct, and the reason for this that Germans do not consider their history immaculate. Moreover regarding the concept of equal treatment the questioned countries give a negative answer so the percentage is low, however there are exceptions as well like: Great Britain, Austria, Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain are who consider their self proud regarding this factor.[footnoteRef:26] [26: pp.75]

National Identity in the European Union

Essentialists argue that national identity is an integral part of self, whereas constructivists perceive it as an intellectual artifact. (National Identities, Vol. 1,No.2, 1999)[footnoteRef:27] [27: ]

Before entering in discussion regarding the topic of this particular part of the thesis it is important that we understand that it is essential to take a look in the general term of national identity and the elements in its creation. According to Menno Spiering this concept preoccupies two schools of thought.First of all the so called essentialists who sustain that national identity is in strong connection with the concept of self they consider it as internal, essential part which is gifted to us by God or could be considered as a gift from Mother Nature.Second of all the constructivists who seem to take the lead in nowadays debates regarding the roots of national identity. They consider that national identity has no roots regarding nature, however it is an outcome of nature also a intellectual artifact [footnoteRef:28] [28: Menno Spiering, The Future of national Identity in the European Union, National Identities, Vol. 1,No.2, 1999]

An interesting interpretation could be that the people from the European Union will remain faithful to their initial national identity, according to Menno Spiering this sounds plausible.Nonetheless, the concept of shared and strong European identity has seen daylight and euro-skeptics find pleasure in finding its week spots.

European Identity

Being European

The conception of European Identity was born decades ago with the help of history, wars, revolutions and numerous political projects

The development of European identity requires the construction and refinement of communication between the constituent groups within the European Union processes that can be seen broadly as having the effect of cultural design and mediation. Mediation and inter cultural liaison work in areas such as peace and reconciliation or working to help immigrants become a part of their host society are analogous in that, to be authentic and effective, these require appreciating and taking on the perspective of the other. Recent conflicts in Europe, as well as abroad, have brought to the fore the deliberate destruction of the heritage of others, as a means of inflicting pain. With this has come the realisation that the processes involved and thus the long-term consequences are poorly understood

To some extent, the nature and extent of Europes frontiers define its identity and continued expansion makes identity-building difficult, hence the need for a breathing space before further accessions, especially Turkeys, and the ENPs vital role in balancing support for the neighbour- hood while denying membership.121 For too long, however, the EU has defined itself in negative terms not being Soviet, not being American an ultimately destructive strategy that lingers in the vision of a non-Islamic EU when arguing against Turkish accession.122 Europe needs a positive identity, and Buzan detects a distinctive European identity through respect for human rights which, if developed, could sustain the Union in the face of its societal security challenge.123 REPHRASE AND INSERT FOOTNOTEDespite this, restrictions on the free movement of citizens from the new accession states have been adopted through fears of mass migration, even though candidate countries accept the EUs identity as a community of values more easily than existing member states.124 Within the EU-15 too, populations are sufficiently diverse culturally for migration to destabilise other member states; for example, Belgium sees Italian migrants as threat- ening its societal security.125 This internal migration problem may, hitherto, have been masked because intra-Community migration has been surpris- ingly limited.126 Without a robust sense of identity among the EU-25, however, Article 39ECs free movement provisions could represent a dangerous dynamic in European integration.Community identity exists on three levels; the political, symbolic and moral/ethical.127Political identity concerns how societies and individuals identify with the politys structures, but the creation of the EUs political and administra- tive structures has not resulted in a corresponding emergence of a popular EU identity. This acknowledgement of a democratic deficit impacts on the strength of the EUs political identity.128Symbolically, flags and anthems provide a locus for loyalty, but cannot themselves generate it; attempts to create a European identity by the top- down imposition of symbols of statehood ... have generally been doomed to failure or worse, derision.129 The failure to recognise the symbolism of a constitutional treaty is believed to have contributed to its rejection in May and June 2005 by the referendums in France and the Netherlands.130The third level is the ethical/moral framework concerning fundamental issues of rights, ideology and religion. Hirsi Ali sees widespread concerns about the potential Islamification of Europe as pervading the Turkish acces- sion debate, especially among those who fear for their identity.131 Dalgaard asserts that the EU is held together by common values, not shared by Turkey, therefore, unless Turkeys politico-cultural values change, acces- sion could dilute the EUs moral/ethical framework and could undermine policy-making norms.13These three levels of identity normally combine within the framework of national citizenship, comprising as it does legal, political, emotional and cultural dimensions.133 Trans-national bodies like the EU, however, do not have a shared ethno-cultural identity and a different citizenship model is needed; Habermas suggests a model of constitutional patriotism based on loyalty to constitutional norms separate from national identity.134 While removing the need for a shared cultural or ethnic heritage is attractive in the context of Turkish accession, rejection of the Constitutional Treaty, partly over concerns about identity, suggests that the EU urgently needs a stron- ger identity if it is to feel less threatened by societal differences.However, securitising identity without considering societies rights risks permanently freezing the identities, preventing them from adapting to accommodate each others differences, and thus reduces the likelihood of effective migrant integration.135 Sweden strengthened its cultural identity in anticipa- tion of migrations social problems, but this has now become a major obsta- cle to the integration of migrant workers.136 An EU that defines itself in terms of respect for rights cannot freeze its identity permanently but should seek to base it around the developing concept of European citizenship and the rights therein.

345The EU sees itself as a champion of human rights, but, in failing to acknowledge the rights issues connected with migration, it undermines its own identity, although new rights for economically independent long-term residents go some way towards recognizing this. However, unless the security dialogue emphasizes identity through developing the practice of rights-protection to balance that of border security, EU attempts at migration control may be more harmful than the security problem they seek to resolve. Developing a baseline of rights for citizens and lawful migrants by securitizing identity building within a security-rights nexus, potentially through the extension of EU citizenship, could balance the migration debate, align it with the EUs self-vision, and strengthen its identity, thereby contributing to the EUs overall security. De unde ai luat???????

European Identity and the European Union

European Values.

Every culture has its preferred description of the human distinction.These descriptions are analytical and homiletically.We call ourselves not only what we are, but also what we seek to be[footnoteRef:29] Leon Wieseltier Against Identity starts his paper with these words. According to this phrase the thesis will debate the fact that a person has several identities according to the modern democracy a person could enrich its identity with numerous cultural orientations[footnoteRef:30] this is why European identity could be perceived as an accessory besides national identity. [29: Bod Barna: Az identits egyetemessge, Polis Knyvkiad, Kolozsvr 2004, 6. Az adott identitstl a kapott identitsig, p. 111.] [30: Fehr Knyv a kultrk kztti prbeszdrol, Egyenloknt egytt lni mltsgban, Az Eurpai Tancs klgyminisztereinek 118. miniszteri lsn indtott program, Strasbourg, 2008. mjus 7., p.16.]

Every society needs to be able to create its own collective identity, so does the European Union. This goal could be achieved only if the EU focuses its powers towards the horizon of intellectuality. It is important to keep in mind that European Identity is nothing more than a common origin arousing from history. Following composes European Identity: the experiences offered by the present, abolishment of conflict between nations and the will of European people who seek to live together in harmony.[footnoteRef:31]Becoming a member of the European union is more than just joining an elite club composed by 28 states, by becoming a member a person faces social difficulties which question their idea regarding national identity. They are facing a concept which is hard to deal with and not everybody can assimilate with it. In order to understand this concept it is not enough to analyze the past 50 years we need to dig deeper due to the fact that European Identity is an old characteristic of the continent. [31: Hochleitner-Scleich: Die Aufnahmenfhigkeit der Europischen Union- Az Eurpai Uni befogadkpessge, Europa Nova, Nr. 2. p.64.]

Identity is a characteristic that never stops developing nor changing, and in order to discuss the concept of identity we need perceive that we live between frontiers and between these frontiers we found safety. This goes for European identity as well. Unfortunately the majority of the studies, articles and academic papers do not specify the territory when they are discussing European identity and this is why this thesis aims to focus on the territory of the European Union. Even the Eurobarometer[footnoteRef:32] refers to the members of the European Union and this is why it is important to specify the area on which we are focusing on. Moreover it is also significant to ask our self the question, if we can find a common ground in the colorfulness of the EU? Can we assimilate with the concept of collective group? Are the European citzens able to cope with the idea of European Identity? [32: survey made in the European union ]

1973 was the year when European Identity was debated on the level of the European Uninon, to be more precise in the The Copenhagen Declaration.[footnoteRef:33] It was presented with the help of 3 pillars, the first one had in focus common heritage and common itersents or in other words Christian religion and civic values. The second pillar had put the spot light on the commitment of integration while the third one was perocupied with the solidarity towards third world countries. Even after numerous years we could mention that the European Union is still focusing on the issue of third world countries, and this raisis the question, what happened with the first 2 pillars? Did they changed? Did something happen to them? [33: European Communities: Declaration on European Identity, in Bulletin of the European Communities, December 1973, No 12,p.118122.]

Even after clarifying the concept of European identity it is not simple to give a strait answer regarding the question of our selfexistance. Due to space and time we tend to hold on to numerous local or regional communities. In order to serve with some examples lets take the EU and our Home Country. In order to make decision between these, the person, citizen, needs to face an issue, a personal crisis that will help the person to assimilate with one of the concepts (eurpean id and national id). This raises the question; can these two concepts exist side by side? Apparently they can, however it is important to keep in mind that due to evolution and globalization Europe, could be perceived as a unit with a unique identity which tends to overtake the role of national identity.[footnoteRef:34] [34: Mnch, Richard: Az Eurpa-projekt, Jszveg Muhely Kiad, Budapest 2001, p. 107.]

Ar trebui sa faci o analiza a modului in care imigrantii deci diversitatea influenteaza identitatea cetateanului din host country, viata economica, sociala. Poti folosi ca exemple concrete emisiuni TV BBC, CNN, sau din Romania, show-talks cu acest subiect si astfel sa faci ultimul capitol, un studiu de caz

Religion as a European value.

Religion is a concept, which could be determined as a common value shared by the majority of the European citizens. Christianity could be considered as a key principle regarding the formation of Europe as we know it, unity was represented by religion. Religious beliefs influence our day-by-day activities even if we do not take the time to consider it. Even against the cultural and religious colorfulness Christianity managed to find its place in Europe and this fact can not be considered as a coincidence because Europe was the first continent, which got covered by the colorfulness of the Christian heritage, and by this realizing the united Christian culture[footnoteRef:35]. [35: Bod Barna: Az identits egyetemessge, Polis Knyvkiad Kolozsvr, 2004, p. 53.: Jrgen Habermas ltal felvetett krds]

According to Karik Sndor one of the major factors, which determined Europeans, is religion and this is why the population of Europe could be conceived as an aspect of unity.[footnoteRef:36] Europes heritage, history is strongly based on religions, from which Christianitys presence got gradually stronger. The presence of Christian religion could be found on numerous levels in the European community just to serve as an example the subject of European humanity or even the system of human rights can be thanked to Christianity. [36: Karik Sndor: Az eurpaisg mint az individuum mltsga, in: Eurpaisg - Politikai s morlis kultra (szerk. Karik Sndor), Budapest: ron Kiad, 2001, p. 129139.]

Diversity

What does diversity mean? The term of diversity includes many aspects, such as acceptance and respect, moreover it involves acceptance, every person is special, unique and we need to perceive the differences. These unique characteristics could be ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies. Diversity stands for understanding each other and also celebrating the richness of diversification offered by the people surrounding us.[footnoteRef:37] [37: http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~asuomca/diversityinit/definition.html]

Why diversity and the EU ? The answer is simple, the EU is composed by numerous nation states which bring with themselves different culture and heritage also languages and habits. united in diversity as the motto of the union sais. This involves the formation of nationstates and orging of political identities in Europe. Now we can ask ourselves what does united mean. It means that the spot lights are put on language politics and policies, cultural and linguis- tic diversity for the process of constructing a European polity also involves the combination of peoples into a single entity.However, it is important to keep in mind that it is that the concept of diversity involves many subject, integration, projects, also the forms of identity on numerous levels, cultural differences which can be rooted in history also economic features thus the geographical placement could be also a factor\reason regarding identity.In order to get an idea regarding the mentality of the EU regarding diversity we could take a look at their motto which sound like: united in diversity even this short phrase could give us a hint regarding their mentality. However here is the definition of their motto which speaks for its self. Whose motto, be more explicitIt signifies how Europeans have come together, in the form of the EU, to work for peace and prosperity, while at the same time being enriched by the continent's many different cultures, traditions and languages.[footnoteRef:38] [38: http://europa.eu/about-eu/basic-information/symbols/motto/index_en.htm]

Cultural Diversity in the EU

Todays European society provides numerous fountains regarding culture and diversity. These societies involve numerous religious, ethnic, cultural communities. The European Union gives home to those who want to move freely and due to this people have the opportunity to enrich their cultural knowledge and widen their horizons while day stay in other countries. And thanks to this people bring now ideas and concepts when they are returning to their own country.Cultural diversity involves the concept of Globalization as well, by it we can experience countless benefits and material comfort and also new patterns of work which are more demanding and more technology based. To demonstrate the above mentioned fact we can take as an example the multinational companies which move their employees from country to country whenever they see chance of economic development or benefits. Due to the development of economy more and more cultures are targeted by these companies. The staff which is moved around have to be aware regarding the companys value system which could easly interefere with their culture, religious beliefs or their ethnicity. Conflicts may pop up due to social values and norms. The richness of cultre is composed by norms, value, customs and traditions, these aspects are followed by people categorically, however misunderstangings and misfortunate events can also occure even amongst people who share the same culture. These event could be thanked to subculures who seek different ethical standards or different interests. It is wide spradly accepted that wisdom of a nother cultrure helps us to master are own culture.The chalanges faced by the European Uninon can not be considered easy, the chalanges of integration is a hard task, since diversity cannot be suppressed and unity cannot be dispersed[footnoteRef:39]. However there are other aspect which the EU should be awere, aspect regarding cooperatin. The composition of the EU is colorfull and diverse and some of the member countries faced numerous conflicts or even armed conflicts and now they are trying to take decisions together. Cooperation needs to work on different levels these levels involve culture, economy. Cooperation on a cultural level (among people) anticipates unity on all the levels. [39: PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION AND TRANSLATION STUDIES, 5 (1-2) / 2012 UNITY AND DIVERSITY IN EUROPEAN CULTURE Elena Claudia Constantin Politechnica University of Timisoara p.13]

Modern life goes hand in hand with cultural diversity and this is why we need to learn to accept the others, tolerance and coexistence could be terms, which can be used to describe this concept. Different fountains could be mentioned which serve as a source for cultural diversity in the European Union, cultural understanding is one of them. History is a factor which no member can overlook History, culture and taraditions are all factors that influence the member countries in recognizing their belonging to the EU. Cooperation involves a cultural change (development) and multiculturalism. This interaction can be partially achieved by accepting cultural information related to the new cultural form related to that culture. European integration and the EU share a common preference related to the respect and promotion of cultural diversity. Integration is considered as a difficult task, however types and forms of integration are various.The Culture 2000 Program represents the efforts which had been made relatedto cultural integration. In order to find common ground and point the European states consider it exceedingly crucial to promote interreligious and intercultural dialogue in order to decreese tension of the interethnic relations.Numerous EU records and papers unveil the fact of concern shown by the European Institutions regarding: the encouragement of culture between citizens of the entire world and also the conservation of the European ancestry. European Identity involves a actual worry regarding its increasing. Solidarity, tolerance, democracy and freedom served as a base for the common roots and values of European Identity.Highlighting cultural diversity on a European level is an important objective of the EU. In order to realize this objective the EU had taken in consideration act of culture in socioeconomic development, to foster intercultural dialogue, to recognize culture as an economic and a social factor and to involve as many EU citizens as possible.[footnoteRef:40] [40: quote from : PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION AND TRANSLATION STUDIES, 5 (1-2) / 2012 UNITY AND DIVERSITY IN EUROPEAN CULTURE Elena Claudia Constantin Politechnica University of Timisoara p.16]

Poti sa faci o analiza a programelor EU privind diversitatea culturala, dar trebuie sa te hotarasti ce vrei sa faci, amalgamul este prea mare, prea multe lucruri introduce in lucrare fara legatura una cu alta. Mai ai mult de lucru sa-ti organizezi materialulThe Headscarf Issue poate fi folosit ca exemplu la diversitate, dar trebuiesa te axezi pe aceasta problema atunci

Cultural diversity faces numerous challenges nowadays, the chalanges can be religious, cultural and the list could go on. This segement will serve as an example for the difficulties which can be brought in connection whith cultural diversity. In order to demonstrate the challenge this segment wil focus on a farticulare case related to france, namely the headscarf issue, the issue in France regarding the Muslim community. More precisely discussing the laws proposed regarding the religious symbols worn in public spaces (ex. Schools, state buildings etc.)In order to offer a genuine view on the topic, the segment will be based on the ideas presented by Elaine R. Thomas (Ethnic and Racial Studies Elaine R. Thomas Keeping Identity at a distance: Explaining France's new legal restrictions on the Islamic headscarf),Dawn Lyon and Debora Spini (Legislative note Dawn Lyon and Debora Spini Unveiling The headscarf Debate).

For the start lets take the law implemented in February 2004 which prohibits the wearing signs or dress by which students ostensibly express a religious belonging in the public schools of France. In order to understand this situation we need to take a closer look to the state of France. France is a secular state, which means that it guaranties the freedom of conscience. However, in order to offer a clear view on this statement let me quote a passage of the Stasi Commissions report:

The secular state, guarantor of freedom of conscience, protects notonly freedom of religion and of speech but also the individual; itallows all freely to choose, or not, a spiritual or religious option, tochange it, or to renounce it. It makes sure that no group, nocommunity can impose on anyone a belonging or a denominationalidentity, especially because of his or her origins[footnoteRef:41] [41: (Commission de Re flexion sur lApplication du Principe de La cite dans la Re publique 2003, p. 14) Ethnic and Racial Studies Elaine R. Thomas Keeping Identity at a distance: Explaining France's new legal restrictions on the Islamic headscarf p.239]

Many women from the Muslim community together with the support from Muslim organizations (the Union of Islamic Organizations of France UIOF), and parties (extremist Party of the Muslims of France PMF) demonstrated against the new law, they have marched on the streets of Paris and its surroundings featuring slogans such as Neither brother, nor husband, we have chosen the headscarf and the veil is my choice. Undeniably the relevance of this protest can be questioned, based on a survey 81 percent of women living in France never wear headscarf outdoors. Out of 300 Muslim women interviewed 49 percent of them welcomed the law against religious symbols in schools while 43 percent of them didnt sympathies with it, according to a survey made in November 2003.[footnoteRef:42] MENTIONEAZA DE UNDE AI LUAT DATELE [42: Ethnic and Racial Studies Elaine R. Thomas Keeping Identity at a distance: Explaining France's new legal restrictions on the Islamic headscarf p.240]

Surprisingly the words of this new group of social actors shared significant common ground with their opponents. However the headscarf is often associated with a message, a message hard to understand. This message provided by this religious sign, can be interpreted in many different ways. For example lets take the French and Non-French observers. Both of them share a common ground, for both the headscarf sends out a message however, these messages are perceived in a different manner. Non-French observers usually see the headscarf as a free form of expression of religious identity or cultural tradition and personal modesty. Another usual image seen by the Non French observers is a t-shirt encrypted with a text such as like I am proud to be a Muslim or I believe in Allah.[footnoteRef:43] [43: Ethnic and Racial Studies Elaine R. Thomas Keeping Identity at a distance: Explaining France's new legal restrictions on the Islamic headscarf p.240]

The French observers sustain a different point of view regarding headscarves, which is not as light and bright as the Non-French picture. French observers tend to see an image, message which is in relation with sexist familial or community pressure. Sticking to the t-shirt illustration French observers see a t-shirt that says Im just a girl, and I know my place, or Dont hit me! I accept my submission. Understanding the message this way, they are not so welcoming with the idea, that girls are being forced to wear such signs, as the Non-French observers.

Nevertheless Islamic counties have their own point of view as well; Islamic counties closely associate the ban of headscarves with authoritarian regimes which sought to modernize their society. In similar situations where the headscarves were banned and unfortunately sometimes headscarves were forcefully removed from womans head also veiled women who were excluded from offices. Under these circumstances the veils, headscarves had evolved into a symbol of opposition to authoritarian regimes[footnoteRef:44]. [44: Ethnic and Racial Studies Elaine R. Thomas Keeping Identity at a distance: Explaining France's new legal restrictions on the Islamic headscarf]

In order to understand the original meaning of the veils and headscarves we need to take a closer look at the Koran. First of all, its religious veil (tarha) which is considered as a sign of submission to God and of modesty in behavior. Second of all, the social veil (khimar), which concerns numerous criticisms from modern women.

The upper mentioned veils represent two different orders. One is historical and varies across the Islamic world and elsewhere, while the other one is theological and concerns all Muslims. Islamic feminists argue to make the difference between the two veils (social and religious). This action serves as response to the male-dominated societies who have tended to justify the maintenance of the social veil and the discrimination tagging along with it utilizing religious arguments and fogging, blurring, the distinction between submission to a masculine order of gender relations, and a divine order which demeans modesty and self-discipline for both men and women[footnoteRef:45]. [45: Legislative note Dawn Lyon and Debora Spini Unveiling The headscarf Debate]

The most discernible movement of the Islamic feminism is the new veil. Which is chosen by women to wear and they will not remove it under any circumstance, including in women-only gatherings or in foreign countries. This movement represents a break away from a male-imposed feminine model which allows them to remove their veil in private occasions. Meanwhile its original aim is to screen, mask women from men who are not a member of their family. Keeping hold of the veil, muslim women express that it is not forced by men nevertheless chosen by them. This veil (religious) serves as freedom from traditional family alternatives and demanding for autonomy in matters of marriage. Islam represents a persuasive declaration which is trouble-free to understand giving a profound reasoning of young women that do not divide them from their families. The veil serves as a symbol and it shouts for attentions regarding the message which the wearers have to say. In France School girls are pressed in categories which controvert their autonomy simply by asking them to take of their veil inside the classroom and turning their veil into a traditional one which can be taken off inside private spaces.The last decision made by French regarding headscarves seems to be more reasonable than the majority of foreign observers had suspected, however this decision involves a high risk. The scope of this new law is to advance integration and encouraging social agreement in connection with the terms of Francess ethnic and religious minorities and immigrants which are going to be integrated. However there is a risk which concerns the opposite of the planed. It all depends on the reaction of the Muslims in France how this new law will turn out. Whether to policy will efficiently encourage further integration or it will create further dividing communities[footnoteRef:46]. [46: Ethnic and Racial Studies Elaine R. Thomas Keeping Identity at a distance: Explaining France's new legal restrictions on the Islamic headscarf]

In addition to this, it is important to keep in mind that there are other countries in the European union who also face difficulties regarding Islamic integration and religious signs. Some of them share a common ground regarding the methods and of integration and the fight against religious signs.

Different perspectivesIn order to promote integration and European diversity, it is important to keep our eyes and mind opened due to the fact that the future is influenced by our actions determinating the outcome of to future. This segment of the thesis will present a unique way to think about integration. It will approach the issue from a student friendly perspective. Mobility and exchange programs represent the future in integration by the fact that these programs help student in understanding a huge variety of cultures. By participating in an exchange program the student has the opportunity to be in contact with cultures he/she did not met before. European mobility programs are one of the most frequently promoted objectives in order to establish a more positive perspective towards people of other European nations and also to increase the sense of belonging to Europe[footnoteRef:47] [47: International Student Migration and the European Year Abroad: Effects on European Identity and Subsequent Migration Behavior Russe King and Enric Ruiz-Gelices p:238]

Nowadays students have numerous opportunities to travel, see new horizons and to brighten up their minds. Traveling offers a different state of mind for the people, the possibilities are endless. Each and every departure is different, every departure opens a new door full with experiences and numerous implosions, it can offer a vacation from the average day by day life, and on the other hand the goal of the voyage can be personal or professional. Furthermore the students represent those who experiences a bit of all. In order to understand this beater we have to perceive that an exchange program is a voyage to the unknown and represents a challenge. This journey represents a professional departure; when a student applies for an exchange program, means that he or she had decided to challenge him\herself in a foreign country and to study at foreign university. Taking part in a student exchange is much more complex than it seems, changing the social and cultural habitat is not an easy thing, as we could find out from the previous pages of the assignment. Moreover it could be a life changing event, by experiencing a different culture inheriting new traditions meeting people from all around the world, establishing unique relations; seeing the world thru different lenses. Briefly, the previous paragraph can offer an idea what is it like to participate in an exchange program. However, the upcoming pages will offer a more technical description, regarding exchange programs shuck as Erasmus Plus. Exchange programs support and benefit the idea of cultural values and European integration and the promoters of EU integration where completely aware regarding the benefits which come together with student mobility; these benefits concern the abolishing of old national rivalries by cultural encounters and gaining support for further integration.A massive increase can be mentioned regarding international student mobility within the borders of Europe due to Erasmus and Socrates exchange programs which were financed by the EU. In the years between 1987 and 2000 an approximate of 750,000 third level students had departed from their natural habitat for a period of 3-12 months in order to study abroad under the schemes of an exchange program. ( Adia et al,1994; Jallade et al,1997)[footnoteRef:48] [48: International Student Migration and the European Year Abroad: Effects on European Identity and Subsequent Migration Behavior Russe King and Enric Ruiz-Gelices p:232-233]

Erasmus and Erasmus Plus are mentioned due to the fact that it represents a possible opportunity for the youth. On the other hand, as a result of the programs development it involves several people from numerous parts of the education from students to academic employees, the youth faces various opportunities offered by the program and its financial background. In the following passage the focus will be placed on the description of this relatively new movement/program and at the end it will give a clear view regarding its aims and possibilities which it can offer.

Erasmus +Before the start of description in connection with Erasmus Plus, it is worth taking a look at one of the older brochures in connection with its predecessor in order to be able to create an image regarding itThe Erasmus experience allows you to become immersed in another culture; making new friends; acquire a working knowledge of another language; and to develop skill which will contribute to your employability. [footnoteRef:49] [49: (UKSEC, 1998) International Student Migration and the European Year Abroad: Effects on European Identity and Subsequent Migration Behavior Russe King and Enric Ruiz-Gelices p:234]

Erasmus + is a program offering opportunities for over 4 million Europeans with aims focused on employability, training, youth work and modernizing education. It provides opportunities concerning studying, training, gaining work experiences and volunteering in a foreign land. The seven year program is benefiting from a budget of 14.7 billion Euros which means a 40 % increase in comparison with the level of the current spending. One of the characteristic of this program is the focus that it offers for sports; it has sat out a goal of fighting against match-fixing, doping, violence and racism by supporting grassroots projects. Being an integrated program Erasmus + binds together 7 existing programs regarding education and training and it is the first one to offer support for sports. In comparison with its predecessors it will offer a wider range of opportunities for cooperation between the sectors of education, youth, sports and training, in addition to this it will be easier to access and it will offer simplified funding rules.Erasmus plus is an EU program for Education, Training, Youth and Sports with a renewed approach for the upcoming years 2014-2020. Some people may wonder why is there a need for a new approach. The answer is simple; major steps had to be taken due to deep economic crisis and a high rate of youth unemployment. The fact that unemployment has the biggest affect on the youth, the importance of mobility had been put forward numerous issues.[footnoteRef:50] [50: International Student Migration and the European Year Abroad: Effects on European Identity and Subsequent Migration Behavior Russe King and Enric Ruiz-Gelices p:234 ]

Moreover there are several aspects to be taken in consideration, vacancies occur and exist, however there is a low number of employable graduates. In addition to this there is a growing percentage which presents that there is requirement for highly skilled jobs. Furthermore a new approach is needed in order to offer a closer link with the world of work and to keep up with competition for talent in other words, internationalization of education. In order to satisfy the demands of the new world, a stronger connection is needed between programs and policy objectives moreover an intense synergy between formal, informal and non-formal learning.While satisfying the new needs, the EU has sat out to increase the fulfillment of higher education by 8 % and to reduce the number of dropouts or in other words early school leavers from 14% to less than 10 %. Another goal is to enhance quality improvement in all sectors through staff mobility and strategic partnerships. Erasmus plus aims to be more user friendly than its predecessors. By this they refer to a substantial simplification which means a large reduction of actions, a simplified financial management and a substantial budget increase. Budget increase means a 40 % increase for all the sectors and additional funding from external action instruments to support international dimension of higher education. The European Commission considers it as a single integrated program which covers education, training, youth sectors and sports. Erasmus plus merges 7 existing programs into one integrated program, with a single coherent framework, aiming to achieve a systematic impact. The exchange program merges Lifelong Learning Programms ( Grundtvig, Erasmus, Leonardo, Comenius) and International Higher Education programmes ( Erasmus Mundus, Tempus, Alfa ) In order to offer a clear overview, 3 types of Key Actions have to be mentioned. The first one is Learning mobility of individuals which involves staff mobility, in particular for teachers, lecturers, school leaders and youth workers; also mobility for vocational education, training students and also for higher education students. Other factors are in connection with the first key actions such as student loan guarantee, joint master degrees, mobility for higher education for the EU and non EU beneficiaries and last but not least volunteering and youth exchanges.Moving on we arrive at the second key action, Cooperation for innovation and exchange of good practices. This part concerns strategic partnerships between education and training and other relevant actors; large scale partnerships between education, training establishments and business. Also it involves cooperation with third countries and focuses on neighborhood countries. The third key action is the Support for policy reform which is built up by an open method of coordination, prospective initiatives, EU recognition tools, and policy dialogues with stakeholders (third world countries and international organizations) The previously mentioned key actions have a budgetary breakdown which means that Learning mobility of individuals ( Key Action 1) benefits the most from it, to be exact at least 63 % allocated for 2014 2020. Furthermore, Cooperation for innovation and exchange of good practices ( K.A.2) benefits at least 28% of the budget while K.A. 3 Support for policy reform benefits 4.2% . All this leads to the remaining 4.80% of the founds which is redistributed amongst the first two key actions.Erasmus Plus offers the chance for 2 million students to train and study abroad. Another opportunity is represented by the fact that 650 000 students will get the chance to study and train in a foreign country; moreover a new loan guarantee scheme will be offered for 20 000 masters and more than 25 000 scholarships for Joint Master Degrees. In addition to this 500 000 young people will have the chance to volunteer abroad and take part in youth exchanges. 800 000 Lecturers, teachers, trainers, education staff and youth workers can apply to teach or train abroad.The main objective of this program in higher education is to increase the skills and employability of the students and to contribute to the competitiveness of European economy, moreover improvement of the quality regarding teaching and learning. One goal is represented by the implementation of Higher Education Modernization strategy in partner countries and also to increase the number of the partner countries.Youth represent an important aspect for this program and thats why the goals of this program interfere with youth as well. As a result Erasmus Plus set out the goal to bring key competences and skills of young people on a higher level involving those as well with fewer opportunities and youth workers also the promotion of participation in democratic life in Europe. Quality improvements in youth work represent another general aspect of the program; it aims to improve with the enhanced cooperation amongst organizations in the youth field. Policy reforms represent a goal as well together with the enhancement of the international dimension of youth activities, the reforms involve local, regional and national level. Another aim of this program is promotion of excellence in European integration studies in higher education under the name of Jean Monnet activities. The main activities of Jean Monnet involve teaching and research (Chairs, Modules & Centers of excellence ); policy debate regarding academic world and exchanges ( networks and projects); showing support towards institutions and associations activities; the formation/creation of Jean Monnet label; operating grants are being provided to specified institutions by Jean Monett activities. The branch of teaching and research also benefits from the support of the Jean Monnet activities, the activities aim to support: Modules by a teaching programme in connection with European Union studies with a length of 40 hours. Chairs by providing a teaching post regarding specialization in European Union studies with a length of 90 hours; Center of Excellence by focusing on focal points of competence & knowledge on European Union subjects. The main activities under the branch of teaching and research concern Focal points of competence & knowledge on European Union subjects (Erasmus + Official website, Erasmus +in detail).Moreover there a 2 more branches which are benefiting from the support of Jean Monnet activities, one is Policy debate and exchange while the other is in connection with Support towards institutions or associations. Policy debate and exchanges tend to support networks and project by increased cooperation and promotion of results on a high level of research (Networks) and by exploring methodologies, promotion of discussion and reflection (Projects).

Jean Monnet activities also show support towards the previously mentioned branch Institutions or Associations. It aims to support Institutions by the enhancement of teacher and training activities on EU subject areas. Meanwhile it shows support towards associations by Contributing to the study of the European integration process(Erasmus + Official website, Erasmus +in detail).

Another characteristic of Erasmus + is the attention which it provides for sports. It aims to fight against doping, match fixing, violence, intolerance and discrimination also promotes and supports the good governance in sports moreover it aims to offer support for dual career athletes. Voluntary activities is part of the aims together with equal opportunities and social inclusion also promotes the importance of health-enhancing physical activities (Erasmus + Official website, Erasmus + in detail). Amongst its activities we can find the support for grassroots sports, it aims to support collaborative partnerships, strengthening the evidence base for policy making (Erasmus + Official website, Erasmus +in detail) together with non-profit sport events involving numerous countries.All in all we can conclude, that exchange programs represent a success regarding European integration and personal/professional development by giving the students the possibility to interfere with several cultures and nationalities across Europe.

Conclusion

As we arrive at the end of the paper it is time to draw the lines and to wrap up the entire subject. First of all, let me mention the key factors, which the paper had in focus. Identity and the concept of a stranger, this segment clarified all the questions that could occur regarding a persons identity. It had discussed the concept of identity on various levels, it presented the stranger it self, a stranger is a person who comes today and stays tomorrow (Simmel, 1950: 042)[footnoteRef:51] also discussed the topic of: personal, national identity. [51: Student mobility and narrative in Europe, Elizabeth Murphy-Lejeune p:16, 2002]

1