ABSTRACT
Discussions about identification with one’s country, and the sense of pride about it that one might (or might not) feel, often turned into debates about the merits and demerits of emigration. The accession of many of these countries to the European Union and the consequent possibilities offered by the free movement across the Union to study and work, coupled with various economic pressures in many states, meant that this was the first generation who could, from their early teens, contemplate the real possibility of spending their life, or a substantial fraction of it, abroad. Talking about these options required these young people – particularly those in their later teens – to concentrate on their relationship to the country in a more focused way, with a greater sense of realism, than might otherwise have been the case.
