Values, culture, and national identity in economics: perspectives on the relation between the individual and the collective

This thesis addresses several key related issues in the social sciences that have become more prominent over the past decades. The closely related concepts of values, culture, and national identity have gained importance following major socio-cultural changes in the 20th and 21st century. Countries, firms, and people have become increasingly interconnected in today’s globalized world. Yet the benefits of globalization end up with only a lucky few. Whilst boundaries of nation states fade, nationalist sentiments are on the rise. For some, a shared heritage, common descent, and national traditions have become important prerequisites for membership of a community, whereas others view civic liberties, religious freedom, and openness as key. Through the internet, citizens can easily connect to people who share the same ideas, while they might not even know or even distrust their neighbours.

Considering these developments, we might wonder whether we can still cooperate and work together for a shared, common good, if the local community and local ties lose their strength? Or, when countries become increasingly diverse, is it still sensible to view culture as something that differs between countries rather than within? And, given that borders fade, is there still such a thing as a common national identity, and if so, with whom do we share this identity? In this thesis I examine these (and related) questions, adopting an interdisciplinary approach that combines insights and methodologies from multiple social sciences (economics, political science, philosophy, and sociology).