Forging an EU-Identity through popular sports

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2012 in the subject Politics - General and Theories of International Politics, grade: 2,0, University of the Federal Armed Forces München, language: English, abstract: This thesis aims at responding to the question, to what extent popular sport can make a contribution to the genesis, the implementation, and the fostering of a mutually acknowledged and experienced EU-identity. With sport being the major social movement in Europe - unique in its efficiency in bringing people together, being a drive for integration, bridging any kind of borders and its nonpareil ubiquity - its implementation on a European level targeting the European Union people through popular sports will sustainably and remarkably promote the idea of an EU-identity. As an example for a small but utterly profound project, the idea of a European Sports Badge (EUSB) is presented as a transnationally implementable proposal, involving and addressing EU-citizens of all nations, sexes and ages. It should be noted, though, that sports are certainly not a panacea.