Sources of (Dis-)Identification with Europe: A Q-Methodological Approach

Although attachment to Europe has been widely studied, less is known about the motivations underlying identification and disidentification. This article addresses this gap by uncovering these dynamics through an illustrative study in Germany. We argue that the meaning of “Europe” varies among individuals and different aspects of Europe have different influences on (dis-)identification. In a Q-methodological online study, 80 German participants were asked to sort different aspects of Europe according to their perceived strengthening vs. weakening influence on attachment which were complemented by post-sorting interviews. Four perspectives on European (dis-)identification were revealed: (1) Cultural–utilitarian attachment centered on travel, leisure, and cultural exchange, with criticism of EU policies (EU-opportunistic), (2) achievement-based attachment focused on economic and scientific performance, with exclusionary views on belonging (EU-centric), (3) values-driven attachment emphasizing democracy, human rights, and inclusivity, alongside critique of inequality and bureaucracy (EU-values), and (4) unity-oriented attachment stressing internal solidarity and shared values, paired with exclusionary attitudes toward outsiders (EU-unity). The findings suggest the presence of different images of Europe, in which various reasons for attachment are weighed against one another when individuals think about their European identity. Therefore, different theories of (dis-)identification might show differential validity for different groups of individuals