The Eurozone Crisis: Psychological Mechanisms Undermining and Supporting European Solidarity
by
Gerhard Reese 1,* and Oliver Lauenstein 2
Gerhard Reese 1,* and Oliver Lauenstein 2
1
Integrative Research Unit on Social and Individual Development (INSIDE), University of Luxemburg, Route de Diekirch, Walferdange 7201, Luxemburg
2
Department of Personality Psychology and Psychological Assessment, University of Bamberg, Markusplatz 3, Bamberg 96047, Germany
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Soc. Sci. 2014, 3(1), 160-171; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci3010160
Received: 27 January 2014 / Revised: 24 February 2014 / Accepted: 3 March 2014 / Published: 10 March 2014
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Eurozone Crisis: A Multidisciplinary Perspective)
Europe has become a vivid example of intergroup dynamics with all the risks and chances it holds for peaceful and respectful co-existence. While Europe as a superordinate social category has the capability of solidarity between its subcategories (i.e., nations), negative emotions and behaviors among the countries’ citizens have become more prevalent throughout the emerging crisis. This article aims to analyze the psychological outcomes (i.e., negative attitudes) following on from the structural and economic imbalances within the European Union. More precisely, we argue that political reactions towards the Euro crisis facilitated routes to nationalism and thereby fostered supremacy in a few countries. This perceived supremacy of some countries, in turn, legitimized negative reactions towards others. Based on predictions from a social identity perspective, we describe how these processes perpetuate themselves. We also suggest strategies that might prevent the idea of a common Europe from failing.
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Keywords:
the euro crisis; intergroup behavior; prototypicality; negative attitudes; social identity
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License
MDPI and ACS Style
Reese, G.; Lauenstein, O. The Eurozone Crisis: Psychological Mechanisms Undermining and Supporting European Solidarity. Soc. Sci. 2014, 3, 160-171.
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