Between East and West: An investigation of Greek ethnic identity formation, European geopolitics, and migration

Abstract

In recent years, Greece has been shaped by the 2008 economic crisis and the Mediterranean refugee crisis. Compounded with Greece’s historical place as a crypto-colony of Europe, the Ottoman occupation (1453–1821) and neglect from the European Union (EU) in times of crises has put the nation in a precarious geopolitical situation. This may contribute to the negative stereotypes of ethnic Greeks and Greece itself evident in the EU media and public. My research investigates Greek ethnic formation in young adults who grew up experiencing or witnessing these crises. I conducted qualitative semi-s tructured interviews with young adults from Athens, Greece, between the ages of 18 and 30. A total of 11 interview participants were selected via a snowball sampling procedure, and grounded theory methodology was applied for data analysis using the qualitative data analysis software NVivo. Through interviews, I identified distinct relationships to terms such as ‘European’ and ‘white.’ Also explored were aspects of Greek identity, such as culture and language, and how it impacts their connection with Greek identity. A major finding of the interview data is the acute awareness of the negative stereotyping of ethnic Greeks. Participants most notably expressed that Northern Europeans view Greeks as ‘inferior,’ ‘lazy,’ and ‘exotic.’ Overall, this research adds to the existing literature regarding ethnic identity formation in Greece and Europe. It specifically aims to understand the impacts of Greece’s geopolitical crises on how young ethnic Greeks perceive themselves within the EU and identifies how geopolitical circumstances inform the persistence of negative stereotypes.