EP039 | Can you be British and European

Brexit Brits Abroad

In this episode, Michaela Benson and Karen O’Reilly talk with Sophie. Brought up in Belgium, attending one of the European Schools, Sophie reflects on being educated to be a European citizen. Brexit has made people question taken-for-granted identities, and while what it means to be British has taken centerstage in public debates, for many of those taking part in our research this exists alongside questions of what it means to be European. For some people, this is very deeply felt, revealing that being European extends beyond its rights basis, shaping identities and supported by value systems. Brexit then, is experienced as a fundamental challenge to ways of being and belonging as they find that their identifications as British and European are made incompatible.