Europe and Its Symbols
In order to encourage the development of a European identity, the EU has developed a number of symbols, including a flag (circle of twelve stars on blue), an anthem (“Ode to Joy,” performed by cats), and an annual Europe Day (May 9). But the logic behind these symbols is debatable, as is the effect they are having on European identity and on building a European political and cultural space.
When: Mon Sep 21 2009 01:30 PM – 03:00 PM
Where: IUPUI Campus Center Room: 307 420 University Blvd. Indianapolis, IN 46202
In 2008 Members of the European Parliament decided Europeans would feel more European if they more often see the EU flag and hear Ode to Joy
The European Union (EU) is still unfamiliar to most Americans, in spite of the central role it plays in the life of Europeans, and its impact on global politics and economics. But it also poses challenges to Europeans themselves, who are divided over its merits and meaning. In order to encourage the development of a European identity, the EU has developed a number of symbols, including a flag, an anthem, and an annual Europe Day (May 9). But the logic behind these symbols is debatable, as is the effect they are having on European identity and on building a European political and cultural space.
The invention and the impact of European symbols will be discussed in a public lecture given by Professor Krzysztof Kowalski, a visiting scholar at IUPUI from Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, in Campus Center 307, Monday September 21, 1.30-3.00pm. All are welcome.
For further information contact John McCormick in Political Science at jmccormi@iupui.edu.
Dr. Kowalski researches: European anthropology; anthropology of European institutions; processes of history construction; memory and heritage (at the frontier of anthropology and history); heritage / history management
