Citizens' Reactions to European Integration Compared Overlooking Europe [Hardcover]

Pre-financial crisis, EU citizens were 'overlooking' Europe ignoring it in favour of globalisation, economic flows, and crises of political corruption. Innovative focus group methods allow an analysis of citizens' reactions, and demonstrate how euroscepticism is a red herring, instead articulating an indifference to and ambivalence about Europe.Notes on Contributors Preface and Acknowledgements; S.Duchesne, E.Frazer, F.Haegel & V.Van Ingelgom Introduction: Outline of the Book; S.Duchesne, E.Frazer, F.Haegel & V.Van Ingelgom Concepts and Theory: Political Sociology and European Study; S.Duchesne, E.Frazer, F.Haegel & V.Van Ingelgom National Frames: Reactions to a Multi-level World; F.Haegel Social Gap: the Double Meaning of 'Overlooking'; S.Duchesne When Ambivalence meets Indifference; V.Van Ingelgom Representation and Legitimation; E.Frazer & V.Van Ingelgom Reflections on Design and Implementation; S.Duchesne, E.Frazer, A.P.Frognier, G.Garcia, F.Haegel & V.Van Ingelgom Conclusion: Citizens Talking about Europe; S.Duchesne, E.Frazer, F.Haegel & V.Van Ingelgom Post Script: Searching for the Grail; A.P.Frognier References Appendices Notes

The last decade has witnessed the publication of major qualitative comparative studies of citizens' views and experiences of European integration. None can match, however, Overlooking Europe's theoretical and methodological rigor, nor its intellectual honesty. In a rare instance of genuine and successful collective work, the authors demonstrate and provide a highly sophisticated and original account of the ordinary citizens' cognitive and affective distancing with respect to the European integration process on the eve of Europe's 2008 debt and fiscal crisis. This account largely contradicts previous conclusions drawn from the analysis of public opinion survey data and forever changes our interpretation of political developments in the European Union l3£