Many factors affect a country’s identity, both internal and external. As time goes on, it is shaped through events and the formation of cultural aspects, the variations creating a unique identity. In the exploration of Austria’s national identity, we find that issues regarding the people of Austria, as well as how they define their “other”, all play a part in how Austria defines its place in the world.
Particularly defined by the relationships between native Austrians and who they view as “the other” ‒whether it is based on gender, sexuality, language, or religion‒ Austria’s national identity has manifested primarily from those residing there. Austria has many issues concerning gender equality. With the average working women receiving 23 percent less income than men in the country, this is just one of many issues. They also have a shortage of quality yet affordable childcare, one of the biggest factors preventing women from returning to the workplace (Austria Struggles, 2016). The Austrian government is not blind to the issues surrounding gender, and has recently acknowledged domestic violence, sex trafficking, and related topics as human rights issues, and “The Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) also supports projects in South Eastern Europe, including Moldova, combatting trafficking of women and girls for prostitution and slave labour” (Austrian Embassy Washington, 2016). The difficulty in discerning the other brings up the fact that everyone involved in the fight for gender equality in Austria is presumably an Austrian citizen. A citizen could view Austria as a country with outdated political views harming citizens who are historically disadvantaged, yet another could view it as a traditional country following what they might see as the “status quo”. Sexuality, or more specifically LGBTQ issues, is another factor in the internal formation of Austria’s national identity. The support of LGBTQ rights conflicts heavily with Roman Catholic beliefs, the main religion of Austria. The beliefs or Roman Catholicism are historically conservative and only recently, since Pope Francis, have they begun to be more accepting of all types of love. These changes have caused Austria to slowly legalize various LGBTQ rights. In 2015, Austria lifted the ban on same-sex couples adopting children; before one of them had to be the child’s biological parent (LGBTQ Nation, 2015). However, gay marriage is still not legal in Austria, although a couple can enter a “registered partnership” which gives them all the same legal rights as an opposite-sex married couple would have. These factors are slowly changing how Austrians and the world view the country, developing how the nation identifies itself.
Racial discrimination has grown into a large issue and helps define Austria’s national identity. As many current worldwide issues move forward, some citizens of Austria have become increasingly territorial over their country. Some political representatives are supporting a ban on asylum seekers, and promote anti-Semitic slogans (Racism at its highest, 2016). Two political parties called the Freedom Party of Austria and the Alliance for the Future of Austria are said to combine nationalism and socialism similarly to Hitler’s party, The National Socialist German Workers’ Party. Even though this is well-known information, it is a generally taboo subject that goes undiscussed by citizens, These two parties defend the rights of “real” Austrians while restricting the rights of “foreigners”, which they define as someone who “looks different”. During World War 2, the percentage of Austrians who joined the Nazis was twice that of the Germans (Weiss, 1997, p. 173). Still, Austria is not entirely full of pro-Nazi citizens. President Heinz Fischer, a social democrat, was voted back into office for a second term with almost 80% of the country’s vote. Austria and its citizens must decide how they wish to be viewed by the world, not only in comparing them to who they are not but also to who they are. In this way, they may properly shape their national identity.
The “other” also involves many outside forces when discussing a country’s national identity. This includes both allies and enemies, both within and outside the borders of Austria. Their one significant issue regarding another country was with Italy. Southern Tirol, now known as Trentino-Alto Adige, was a huge point of controversy between the two countries. The ethnic Germans of this region fought for autonomy promised by the Italian government, resulting in acts of terrorism. Italy, in turn, blamed Austria for not working hard enough to help them capture the people at fault. In 1969, the two countries made an agreement to satisfy the demands of the South-Tiroleans for their independence of the culture. In regards to the rest of the world, in 1955, Austria’s policy was to remain neutral. However, they placed themselves very firmly as a democratic nation. Austria is active in many international outreach organizations. From about 1959 to 1983, Austria was a neutral site for various international negotiations. Then, Austria shifted its focus from global issues to European ones. Austria joined with other European nations to form the European Free Trade Association(EFTA) in 1960, as they did not wish to join the European Union(EU), or as it was known then, the European Community. Then, when Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland were freed from Soviet domination, Austria was expected to pick a side, making their neutrality irrelevant in Europe. In 1995, Austria joined the EU. Discussing this small piece of Austria’s worldly involvement allows its national identity to shine through.
Through exploring the issues regarding the people of Austria and its world involvement, it is possible to view the reality of what Austria’s national identity really is. While it may seem that there is just one definition for Austria’s national identity, in looking deeper, there are nuances and pieces that are left up to the interpretation of the individual.
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