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Explaining variation in sub‐state regional identities in Western Europe
Author(s) -
FITJAR RUNE DAHL
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
european journal of political research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.267
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1475-6765
pISSN - 0304-4130
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-6765.2009.01907.x
Subject(s) - eurobarometer , economic geography , identity (music) , state (computer science) , voting , identification (biology) , politics , regional variation , dimension (graph theory) , geography , capital region , regional development , capital (architecture) , political science , cultural identity , economy , regional science , european union , economics , mathematics , algorithm , law , archaeology , computer science , acoustics , biology , economic policy , physics , botany , pure mathematics , negotiation
. While national identities emerged as the dominant source of territorial identification during the twentieth century, sub‐state regional identities are becoming increasingly important in some Western European regions. However, this is not a uniform development. In some regions, nearly half of respondents in Eurobarometer surveys claim a stronger attachment to the region than to the state. In others, less than 4 per cent are primarily attached to their region. This article examines the extent to which these differences are explained by the characteristics of the regions themselves. What, if anything, do regions that mobilise public identity have in common? Developing a model of regional identities, the study examines cultural, geographic, economic and political factors that vary across different regions in Western Europe. The study finds that regional identities tend to be stronger in regions where a regional language is spoken and which do not border the state capital, signalling a cultural and a centre/periphery dimension to regional identity formation. However, there is potentially a more strategic aspect to identification, as regional identities are likely to be stronger in economically developed regions and in regions with highly distinctive voting behaviour.