Title: "The construction of Modern Greek national identity: Perceptions of "homeland" and "Greekness" in Greek pupils' and students' views in Northern Greece" (original) (raw)

2009, Proceedings of the IAIE Annual Conference 2009

Cultural differentiation has gained a prominent position in modern countries as a classification process along with social class and social status. National, ethnic and religious affiliations as well as linguistic and other cultural criteria are used to define the Self and the Other. Within this context, notions of sameness and otherness are constantly challenged, negotiated and redefined. This is an evident characteristic of todays everyday life in Greece, an emigration country once, becoming since 1990 a reception country for thousands of migrants. This paper explores ideas and perceptions about homeland as expressed by young people in the town of Florina in northern Greece. It is based on a survey, conducted with a random sample (100 N) of Secondary Education pupils and students attending the three Departments (Primary, Pre-Primary and Balkan Studies) in the town. Semi-structured interviews were implemented for obtaining the data. Xenophobia, anxiety, confusion, understanding, tolerance and acceptance are some of the ideas that can be drawn from the content analysis that followed the survey. Secondary Education pupils-mostly those who attend the first cycle of Secondary Education (Gymnasia)-express fears towards the migrants living in Greece. They see them as a potential danger for the safekeeping of national borders and the country's integrity. On the contrary, older pupils attending the second cycle (Lyceia), appear to be less worried and express a feeling of confusion towards the integration of migrants in modern Greece. Students attending University, on the other hand, express a deeper questioning towards the multicultural coexistence in modern Greece. They appear to be more tolerant, sensitive and open towards the migrant population. They are in the process of contesting what they have learned at school so far regarding nationality and citizenship issues. The paper supports the statement that Intercultural and Citizenship Education should be implemented in school curricula in order to help pupils and students overcome their own stereotypes, prejudices, ethnocentrism and develop a broader awareness for notions of homeland, the Self and the Other.