Two Countries in Crisis

Economic Inequality in the EU and Disidentification With Europe in Spain and Greece

Datos Bibliográficos

ID7842848
AutoresK Petkanopoulou (0000-0003-0439-8987, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, Athens, Greece), Ángel Sánchez-Rodríguez (0000-0002-9749-8508, Universidad de Granada, autor de correspondencia), Guillermo B Willis (0000-0001-6593-948X, Universidad de Granada), Xenia Chryssochoou (0000-0002-8001-5768, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, Athens, Greece), Rosa Rodríguez-Bailón (0000-0002-3489-0107, Universidad de Granada)
Año2018
Volumen49
Número6
Páginas888-906
Fecha de publicación2018-07-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaJournal of Cross-Cultural Psychology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0022-0221 • E-ISSN: 1552-5422
EditorialSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0022022117751201
OpenAlexW2809425010
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas11
Referencias citadas47

European identity is currently facing important challenges. From the beginning, European identity has been related to the national identities of Member States with different economic strengths. The recent economic recession made these disparities salient across countries. In this research conducted in two countries with relative low status in the European Union (EU), we explored whether the perceived disparities in wealth between the countries of the EU—perceived economic inequality—predicted disidentification with Europe. We also examined the mediators of this relationship. Study 1, conducted in Spain, revealed that perceived economic inequality positively predicted disidentification with Europe; importantly, this effect remained when controlling for individuals’ subjective socioeconomic status and the perceived status of the country. The experience of fear of economic inequality in the EU mediated this relationship. The results of Study 1 were replicated comparing a Spanish sample (Study 2a) and a Greek sample (Study 2b). These studies delved deeper into the specific appraisals of fear that mediate the relationship between economic inequality and disidentification with Europe. Four categories of fear appraisals obtained in a preliminary qualitative study were measured as potential mediators: losing national sovereignty, worsening of living conditions, being negatively stereotyped, and Europe losing fundamental values. The relationship between economic inequality in the EU and disidentification with Europe was mediated by fear of losing national sovereignty and fear of Europe losing fundamental values

Demographic economics · Development economics · Economic inequality · Economic policy · Economics · European union · Inequality · Political science · Politics · Recession · Socioeconomic status · Sociology · Sovereignty · Cultural Differences and Values · Demography · Social and Intergroup Psychology