Archive - Conference Papers

In the early years of theorizing about public support for the EC, Inglehart's work on postmaterialism provided perhaps the most influential theory explaining public attitudes to European integration. The postmaterialist thesis expected that postmaterialists, citizens who value self-expression and quality of life over economic and physical security, would be more attracted to EC membership because of its fit with their more cosmopolitan outlook. However, due to inconsistent empirical support for Inglehart's thesis, in the 1990s and 2000s the literature shifted its focus to more interest and identity-based explanations. The widely recognized utilitarianism thesis holds that people's attitudes towards the EU are formed on the basis of what they think they personally, and/or their country, stand to benefit economically from European integration. Conversely, the identity thesis posits that perceived cultural threat, strong national attachment and hostility towards other cultures are driving factors behind popular Euroscepticism. In Norway, the country's history of foreign rule and strong attachment to the primary sectors and the countryside are popular explanations for the Norwegians' EU-rejection. This paper offers an empirical test of these five theories on the Norwegian case in order to establish to what extent Norwegian public Euroscepticism is driven by values, identity and/or egotism.