National identity components in foreign students studying in Serbia

Apstrakt

This paper approaches identity as a variable category, subject to continuous reshaping under the influence of various contexts in which an individual finds themselves. The ongoing building of identity is particularly characteristic of migrant populations, who face challenges arising from differing social environments. The adopted perspective is that, during this reconstruction process, a core foundation of identity – established during primary socialisation, remains intact despite the interaction of individual predispositions and the social environment. Within this foundation, national identity is identified as a form of collective identity, which is the focal point of the analysis in this chapter. The analysis itself relies on the empirical data collected through a survey. The central point for data processing and interpretation is the notion that national identity consists of components embedded in two distinct types of this phenomenon: ethnic and civic. The objective of the study is to explore the extent to which international students align with these components, whether they are more inclined towards an ethnic or civic conception of national identity, and whether socio-demographic characteristics and contextual factors influence their perspectives. Additionally, an emotional component of national identity is included, which is reflected in students’ support for national teams as well as their approaches to portraying their home countries to the foreigners they interact with. A positive attitude towards their country of origin, indicative of the students’ identification with it, implies the need for the development of encouraging state policies aimed at harnessing their potential for the advancement of society.