Abstract
This report aims to create a consistent theoretical framework for the B-SHAPES project analyses the impact of borders on people's perception of Europe and the European project. It is argued in the project that narratives play a crucial role in shaping these perceptions, influencing not only people’s beliefs and attitudes but also policymaking. The project particularly focuses on narratives associated with the construction of borders and Europe and produced in borderlands. In the first section, the report discusses the main conceptualizations of narratives in the social sciences and their applicability to border studies, encompassing public, spatial, and individual dimensions of narratives. Based on a literature review, the next section elaborates on six master narratives on Europe. B-SHAPES will empirically explore how these macro narratives are reflected in the micro narratives told in the borderlands we study empirically and how they become integrated into people's identities and heritage. We seek to analyze whether and, if so, how borders play a significant role in shaping people’s understanding of Europe and Europe’s identity. This is investigated through the lenses of Euroscepticism, minorities, and the borderland’s natural and cultural landscapes. The report acknowledges that the study of border narratives must consider the fluidity and complexity of narratives and borders, marked by tensions and contradictions.