When Belgian Students Draw Belgium: Their Representations and Attitudes vis-à-vis the Future of their Country

In October-November 2010, more than 5000 Belgian students from both side of the linguistic border have been asked to “draw Belgium” – no other guidelines were given. In addition to this rather unusual question, the students were surveyed on their political interest, political knowledge, identities, political perceptions and preferences as well as their attitudes towards Belgium and her future. In a time when Belgium is stuck in a quite deep institutional crisis, this innovative research yields original data on the political visions held by a generation that always lived under federalism and that might soon decide upon the future of the country. The results for this sample can also be compared to samples drawn from the whole population and therefore offer much insight about how young Belgians differ – or not – from previous generations. Moreover, such a design allows for comparisons within and between the two main linguistic communities; this is likely to offer a much more diverse portrait than the too-common picture of two monolithic blocks at war with each other along linguistic lines. Above all, with this research we can indirectly explore the processes – of socialization – behind the formation of political preferences and more specifically how socio-demographics, political knowledge, political interest, voting behaviour interact with the students’ representations and attitudes vis-à-vis their country and its future.