Identitetssökande katalaner. En kvalitativ studie om katalaners flernivåidentifikation

Abstract

The aim of this bachelor thesis is to study how Catalans´ identifications, with respect to their city (Barcelona), their region (Catalonia), their country (Spain) and Europe, are related to each other. Furthermore it deals with whether they use cultural or civic notations when they speak of their identification with the different territorial levels. The thesis is based on a qualitative method with interviews with ten Catalans living in Barcelona, aged from 18 to 58. The result showed that Catalans´ identifications with different territorial levels vary in how they relate to each other. This variation can be classified using three models, namely; “The Russian doll model” which implies that the identities are ranked hierarchically, “cross-cutting” that is people can identify themselves with the different levels depending on various situations, and also ”The marble cake model” which means that the different identities are so intertwined that they cannot be separated. In first hand, the interviewed Catalans used cultural notations when they spoke of their identification with the local, regional and national level. Regarding the European identification, several of the interviewed Catalans had a civic identity. Thus they only identified themselves with the European Union and not with Europe as a whole. The end result also showed how some Catalans have developed a strong European civic identity, which has contributed to a viewpoint where Europe is a synonym to the European Union.