In light of the events that have affected the European Union in the past year, questions are being raised about the reasons behind a generational divide regarding European belonging and the perception of Europe. Young people, in fact, unlike their parents, seem to have grown up with a true European sense of belonging. In 2003, a Repubblica article referring to young Europeans already spoke of Generation E (where the "E" stands for Europe). They are defined as global citizens of the Old Continent, and those interviewed define themselves as young Europeans.
The role of new technologies
What might be the causes of different self-representations and identities between children and their parents? New technologies, the breaking down of barriers, European Union policies, and the fascination with cities seem to be part of the process of changing perceptions as generations pass. David Harvey , an English geologist and political scientist, argues that thanks to the development of new transportation and telecommunications technologies, space is shrinking; travel today seems easier. Through information technology, distances are shrinking for individuals and young Europeans. What once seemed unbridgeable distances is increasingly closer, and travel times are consequently also decreasing. Furthermore, the European Union, through the free movement of goods and people, has made it much easier for people to move from one country to another. By changing travel times and the perception of distances, the frequency and consumption of travel among young people has also changed. Cost reduction plays a significant role: with higher costs, the 3 million young people who have benefited from the Erasmus program since 1987 would not have been reached . Spain, France, and Germany would be the preferred destinations for young Europeans. The goal is to offer 4 million people the opportunity to study, train, teach, or volunteer abroad by 2020.
The City and Generation E
Mobility in general is more concentrated in cities. People tend to move from small towns to large cities. One of the main reasons is undoubtedly economic. Max Weber himself studied the city in relation to its relationship with the economy. “ In Europe, more than 80% of the population currently lives in cities. 60% live in cities with more than 50 inhabitants. Cities represent the economic and cultural heart ” (Governa; Memoli. 2011). According to Georg Simmel, city dwellers' relationships are based on anonymity, indifference, individuality, and detachment. For this reason, individuals enjoy the greatest possible freedom in cities. These characteristics, this sense of independence, the liberation from social control, could be a significant attraction, especially for young people. A medieval German proverb, later taken up by Weber, states that “ city air makes one free .” This could be another reason why young people, and people in general, move to larger urban centers within the European Union. Furthermore, the social networks that young people create during the Erasmus experience appear to be fundamental to the construction of their personal identity. According to Italian sociologist Giuliana Mandich , " identity is a subjective narrative, but not an individual one. The construction of this narrative occurs in some way in response to the narratives of others around us and is recognized by them. It is therefore the product of intersubjective mechanisms ."
The idea of "Europe" among young people
One might consider transposing the concept of world cities , a term coined by John Friedman in 1986, to a concept of European cities . They provide us with models of spatial organization and European division of labor, directly reflected in the structure of local economic change, especially in cultural transformation and perception. Erving Goffman considered space as a representation of the self. This theory was later developed by Anthony Giddens in " The Consequences of Modernity ." Perulli writes that the processes of disaggregation that social relations undergo following profound socio-technical and geopolitical transformations give rise to a stretching, a tension that, while concentrating time in an instant, expands space beyond all limits. The fall of spatial barriers and technological acceleration lead to this outcome. Sociologist Vincenzo Cicchelli states that young people express an idea of Europe as a plural and unique reality. In all cases, it provides them with a geocultural reference , as they can place their national belonging within a broader framework. The Generation E picture.
Luisa Cuccu
