Erasmus Programme And Its Impact On European Identity

Stuart Hall defines identity as an ‘already accomplished fact, which the new cultural practices then represent’. We should think instead of ‘identity as a ‘production’ which is never complete, always in process, and always constituted within, not outside, representation’ (Hall 1994 p.392). An individual’s sense of belonging to a particular group, thinking, feelings and behaviour can also be referred to as identity. One’s cultural image can construct identity; such features as hair, skin tone and height. History shapes our identity.

Throughout the ages, humans from all over the world have created and accepted honorable cultures which they feel a strong connection to and are dependent upon. One’s way of living demonstrates nationality, religion, ethnicity, and art. People who have more than one culture, have been torn between two worlds that have eventually affected their lives. The cultural identities portrayed in both Self Portrait: On the Borderline Between Mexico and the United States by Frida Kahlo and “Legal Alien” by Pat Mora are shown through the symbolism, theme/message, and persona created in the works.

The EU was created after the Second World War to unite the neighboring countries of Europe. It was established by six European countries in 1951: France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, Netherlands and West Germany (Briney, 2015). Today it consists of 28 countries united to create an economic and political community (Gov.uk, 2014).

Throughout history, identity is often viewed as a something inherently stable. However, I argue that identity should be viewed as something far more complicated than this – particularly if one articulates the modern notion of a fluid conception of identity. Identity is something that is constantly in flux. Then, identity is constructed of the vastly diverse geographies, histories, and the spaces and places that one inhabits throughout their life. To put it simply, identity defines who we are. Therefore, it is inextricably bound to notions of difference , where representations of people can change depending on the

Identity may be a bit hard to define because of its content its broadness, every country have their own way of building, cooking, praying, playing, joking, fishing, farming, dressing, even speaking.

EEC (1958) was the European Economic Community, originally consisting of France, (then West) Germany, Italy, and the Benelux nations (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg).

Within the frames of the new reality, those immigrants face myriad problems associated with finding their way to cope with the assumed expectations and identifying their relatively split identities. This leads to a multi-level conflict that results from the conception or definition of national identity according to the visionary of state versus the socio-cultural diversity reflected in real life.

Introduction： It can be agreed that culture and identity have inseparable and intense connections. Culture means the way of life or the characteristics of a group of people, it can be defined from various aspects, such as religion, language, food, music, arts and and so on. Also culture is all the mental phenomena which condenses in the human production and life activities, including a variety of intangible values and physical creation. Moreover, Identity can be understood that who you are, what makes you different with others. The conception of national identity refers to the way that a country or a nationality define themselves with culture, language and traditions as a whole.

Social status can be expressed through the value of goods that are purchased, people who are wealthy can demonstrate that they are of wealth and are of a higher class by buying lavish goods. When looking at people identifying with certain sub-cultures material items like clothes can express that they are of that group. This can present a double standard as some sub-cultures like the hippy sub-culture or the punk sub-culture belief’s lie with being non-conformist and having a high level of agency, when the truth is that they may unintentionally dress the same as other people of the same sub-culture, reducing their agency. Although we are not passive consumers we have

In the article Migration, Cultural bereavement, and cultural identity by Dinesh Bhugra and Matthew A Becker explains the long term effects that migration can cause on a person. As a person born into a family of immigrants I was not aware of the stress put onto a person, both my mother and father have told my siblings and I great stories on how they lived before we were even born. Although from their happy stories and joyful memories I did notice that they always had a sense of being trapped. They both tell me that while in Mexico they had all this free time and places to go regardless of having to work and take care of the family 24/7. In America it seems that if you do not have money there is nowhere that you can go and enjoy your day especially in the winter. Another thing that I have noticed about my parents is their frustration when they are not able to speak the language. Of the twenty-one years that they have lived here of course they have caught onto some english words, more so that my siblings and I have constantly been speaking English from the time that we were able to turn on the

The question of identity is always a difficult one for those living in a culture or group, yet belonging to another. This difficulty frequently remains in the mind of most immigrants, especially the second generations who were born in a country other than their parents. Younger generations feel as if they are forced to change to fit the social standards despite previous culture or group. Furthermore those who wish to adopt a new identity of a group or culture haven't yet been fully accepted by original members due to their former identity.

Defining identity can be complex and therefore we have to investigate the factors involved that make us who we are and how we are seen by others, collectively or individually. Social scientists have to consider the key elements which shape identity, the importance of social structures and agency involved. The differences and/or similarities between us are the focus that categorise and label us in society. Knowing who we are is important for many reasons including, social rights, obtaining a passport, housing, health, employment, marriage, and over all, being able to ascertain who we are, and belong.

In recent years, identity has been open to discussion and reflection. One's identity has now been subject to change. There are still major cultural categories of identity, for example:

In most case, identity is shaped by culture. Since culture is a set of ideals life practices, routines and attitudes set up by a certain community hence culture plays a major role in shaping the identity of an individual. An individual’s character and attributes can be because of their background. This is due to the set up that one has grown up (Dumas 19). People tend to learn more about their culture, and as they grow up it becomes part of them. They embrace the culture’s beliefs and tend to do things following the set routines. The aspect of following the set routine and beliefs play a significant part in shaping the identity of an individual.

The start of Europe going towards a union had begun after World War II. The French gave an invitation to European countries served as the basis of a European Union. 9 countries have accepted the invitation: Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and The Netherlands. Then it expanded and increased by accepting European countries that want to join; Denmark, Ireland and the U.K. in 1973, Greece in 1981, Spain and Portugal in 1986, and Austria, Fenland and Sweden in 1995. Now it has 28 countries.