Is someone who is born in Styria automatically a Styrian? Markus Hadler, a professor at the Institute of Sociology, shakes his head: “Your place of birth certainly doesn’t define you on its own. What if you then grow up in another country, in a different environment?” Essentially, we have many identities that we draw upon depending on the occasion. Take, for example, when tens of thousands dress in traditional costume at the ‘Aufsteirern’ festival. “Much like a Rubik’s Cube, you twist the faces together and, when necessary, highlight one side in particular,” Hadler explains. And he emphasises: “What defines you is always relative to others.”
A sense of belonging
This is also evident in the recurring debate over number plates in the merged districts of Eastern Styria. At the heart of this is the question of where one feels one belongs and what connections exist. A sense of connection to one’s place of residence is particularly important to the population. This is confirmed by the Sozialer Survey Österreich (SSÖ), a survey that regularly examines social change in the Alpine republic. This Austria-wide survey regularly gathers the views of those aged 16 and over and is carried out by Markus Hadler and Petra Müller from the University of Graz, together with colleagues from the universities of Salzburg and Linz, as well as the Austrian Academy of Sciences.
Identity politics
According to the findings, almost eight out of ten Austrians feel very closely or closely connected to their place of residence. The bond with their federal state is even slightly stronger. The researcher suggests that the small geographical scale of the country likely fosters these trends. In the USA, this plays a lesser role, the sociologist notes from his own experience: “When I was researching and teaching in California and Australia between 2005 and 2017, my Austrian identity was certainly less pronounced. Here at the University of Graz, I feel it more strongly again.” Political parties and movements rely on identity politics to emphasise differences from others and to create a sense of community.
“In the process, concrete issues take a back seat, whilst symbols play an outsized role,” notes Hadler. “It becomes particularly important when the impression arises that one’s own identity is under threat.”
Sport and art
What it means to be Austrian can also be understood by looking at the country’s achievements of which we are particularly proud. Markus Hadler refers to the SSÖ survey, which shows that victories in skiing and football are held in extremely high regard and consequently likely contribute to our identity. Nine out of ten respondents stated that they were proud of sporting successes. Art and literature, as well as Austrian history, enjoy similar levels of popularity.
