The development of children’s identification: A cross-cultural comparison between Bulgaria, Italy and Ukraine

The study presented here analyses the development of self-categorisation, national, supranational, local and regional identification of Bulgarian, Ukrainian and Italian children and adolescents growing up in Bulgaria, Ukraine and Italy. The sample consisted of 541 children aged 6, 9, 12 and 15 years. It was found that national, supranational, local and regional identifications differ in the three national groups. It is argued that the cognitive-developmental account of the development of national identification is unable to explain the patterns of findings which were obtained. Social representations theory and Social identity theory, however, are able to explain the different patterns of importance given to the different identifications by the three national groups.