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Abstract

This article presents the results of an empirical survey. In accordance with the results of interviews with adult EU citizens in the 1980s the central theme of this article is to find transnational elements in the constructions of collective identity of west European children and in their conceptions of `us' and `them'. Above all this article shows which role the pluralized conception of childhood plays in their negotiations. The selective presentation of important results is descriptive. Aspects of developmental psychology have been omitted. The survey should be looked upon as an exploratory study. Above all it defines the horizon of relevant intercultural comparative studies, which take into account the complexity of childhood today.

Keywords

children's culture collective identity negotiations pluralization of the contexts of childhood real and imagined communities

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References

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Negotiating `us' and `Them'

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