ACES invites submissions for an interdisciplinary workshop on how political identities are constructed and negotiated across European contexts. Particularly interested in work on group categorization, boundary formation, and the emergence of regional, national, and European identities.

Challenges in Europe

Political communities across Europe face unprecedented challenges to cohesion and identity. Amidst rising nationalist movements, polarized debates on migration, and uncertain European integration prospects, fundamental questions have gained urgency: Who belongs? Who is excluded? How do individuals relate to political communities?

The study of social identities has evolved significantly, building upon foundational theories such as Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979) and Intergroup Contact Theory (Allport, 1954). These frameworks illuminate how individuals develop self-concepts through group membership and how meaningful interaction between different groups can reduce prejudice and transform boundaries of belonging.

About the workshop

This two-day workshop aims to bring together scholars examining how social identities are constructed, negotiated, and maintained in European contexts. We welcome work on various dimensions of social identities, including, but not restricted to, group categorization, boundary formation, group membership criteria, the construction of "otherness," and the emergence of a European identity.

The workshop encourages contributions that analyze how both psychological mechanisms and social interactions shape individuals' sense of belonging to a territory, whether national, regional, or supranational. We particularly welcome papers that employ innovative methodological approaches and appreciate the dynamic, contested, and multifaceted nature of social identities in contemporary European societies.