Making the Mythical European: Elucidating the EU's Powerful Integration Instrument of Discursive Identity Construction

Abstract

Drawing on Thomas Kuhn's seminal analysis, this article argues that mainstream EUropean integration theories such as neo-functionalism and intergovernmentalism are unified by underlying ontological, epistemological and methodological assumptions – thus – conform to the same scientific paradigm. This means that while opening up opportunities for study of some aspects of EUropean integration, simultaneous closure occurs so that other aspects remain under-explored. The value of identifying this effect is to enable researchers to sound out complementary approaches and paradigms to overcome said limitations and elicit new insights. Adopting a focus on discourse as a means, as well as identity formation as a form of integration, Eder's attempt to transcend transactionalism's omission to focus on content and functions rather than density of transactions is a laudable example of this endeavour. However, it can be argued that he reproduces several of the mainstream integration theories' paradigmatic assumptions. Flood's account of political myth goes beyond such limitations. Usefully supplemented by a structural rather than normative understanding of ideology and extended beyond historico-ideological content, this approach allows for the study of the identity-endowing and integrating function of implicitly or explicitly ideologically marked narratives that establish what it means to be EUropean. Although tentative steps towards this focus of study exist in EUropean studies, more rigorous theorising and extensive empirical research are needed.