ABSTRACT
In 2003 a businessman who owned and rented fishing boats in Władysławowo, Poland, embarked on a quest to learn how a series of new regulations that his country would adopt after joining the EU were bound to affect his business. Reluctant to support accession, the man visited administrative offices hoping to receive information that would clarify the changes he would face. Despite earnest attempts he received no answers and his stand on integration remained skeptical. Finally, after talking to a local priest, his mind was set: he would cast a vote in support of EU membership (Bockowska et al. 2003). Discussions about the EU are common in East Central Europe. Nearly 35 percent of individuals in the new member states turn to friends and family for information about integration. In Western Europe the number is smaller (25 percent) but still significant enough to merit attention. The unprecedented popularity of social media such as Facebook and Twitter is testimony to the value that people attach to social connections, including discussions with friends, co-workers, family, and others. Despite the profound importance of social connections in human life, EU scholars have yet to uncover how these connections shape individual views on the process of integration.
