Measuring the Perception of Integration Processes - A Comparative Study of Students' Opinions

Abstract

The necessity of integration processes of post-communist countries with the European Union (EU) is not a controversial issue; rather, it is a necessity firmly established in the endeavours of the political elite to promote such integration. Members of today's younger age groups will be the ones who will mark the integration processes both in economic and professional terms. Taking into account their future position in the society as a consequence of higher education, it is essential to become familiar with their perceptions if we are to achieve sustainable integration processes. The survey conducted for this paper measures the perception of integration processes in student population at the Faculty of Economics in Osijek in the period 2001-2006. The paper analyses the differences in the level of students' knowledgeability on the EU in the stated period, assessments of their knowledge about EU institutions, their expectations regarding the EU, degrees of attachment to the areas they belong to (town, region, country, Europe), and the levels of desired autonomy in decision-making once the country joins this global association. The questions in the survey are based on the Standard Eurobarometer, whereas concluding remarks are based on statistical analysis. There is a special comment on the indicators of adjustment of younger generations to the current and future integration processes.

Keywords: survey, integration processes, European Union, comparative statistical analysis, Eurobarometer