European inventory of
societal values of culture

Cicchelli - L’esprit cosmopolite

Cicchelli, V. (2012). L’esprit cosmopolite. Voyages de formation juvénile et culture européenne [The cosmopolitan spirit. Youthful travel and European culture]. Paris: Presses de la Fondation nationale des sciences politiques. ISBN: 978-2-7246-1246-2

In this book, the author describes the way the Erasmus program of student exchanges contributes to shaping a common European identity through the development of a new form of sensitivity to the cultures of others. This intercultural experience has become one of the symbols of European integration. Building on empirical evidence, the author provides answers to many questions important for developing intercultural sensitivity. Additionally, the book is one of the first sociology studies to deal with youth transitions into adulthood from the particular perspective of cosmopolitan socialisation. It approaches the analysed youth experiences as a laboratory, which can enable us to observe the details of the ongoing construction of transnational identities.