An interview-based study of how Brexit is perceived by British expats in Majorca

Abstract

[eng] On the 23 of June of 2016 Britain voted to leave the European Union, and thus Brexit became a reality. This essay proposes a culturalist interpretation of the outcome of the referendum. These results are clearly connected to national identity issues although this connection is only rarely addressed by the media. Therefore, the aim of this essay is to trigger national identity-based data from British citizens so as to make their connection visible to national identity issues. To answer this question, this present paper will explore national identities in Britain. Henceforth, the analysis of this article will be based on a set of interviews aimed at British expats who are currently living in Mallorca. In order to ensure homogeneity, interviews were restricted to English women, whose age varied from 53 to 68. Responses to these interviews provided a wealth of narrative data that was analysed in detail, paying special attention to any information concerning identity within the wider aims of the study. From a safety perspective, this article emphasises on the growing Euroscepticism among the English population and how this directly affect the further development of the English national identity.