Reading Paper 7: “Ambivalence or Indifference"

Allison Brown 4215: European Union Dr. Anderson 23 February, 2021 Reading Paper 7: “Ambivalence or Indifference" Author: Florian Stoeckel -- Currently lectures at the University of Exeter, with previous work at UNC Chapel Hill and experience as a Max Weber Postdoctoral Fellow at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. Stockel has established two different research paths he is currently following, “On the one hand, I examine how citizens form attitudes towards complex political issues such as European integration and international redistribution. On the other hand, I am interested in 'post factual politics” (Exeter bio). Essentially, he states he researches the opinions and misconceptions individuals have formed about politics, how they are formed, and how those individuals can be educated to understand research/facts about issues, not ‘changing’ their opinion to align with his own views. Published: The article was published in Sage Journal’s European Union Politics . The journal claims to be “... an international journal that provides the forum for advanced peer-reviewed research on all aspects of the EU” (Sage Journals, EUP journal description). SAGE Journals is widely-considered to be a credible, legitimate source on various political and scientific topics. Date: Published on November 8, 2012. In Europe, the EU imposed an oil embargo on Iran as an attempt to stop uranium enrichment, a threat was made to various European ambassadors at the Foreign Ministry in Tehran that Iran would cut them off completely from the supply. Vladimir Putin secures his third full term for the Russian presidency and Russia joins the World Trade Organization. The center-right New Democracy party in Greece wins parliamentary elections, and Antonis Samaras is sworn in as prime minister. France elects their first socialist president since Francois Mitterrand (left office in 1955) with Francois Hollande. Additionally, London hosts the 2012 Summer Olympics. All of these events suggest the world’s attention would be on the EU, both politically with region-wide embargos and events like the Olympics, and elections that could suggest a change in the works. Thesis: Support for Europe and the EU cannot simply be classified, both ambivalence and indifference towards Europe's integration and institution varies with media coverage and perceived events. Gist: Basically, people don’t view political issues or other opinion-based decisions in an exclusively positive or negative way, their current opinions and thoughts are influenced by the media around them and past experiences. Stoeckel establishes this with context to the EU as ambivalence, and contrasts the notion against indifference in attitudes towards the European Union. Notably, citizens are more ambivalent and less positive about the EU when “elite division” on EU integration is focused on (through policy/media), and trust in the EU and its institutions decrease both indifference and ambivalence towards the EU. Telling Examples: 1) Persuadable? -- Using research of psychologists as well as his own research, Stockel finds that those with ambivalent attitudes are held with less certainty, are retrieved more difficulty from memory, and are even more vulnerable to persuasion than one-sided views, which makes sense, one who acknowledges both sides of an argument could be persuaded more easily to a side than an individual who strongly stays in their camp. With regards to the EU, Stockel believes that understanding ambivalence in Europe is necessary to understand public opinion on European integration and how the extreme right and left wing parties can gain traction in the European Parliament or referendum campaigns from the EU. 2) Sources of Ambivalence -- Stockel believes that ambivalence and indifference are formed from both cognitive and affective cues. Cognitive cues being EU-specific knowledge, political understandings from the news media, and cues sent directly from EU political parties (on both sides of the aisle, competing). Affective cues are formed from feelings of attachment to Europe and a trust in EU institutions. These two different sources impact opinions in similar ways and are constantly developing in an individual’s life. Similar to how ambivalent attitudes are more likely to be persuaded, understanding how Europeans form their beliefs on the EU and other institutions is crucial for securing public support and the well-being of European integration. Criticism: Stockel’s research brings a necessary understanding to how individuals, on both ends of the political spectrum, develop their views on European integration and the EU. This is necessary to understand how the EU and other political Allison Brown 4215: European Union Dr. Anderson 23 February, 2021 institutions can develop a mentality that is pro-integration and unity, and in understanding the far sides of the political spectrum and how to de-radicalize individuals with strong opinions. It also offers insights into the difference between ambivalent and indifferent outlooks.