This book aims to explore the perceptions of the EU integration by the young population in its periphery. It thereby bridges the gap between perceptions studies, youth studies, and the center-periphery conceptual framework. The chapters in the volume make use of data generated from focus group meetings with university students aged between 18-30 (which is the age range generally used by the European Social Survey to group young citizens) in Romania, Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia, Georgia and Turkiye.

Presents perception studies for a conversation with the conceptual framework of centre-periphery Is theoretically and methodologically interdisciplinary and innovative and empirically original Appeals to social scientists interested in the future of the European project

Autorentext

Baak Z. Alpan is an Associate Professor and a Lecturer in European Politics and Political Sociology at the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at the Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Birmingham with her research on the Turkish discourses on 'Europe' in the post-1999 period. She conducts research and extensively writes on the European integration, discourse theory, poststructuralism, Turkish-EU Relations and football and identity. Some recent articles by Alpan are, 'Turkey and the Balkans: bringing the Europeanisation/de-Europeanisation nexus into question' (with E. Öztürk) which appeared in Southeast European and Black Sea Studies (2022) and 'The Impact of Populism on Turkey-EU Relations' in International Spectator (2019). Alpan worked in many EU-funded projects as a researcher, including FREE (Football Research in an Enlarged Europe), and FEUTURE (the Future of Turkey-EU Relations). She is currently the Coordinator of the JM Network LEAP ('Linking to Europe at the Periphery').

Afrim Hoti is Full Professor at the Department of Political Sciences at the University of Prishtina. He served at different institutions in Kosovo like Prime Minister's Office, Special Chamber of the Kosovo Supreme Court, Kosovo Parliament as well as many international organizations like EAR, USAID, UNDP and GIZ. He held series of lectures and seminars in many EU and Turkish universities and coordinated EU projects under Jean Monnet Network, Erasmus plus and so on. Prof. Hoti has published a book, monographies and many articles in various international academic journals.

Inhalt

Chapter 1. Introduction: Imagining Europe in Times of War and Crisis: Youth Perceptions of European Integration in its Periphery.- Chapter 2. Romania's Paradox Youth Perceptions of EU's Identity and Legitimacy During Poly-crisis.- Chapter 3. Reflections on Emerging Perspectives: Kosovan Youth Narratives and their Path toward EU Integration.- Chapter 4. Albanian Youth Perceptions on the EU Accession Path - Amidst Expectations and Discontent: Exploring the Breeding Ground of Euro (Scepticism).- Chapter 5. A Dream or a Dread? Perceptions of the North Macedonian Youth on European Integration.- Chapter 6. Contesting or Supporting? EU Integration Project and Georgian Youth.- Chapter 7. Exploring Turkish Youth Perceptions of the European Project: A Periphery Perspective.- Chapter 8. Conclusion: The Periphery's Agency and Recommendations for the EU's Approach to the Young Population in the Periphery.