Case Study of the ERASMUS Programme in Latvia: Stereotypes and European Identity

Master's Thesis from the year 2010 in the subject Politics - Topic: European Union, grade: B+, Central European University Budapest, language: English, abstract: The European Commission and scholars emphasize that the ERASMUS programme isa successful example of European integration, a symbol of construction of European identityand promoter of tolerance on the basis of breaking stereotypes, encouraging multiculturalexperience and intercultural education. But because of the lack of empirical findings, thisMaster thesis has been devoted to research of the impact of the ERASMUS programme onbreaking the stereotypes and fostering European identity. The quantitative survey of threehundred thirty former ERASMUS, potential ERASMUS and non-ERASMUS studentsprovides partly justification that the ERASMUS Programme has impact on breaking thestereotypes and promoting European identity. Potential ERASMUS students already have lessstereotypes and European self-identification than non-mobile students, therefore theERASMUS programme is rather catalyst than promoter of European identity and stereotypebreaker. Key words: the ERASMUS programme, European identity, stereotypes.