Authors

Discussion

A sense of national attachment might contribute to several desirable outcomes for political communities such as increased acceptance of redistribution, greater interest in political affairs or reduced migration intentions. The question of how identity relates to political preferences has thus far been primarily studied on countries of the global West. But it is across Eastern Europe that an appeal to ethno-national understandings of identity and use of essentialised historical narrative can be encountered most prominently. In particular young people have been exposed to these calls and whereas some of them have turned into mobile citizens of the world who endorse the opportunities offered by a globalised education and labour market, these possibilities are less accessible or desirable for others.

The presentation contributes to a more precise understanding of how different understandings of identity matter for political and social values beyond views. The analysis relies on original surveys generated in Poland, Belarus and Russia which includes a series of questions about identity. In a first step it examines the ways in which young people relate to their national collective, distinguishing between an ethnic, a liberal and a multicultural understanding of identity. In a second step, I assess the extent to which the type of national identity matters for political behaviour and attitudes.