ABSTRACT
One central and essential aspect of human growth and development is the consciousness of the self in social context. Extrapolating from the individual to the nation, we could assert that one central and essential aspect of the national growth and development is the consciousness of our national identity in a European context. Identification with Europe or European identity involves orientation to one or more collectivities or groups through a process of identification. Social beliefs are generalized assumptions regarding people as members of different social groups, cognitive structures about social institutions, events and phenomena in the social world. Romanian young people’s European identity and belief systems are predictors of their visions but also worries for the future. In approaching the belief system, we can only say that educating young people’s competences could make a difference in their engagement in day-to-day or civic tasks, and would reduce their worries.
