BDB Bertsolaritzaren datu-basea

The Basques have long been identified as a distinct people with a unique history and culture.
The most important component used to define Basqueness is the Basque language, Euskera.
However, in-migration of non-Basque speakers, Spanish state policies, modernisation and ethnic
assimilation has led to a bilingual region and to the creation of an ethno-nationalist movement.
This all causes difficulties in defining Basque identity.
This work examines the complexity of Basque identity. The aim of this research is to describe
which competing, multiple and conflicting identities can be found among the Basques. The
concepts of ethnic identity and other forms of identities are examined and connected especially
to the Basque case. Basque identity is examined through three different components: territory,
nationalism and language.
This research and it methods are qualitative. The main method is through the use of thematic
interviews. The empirical material consists of 20 interviews with young people, living in the
Basque Autonomous Community.
A collective Basque identity exists, but it is still fragmented due to many elements. The
territory, on which the collective identity is based, is still unclear and dynamic. Nationalism has
also its contribution to Basque identity. Nationalism is dividing Basques into different groups.
Also the language of the Basques affects their identity. Due to several factors it is not spoken by
everybody. The results of this research indicates that those interviewees who we able to speak
Basque had the clearest Basque identity.

CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................4
1.1 The research question ________________________________________________________ 4
1.2 Methodology and struct ure of this research ______________________________________ 5
1.3 Research region _____________________________________________________________ 7
2 THE CONCEPTS OF IDENTITY AND THE BASQUES ............................................. 11
2.1 About the concepts _________________________________________________________ 11
2.2 Identity and the Basques ____________________________________________________ 11
2.3 Ethnicity, ethnic group and identity ___________________________________________ 15
2.3.1 Ethnicity ______________________________________________________________________15 2.3.2 Ethnic group and community ______________________________________________________16 2.3.3 Ethnic identity __________________________________________________________________18 2.4 Nation and National identity _________________________________________________ 19
2.5 Ethnic group or nation? _____________________________________________________ 20
3 BASQUE IDENTITIES: territory, nationalism and language ....................................... 24
3.1 Basque identities and territory; 4+7=1? ________________________________________ 24

3.2 Nationalism and Basque Identities ____________________________________________ 25
3.3 Language and Basque identities: the most important ethnic marker? _______________ 30
4 METHODS AND RESEARCH MATERIAL .................................................................. 35
4.1 Fieldwork in Vitoria ________________________________________________________ 36
4.1.1 Thematic interviews _____________________________________________________________37 4.1.2 Participant Observation___________________________________________________________ 41 4.3 Analysis of the material _____________________________________________________ 41
5 ANALYSIS AND RESULTS.............................................................................................. 45
5.1 Competing and conflicting identities ___________________________________________ 45
5.2 Territory and the Basques ___________________________________________________ 50
5.3 Nationalism _______________________________________________________________ 55
5.4 Language _________________________________________________________________ 61
6 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS .............................................................................. 67
REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................... 70
LIST OF APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1 The Interviewees
APPENDIX 2 The original framework of the interviews (in Spanish)
APPENDIX 3 The framework of the interviews (translated into English)
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. The historical Basque regions in Euskera.
Figure 2. Spain and its autonomies.
Figure 3. Traditional Basque sports, Herri Kirolak.
Figure 4. Basque flags hanging in the street.
Figure 5. Graffiti demanding an independent Basque Country.
Figure 6. Nationalist bar in Cuchilleria.
Figure 7. Protest against the Spanish state.
Figure 8. Nationalist sign on a balcony