ABSTRACT
Given the strained political situation in Iraq and general unrest in the world, in two studies we asked adolescents not directly involved in the Iraqi crisis about their identification with their particular nation, with Europeans, and as citizens of the world. We explored their fears and predicted changes in the face of a possible war in Iraq. Additionally, we asked the students about their political attitudes and related them to their reported changes and expectations and degrees of identification. Study 2 also investigated whether students from 3 different countries holding differing official opinions on the Iraqi crisis (Germany, Switzerland, Spain) differed in their national identification and in their attitudes, fears, and expectations.
Results show only moderate levels of student identification with their nations. The exception is Spain, in Study 2, where the Spanish students highly identify with being Spanish. The reported fears and changes in face of war are manifold and range from fears of insecurity and terrorist attacks, rising political and religious tension, to worries concerning rising petrol prices. Most of the students did not support a military intervention in Iraq. Differences between the students in the three countries and their relation to social identification are discussed.
