Identity and Social Cohesion
摘要
This chapter underlines the impact of everyday life on identity dynamics and social cohesion in relation to Europe. While critically discussing previous research on both concepts, we assign particular importance to the Social Identity Theory and socialisation processes in the form of habitualisation. As fans are constantly exposed to Europeanised structures and practices of football (see Chap. 3 ) in their engagement with the sport, football has the capacity to normalise Europe in the eyes of its citizens. This opens a two-fold route to potentially Europeanising effects on identification processes: (1) a subjective Europeanisation through everyday exposure to European(ised) structures that subconsciously shape identities, including contact via media, and (2) a more active way of Europeanisation of identification and identities through intentional contact with and practices aimed at the European dimension. Both led to in a (re)alignment of interpretation frames, perceptions, and attitudes towards a more European perspective. The part on social cohesion elaborates on three main components—values, identification/belonging, and social relations or social capital. The chapter closes with a summarising overview of the complex interrelations between the concepts of cohesion and identity.