Urban Identity VS. National Identity in the Global City: Evidence from Six European Cities

This study explores the prosperity of city-related identity over state-related identity in the context of the globalized city. Scholars have extensively discussed the fragmentation of national identity among individuals in the globalized world, and the relative proliferation of other communal identities, whether more cosmopolitan or place-based. As globalization gradually erodes the cultural distinctiveness of nation states, cities are revealed as arenas within which inhabitants nurture a particular collective character, which is used as an attractive source of local, communal belonging. Global cities, in particular, are a compelling case to inquire about the interplay between state and city related identity. Because they are inherently independent vis-a-vis the state, global cities constitute significant competition for state-based self-determination and provide a unique source of city-related identity that is simultaneously cosmopolitan and place-based. In this paper we ask whether city-zens (citizens of cities) living in highly globalized cities are more likely to prioritize their urban identity over their national identity. Utilizing the GaWC Index of cities' globalization levels (Taylor 2020), we analyze the results of a survey we conducted among residents of six European cities: Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, Utrecht, and Glasgow. Our empirical evidence supports the argument that in globalized cities, a higher level of globalism accords with a more explicit tendency to prioritize urban identity over national state-related identity. In conclusion, we explain how this identities trade-off challenges the coexistence of state and city-related identities within globalized cities and discuss its implications for future studies of contemporary politics.