National Pride: War Minus the Shooting

• Published in: Social indicators research Vol. 106; no. 1; pp. 173 - 185
• Main Author: Kavetsos, Georgios
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01.03.2012; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Athletics; Awards; Cardiovascular disease; Case Studies; Correlation; Cross-national analysis; Data analysis; Economic growth; Economic Impact; Economic Progress; Empirical evidence; Employment Level; Europe; Family Income; Football; Foreign Countries; GDP; Gross Domestic Product; Happiness; Human Geography; Income; Job Satisfaction; Life Satisfaction; Literature Reviews; Microeconomics; National consciousness; National pride; Olympic games; Patriotism; Political sociology; Pride; Public Health; Public opinion; Quality of Life Research; Resistance (Psychology); Self Esteem; Self report; Soccer; Social Indicators; Social research; Social Sciences; Sociology; Sports; Studies; Success; Tourism; Tournaments & championships; Unemployment; War; Well-being; Wellbeing; Europe; Sports events; National pride; Well-being; Soccer; Life satisfaction; National character; Sport Event; Satisfaction
• ISSN: 0303-8300; 1573-0921
• DOI: 10.1007/s11205-011-9801-1

This study focuses on the determinants of self-reported measures of national pride. Using pooled cross-sectional data for European countries obtained from the Eurobarometer, it is estimated that pride is not correlated with GDP per capita nor with household income levels. Using the 2000 UEFA European Championship as a natural experiment, it is estimated that individuals from both host and winning nations report, on average, higher levels of national pride in the period immediately following the event, supporting theoretical arguments of a "feel-good" factor associated with sports events. Accounting for performance relative to expectations produces results along the same lines.