The browser you are using is not supported by this website. All versions of Internet Explorer are no longer supported, either by us or Microsoft (read more here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-ie-support).

Please use a modern browser to fully experience our website, such as the newest versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari etc.

Mobility and integration: The cross-border region of Øresund and its young citizens’ perceptions

Author

  • Sebastian Steele

Summary, in English

The cross-border region of Øresund is one of the areas in Northern Europe where the largest concentration of highly educated people reside. Other authors argue that the integration process of the region has seemingly come to a halt due to a lack of interest from the inhabitants. This thesis argues that the young citizens of Øresund offers a shift in tendency towards the region and does so by taking full advantage of the existing institutions, infrastructure and possibilities that are available. Through these processes, the young people of Øresund strengthens the integration process of Øresund through bottom-up regionalization. The European Union funds various projects which aims to strengthen the integration process through top-down Europeanization. These two simultaneous processes contribute to the on-going territorial field of tension which exists in Øresund. The European Union and the Øresund region draws attention away from the national state and breaks the long bond that the nation-state has had over its citizen’s identity. By interviewing the young students of Øresund that commute weekly across Øresund, and conducting a questionnaire which was distributed to the young people of Øresund, this thesis aims to show the shift in tendency that the young people of Øresund offers to the region as a whole. The reason behind the focus on the young citizens of Øresund is because of their nature of being more mobile and open than the general public. Through qualitative research, this thesis presents the type of projects that the European Union funds which strengthens the integration process of Øresund. Through analysis of existing studies on the Øresund region, this thesis will compare previous results with the results from this thesis’ studies in order to establish that the young people of Øresund are offering a shift in tendency towards the region as a whole. This thesis aims to add another unexplored dimension to the field of study by focusing solely on the young people of Øresund and their attitudes in comparison to the general public.

Department/s

Publishing year

2013

Language

English

Document type

Student publication for Master's degree (two years)

Topic

  • Social Sciences

Keywords

  • integration
  • europeanization
  • cross-border
  • regionalism
  • Öresund
  • European Union
  • identity
  • European youth
  • opinion survey

Supervisor

  • Anamaria Dutceac Segesten (Biträdande Lektor)