State and Substate Dimensions of Andalusian University Students’ Identity: Implications of Regional Schooling and Academic Mobility Experiences for a (Dis)harmonious Pattern of Identification

Abstract

The formation of collective identity is considered a context-dependent, socially construed process. Identity is perceived as a complex, multifaceted, and ever-changing phenomenon through which individuals align themselves with diverse political communities. Global intercultural encounters have accentuated the notion of being several selves at once, and while national identities remain salient, allegiance to the nation-state is no longer paramount. While research has extensively explored the influence of academic study-abroad experiences on students’ transnational identification, there has been a lack of scholarly studies examining their impact on place-of-origin identity at a substate level. Only recently has this effect been examined. This article addresses this gap by comparing mobile and nonmobile university students’ perceptions of the self in relation to three social–spatial environments—local, regional, and national. Results reveal the emergence of regional identities influenced by the new environment abroad, prompting an internal reevaluation of the participants’ subnational territorial attachment and self-identification.