For more than 50 years European integration has been a central aspect of the political development in Western Europe. Beginning with the Treaties of Rome in 1957, European democratic states have moved together and are now forming a unique political entitiy consisting of 27 independent national states connected by an extensive, supra-national political institution. At the same time, economic integration within the European Union has been advanced by policy makers as well as companies and consumers and has now created immense indedependancy between all national economic systems.
In contrast to political and economic European intrgration, the social dimension has received much less attention. Nevertheless, the abolishment of border controls, the freedom of movement and the right of domicile have a tangible impact on the life of all Europeans. The intention of the European Union is to create a common integrated European space in which people as well as goods, services and capital frow freely and unhindered across national borders. But the dynamics by which this free flow can be created differs profoundly between goods, services and capital on the one hand and people on the other hand. While the first three are part of the highly dynamic economic system which quickly adapts to arising opportunities and a changing environment, the routines, habits and beliefs of people are less prone to change.
This stability of peoples’ habits and routines form the center of attention of my research project “Reproducing National Borders” performed at Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Germany. I am going to analyze the processes leading to the continuing social reproduction of national borders despite all political attempts to create close interaction between people on both sides of those lines. To achieve this, my focus will be on the routines and rationalizations of those routines of people living near opened Inner-European borders.
Feel free to read more about my theoretical approach, the fieldwork I do (coming soon) or explore the collected resources concerning the project (coming soon).
