European Without Euros: How Geopolitical Histories Shape the Symbolic Boundaries of Europe

Abstract

This paper examines how geopolitical, geoeconomic, and geocultural dynamics shape the symbolic boundaries of Europe and the psychological and political consequences of those boundaries. We extend traditional models of social identification by arguing that claims to group representativeness - and the recognition of such claims - are deeply informed by geopolitical contexts often neglected in mainstream psychological theory. Drawing on data from three studies conducted in Romania, Serbia, and Türkiye, we explore how perceptions of Europe's boundaries are socially constructed and experienced in non-Western European contexts. Study 1 investigates how geopolitical positioning informs constructions of a superordinate European identity, revealing a dominant framing of Europe as a “Western” project. Study 2 shows how this framing influences national self- and other-stereotyping, demonstrating an internalization of low status among non-Western countries in Europe. Study 3 experimentally evidences how positive recognition can create more positive geopolitical attitudes toward various European supranational organizations. Together, these studies show that geopolitical inclusion and exclusion have meaningful psychological effects. We argue for a more explicit integration of geopolitical histories and conditions into psychological research on superordinate identity. In doing so, we contribute to the emerging field of geopolitical psychology and highlight the mutually reinforcing relationship between geopolitical positioning and psychological recognition in defining the boundaries of Europe.