Identity, Interests and Attitudes to European Integration

To what degree do citizens of EU member states support the European integration project, and how much do perceptions of this project depend upon fundamental feelings of identity? In Identity, Interests and Attitudes to European Integration, Lauren M. McLaren outlines explanations of varying feelings towards the European Union and the integration project, focusing on egoistic self-interest and the perceived threat to one's group. The book introduces new evidence that questions the degree to which Europeans think about the EU in utilitarian terms and contemplates the other lenses through which ordinary citizens might view the EU, particularly those of identity. Ultimately, the book contends that feelings about the EU may be related more to general xenophobia and out-group rejection than to cost/benefit calculations about whether the EU satisfies one's self-interest.