Paper short abstract:

The paper presents a comparative analysis of global and local factors in the culture of the Czech local community in relation to European identity. It shows how cultural dimensions of EU enlargement are viewed by the locals. It also analyses the emic conceptualisation of Europeanisation.

Paper long abstract:

Reflecting upon recent debates about common European culture, Europeanness, European identity or Europeanisation, this paper, based on the anthropological research of a local community in Czech Republic, will present a comparative analysis of both global and local factors in the culture of this community in relation to European identity in the making. The assumption is that the village has been gradually losing distinct features of a former rural community; due to globalising tendencies and as a semi-autonomous formation it is becoming part of a much wider, interconnected world. The paper will raise a question of how (if at all ) are cultural dimensions of EU enlargement viewed by the locals, and will also attempt to examine the emic conceptualisation of the process of Europeanisation. More specifically, impacts of European integration on everyday life of the local people in terms of patterns of leisure, ways of popular entertainent, and community activities will be analysed to discover strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the creation of Homo Europaeus in the local setting.