European and National Identity from Childhood to Preadolescence

The study is aimed at exploring the building patterns of European identity and its relations with the related kinds of social identity (national, regional and local) in Italian children. Two hundred fifty-Two children (aged 6-12) were asked to participate to an interview assessing the development of self-categorisation, relative importance and degree of identification with regard to the social identities examined. The data highlight that European identity becomes relevant at 12 years, regional identity at 9, whereas national and local identity are significant since 6 years. The findings are discussed in a socio-developmental perspective, underlining their impact on the field of educational programs.