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The European Union and European Cultural Space in the Perception of Old Believer youth in the City of Daugavpils
Abstract
This article discusses the results of an eight-month long ethnographic study conducted among young Old Believers in the city of Daugavpils, Latvia. The aim of the study was to gain a broader understanding of how young people understand culture and their participation in cultural activities. This group is an ethnic and religious minority in Latvia, which is of particular interest because it allows a deeper understanding of the differences in the cultural identity and cultural traditions of young people, in the idea of their place in Europe. The research focused on the experience of young people gained through interaction with other cultures and ethnic minorities in Latvia, Russia, Belarus, and the European Union. It was especially important to learn young peoples point of view on the formal and informal discourse of national and ethnic identity, on the national cultural heritage, collective memory, as well as on important events in the history of Latvia and Europe. When conducting group observations and interviewing young people aged 1324, one of the main tasks was to identify their attitude towards the European cultural space and the European Union as a political system. One of the essential problems was an attempt to find out how important European identity is for young people, how it correlates with national and ethnic identity. In their opinion, the basis of European identity is not only geographic location, but also cultural affiliation. The young people emphasized that being a European means accepting European values, integrating into the national culture, knowing the history of Europe and being tolerant, however, a stereotypical perception of others was observed, which may be associated with xenophobia. The dynamics of socio-political and cultural changes makes it possible to question the point of view according to which ethnic, national and religious heritage is a static and monolithic unit that determines the beliefs of community members and controls their behavior.
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