European Identity? : On rhetorical citizenship and the significance of identity in the EU: A conceptual analysis

European Identity? On Rhetorical Citizenship and the Significance of Identity in the EU: A Conceptual Analysis [Europeisk identitet? Om retoriskt medborgarskap och identitetens betydelse i EU: En begreppsanalys] This thesis investigates the concept of European identity through a rhetorical lens, with the aim of understanding how the term is defined and used acrossed carious academic disciplines. The study applies conceptual analysis based on a qualitative review of scholar literature, supplemented by rhetorical theory; particularly Kenneth Burke's concept of identification, Maurice Charland's theory of constitutive rhetoric and the notion of rehtorical citizienship as described by Christian Kock and Lisa Storm Villadsen. The analysis is divided into two parts: the first identifies how European identity is discussed and conceptualized in existing research such as political sciences, sociology and cultural studies. The second part explores these definitions through a rhetorical theory to highlight how identity is performative and constructed within the EU. Finally the implications of a rhetorical perpsective on EU citizenship is examined. The findings of this study suggests that the European identity is multifaceted, dynamic and constantly shaped by political narratives, symbolic values and emotional attachements – or lack therof. The rhetorical approach to the European Union's attempts to create a common identity and offers a critical perspective on the unions constitution of it's citizens. Ultimately, the results suggests that a strong Euopean identity requires not only shared values but also affective resonance and rhetorical participations from the public.