| Abstract [eng] |
Brexit has significantly altered the political landscape of Europe both nationally and internationally. The scientific originality of the final project arises from the fact that the main area of research in the case of Brexit is its economic and political implications. This thesis presents the socio-political perspective of the phenomenon by researching shifts in the cognition of European identity in the context of Brexit. The project provides the comprehensive framework for future research; therefore, it is possible to execute similar researches throughout different periods of time. The problem of the final project is transformation in the understanding of European identity in the context of Brexit. The aim of the final project is to identify the developments in the understanding of European identity in the light of Brexit through the analysis of media content. The object of the final project is European identity. The subject of the final project is the nature of European identity in the light of Brexit. To achieve the aim of the project, three tasks have been established. The first task is to investigate the scope of the traditional understanding of European identity. Secondly, it is essential to outline the methodological framework for media content analysis. The third task is to determine the shifts in European identity by employing media content analysis within an interpretative approach. The main research method of the theoretical part of the research project is the research of scientific literature. As far as the determination of changes in the understanding of European identity are concerned, an interpretative media content analysis has been employed. The sample of the research consists of 60 online articles that represent both British and European news media sources, with BBC and The Guardian representing British media, while Euronews and POLITICO represent European sources. A two-level codebook was created as the framework for the content analysis. The thesis consists of three chapters. In the first chapter, the theoretical framework for the investigation is established, analysing Social Identity Theory (SIT), historical preconditions for European identity as well as social identity shifts due to the digital media influences. The methodological chapter investigates content analysis as a means for socio-political research as well as outlines the design of the coding categories for the empirical research. The empirical analysis examines the results of the coding by answering research questions that were formulated at the end of the methodological chapter. The empirical research has revealed that there are no distinct differences between British and European news media sources as far as values or the representation of topics related to European identity related are concerned. In the context of the sample, European identity is presented as an equivocal concept with two opposing outlooks. There are advocates for the co-existence of multiple identities who believe that there is no need to prioritise identities as they are a natural part of a person’s self. Therefore, the EU is recognised as an entity which designates a direction towards prosperity by being the protector of democracy, human rights as well as the promoter of cultural diversity and social inclusion. The opposing perspective posits that different identities are mutually exclusive, therefore, loyalty to one’s national identity is deemed to be fundamental in what regards one’s personal safety as well as national security, while Brexit is perceived as a powerful instrument to achieve these goals. |
