Abstract:

The formation of a European identity is a particularly important process in all post-Soviet countries, especially those that are already members of the European Union or are about to join the European Union in the near future. European identity is an important priority in both post-Soviet policy documents and EU policy documents. Young people are the direct target of many policy documents, as they will shape Europe's future. However, the process of identity formation is long and complex, determined by the interaction of many cultures. The problem of the formation of a European identity is determined by many factors: the abstract nature of the European identity, the multi-ethnic composition of the European population, the changing borders of the European Union, the promotion of anti-globalist views, and so on. Today, however, it has become clear that it is the strengthening of European identity that underpins the preservation of democratic values in Europe and ensures the sustainability of the European Union. In order to strengthen European identity, it is important to analyze young people's own views on how they understand it and to what extent they feel part of Europe. The analysis of young people's views makes it possible to define and remove obstacles to the process of developing their European identity. The analysis is based on the findings of research conducted in three Latvian schools within a framework of the international project “Cultural Heritage and Identities of Europe’s Future”, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program under Grant Agreement No. 770464. By describing how young people learn about European culture, they define the knowledge gained through formal and non-formal learning. The study shows that not all young people interviewed are aware of their belonging to European culture and their European identity. They acknowledge being part of the European culture at a relatively formal level: based on the geographical aspect and considering the shared values of democracy, tolerance, appreciation of diversity, etc. They are much more emotional and aware of their ethnic, regional, and national belonging. Young people acknowledge that they gain a lot of knowledge about Europe at school, but experience European culture they can only in an informal way.

Keywords:

Identity formation, European identity, formal education, informal education, young people.