The Case Study of the ERASMUS Programme in Latvia: Stereotypes and European Identity

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Master's Thesis from the year 2010 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Topic: European Union, grade: B+, Central European University Budapest, language: English, abstract: The European Commission and scholars emphasize that the ERASMUS programme is a successful example of European integration, a symbol of construction of European identity and promoter of tolerance on the basis of breaking stereotypes, encouraging multicultural experience and intercultural education. But because of the lack of empirical findings, this Master thesis has been devoted to research of the impact of the ERASMUS programme on breaking the stereotypes and fostering European identity. The quantitative survey of three hundred thirty former ERASMUS, potential ERASMUS and non-ERASMUS students provides partly justification that the ERASMUS Programme has impact on breaking the stereotypes and promoting European identity. Potential ERASMUS students already have less stereotypes and European self-identification than non-mobile students, therefore the ERASMUS programme is rather catalyst than promoter of European identity and stereotypebreaker. Key words: the ERASMUS programme, European identity, stereotypes.