
Perceptions of Europe
A Comparative Sociology of European Attitudes
ECPR Press
Published on 13. March 2012
Book
Hardback
290 pages
978-1-907301-15-5 (ISBN)
Description
After five decades, "Europe" as a political entity has become increasingly visible to ordinary citizens and an object of political debates. Much of what is known about citizens' attitudes towards Europe is limited to quantitative surveys largely centered on identifying who is for or against the EU. The proposed volume seeks to present a more complete and nuanced picture based on over 600 qualitative interviews conducted in France, Germany, Poland and Italy between 2006 and 2009. The volume seeks to specify the full range of attitudes, the cognitive bases used to formulate opinions, the degree of consistency and conviction of attitudes and the pertinence of sociological and contextual factors explaining observable variations in these attitudes. The results question many of the sweeping generalisations and assumptions about the structuring of public perceptions of "Europe". The edited volume will be composed of 12 chapters, all based on intensive fieldwork. The first chapters will discuss the theoretical and methodological underpinnings and the following chapters will focus on a particular type of attitude, social group, or recurrent themes structuring perceptions. The book is targeted to students and scholars in sociology, political science and European studies, as well as European professionals.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Colchester
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
black & white illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
602 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-907301-15-5 (9781907301155)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Daniel Gaxie | Nicolas Hube | Jay Rowell
Perceptions of Europe
A Comparative Sociology of European Attitudes
Book
02/2013
ECPR Press
€59.80
Shipment within 3-4 weeks
Persons
Daniel Gaxie is a political sociologist and Professor of political science at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. He has conducted extensive research on political participation, attitudes and behaviour, elites, institutions and public policies. As well as his involvement in the INTUNE and Eurelites projects he is known for his book Le cens caché (The Hidden Disfranchisement) first published in 1978.
Nicolas Hubé is Assistant Professor of Political Science and Deputy-Dean of the Political Science Department at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. As well as his involvement in the INTUNE project, his research interests include the use and misuse of polls in political life and communication in EU institutions. He has published in Perspectives on European Politics and Society.
Jay Rowell is a full-time researcher in sociology at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and director of the Centre for European Political Sociology (GSPE) at the University of Strasbourg. His research focuses in particular on disability policy and the uses of statistical instruments in the European polity. He has recently published, with A Campana and E Henry, La construction des problèmes publics en Europe, Presses Universitaires de Strasbourg, 2007 and with M Mangenot , A political sociology of Europe: Reassessing Constructivism, Manchester University Press, 2010.
Content
contents
List of Figures and Tables vii
Contributors ix
Preface xi
Chapter 1: What we Know and do not Know About Citizens' Attitudes
Towards Europe
Daniel Gaxie 1
Chapter 2: The Eurobarometer and the Making of European Opinion
Philippe Aldrin 17
Chapter 3: Methodology of the Project
Daniel Gaxie and Jay Rowell 35
Chapter 4: Types of Attitudes Towards Europe
Daniel Gaxie 51
Chapter 5: For or Against the EU? Ambivalent Attitudes and Varied
Arguments Towards Europe
Dorota Dakowska and Nicolas Hubé 85
Chapter 6: Temporality and Historical Experience in Attitudes Towards
Europe: Is There a Nationality Effect?
Dorota Dakowska and Jay Rowell 101
Chapter 7: Talking About Europe: Techniques and Resources in the
Formulation of Opinions on the EU
Philippe Aldrin and Marine De Lassalle 119
Chapter 8: Producing Opinions on European Questions: A Specific
Competence?
Patrick Lehingue 143
Chapter 9: The European Puzzle: Gathering, Sorting and Assembling
Piecemeal Information
Giuliano Bobba, Katarzyna Jaszczyk and Muriel Rambour 157
Chapter 10: European Worlds
Marine de Lassalle 175
Chapter 11: Europe in the Popular Milieus: What 'Silent Citizens'
Perceive of Europe
Christèle Marchand and Pierre Edouard Weill 197
Chapter 12: When Europe Mobilises...
Nicolas Hubé, Jean-Matthieu Méon and Sébastien Michon 215
Conclusion
Daniel Gaxie 241
Bibliography 245
Subject Index 261
Author Index 269