---
_id: '66835'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: Comparisons of British and German public opinion show marked cross-national
    differences in levels of attachment to country and Europe. The respective trends
    are empirically well-documented and can be framed in plausible socio-historical
    explanations. Based on a mail survey administered to all Berlin and London state
    secondary school head teachers, my research offers an alternative view on apparent
    cross-national cleavages in levels of attachment to Britain/Germany and Europe.
    Looking beyond one-dimensional comparisons and macro-level explanations, my statistical
    analyses reveal a number of striking cross-national similarities. Conceptually,
    my research draws on Bourdieu’s notions of habitus and cultural capital. Within
    this framework, I regard people’s attachments to country and Europe as learned
    and habituated, yet open to modification and reconstruction through reflexive
    agency, educational practices, and the acquisition of intercultural capital. I
    operationalise the latter as a combination of language skills, experience of living
    abroad, and intercultural friendships. My statistical analyses demonstrate that
    if respondents share intercultural experiences and skills as well as notions of
    the respective object of attachment, they are likely to report similar levels
    of attachment to country and Europe – irrespective of their national background.
    Further cross-national similarities include the perceived salience of Europe’s
    cultural history, positive evaluations of EU policies in the area of human rights
    and minority protection, and positive associations between levels of attachment
    to country and levels of attachment to Europe. The respective findings illustrate
    how cleavages between ‘us’ and ‘them’ often turn out to be less clear-cut than
    they may appear at first glance. As I argue throughout, teachers and school managers
    can play an important part in furthering reflexive engagement with easily taken
    for granted and stereotyped notions of the ‘Other’.
author:
- first_name: Andreas
  full_name: Pöllmann, Andreas
  id: '77437'
  last_name: Pöllmann
  orcid: 0000-0002-9090-2547
citation:
  ama: 'Pöllmann A. <i>Berlin and London Head Teachers’ Attachment to Country and
    Europe: Beyond Apparent Cross-National Differences</i>. Department of Sociology,
    University of Essex; 2008.'
  apa: 'Pöllmann, A. (2008). <i>Berlin and London head teachers’ attachment to country
    and Europe: Beyond apparent cross-national differences</i>. Department of Sociology,
    University of Essex.'
  bibtex: '@book{Pöllmann_2008, place={Colchester, UK}, title={Berlin and London head
    teachers’ attachment to country and Europe: Beyond apparent cross-national differences},
    publisher={Department of Sociology, University of Essex}, author={Pöllmann, Andreas},
    year={2008} }'
  chicago: 'Pöllmann, Andreas. <i>Berlin and London Head Teachers’ Attachment to Country
    and Europe: Beyond Apparent Cross-National Differences</i>. Colchester, UK: Department
    of Sociology, University of Essex, 2008.'
  ieee: 'A. Pöllmann, <i>Berlin and London head teachers’ attachment to country and
    Europe: Beyond apparent cross-national differences</i>. Colchester, UK: Department
    of Sociology, University of Essex, 2008.'
  mla: 'Pöllmann, Andreas. <i>Berlin and London Head Teachers’ Attachment to Country
    and Europe: Beyond Apparent Cross-National Differences</i>. Department of Sociology,
    University of Essex, 2008.'
  short: 'A. Pöllmann, Berlin and London Head Teachers’ Attachment to Country and
    Europe: Beyond Apparent Cross-National Differences, Department of Sociology, University
    of Essex, Colchester, UK, 2008.'
date_created: 2026-08-24T13:49:51Z
date_updated: 2026-08-24T15:41:23Z
extern: '1'
language:
- iso: eng
page: '215'
place: Colchester, UK
publisher: Department of Sociology, University of Essex
status: public
title: 'Berlin and London head teachers'' attachment to country and Europe: Beyond
  apparent cross-national differences'
type: dissertation
user_id: '77437'
year: '2008'
...