No Culture, No Europe

Over the past decade, the European Union has fallen into a drawn-out political and economic crisis. In No Culture, No Europe, the contributors argue that prior analyses of this crisis have missed an important element: culture. Faith in politics, like faith in a European currency, is first and foremost a cultural issue. Culture, as a shared frame of reference that lends meaning to people's lives, is the very foundation of any society, including a transnational European society. The essays in this volume analyze both theoretical models and concrete examples that clarify this thesis--that culture is an essential, binding element by which people assess their identities and their activities. How could culture give the European project a completely different meaning? What would happen if it did?