Stephen Castles writes about issues that can occur when globalization with take away the identity of a citizen to his or her nation-state. While it is true that with globalization, individuals may feel less connected to specific locations and governments, the positive aspects are immense. In Europe, for example, the Schengen Union was created to allow for easy travel between European countries by taking down the borders. This has caused more tourism, as people are able to travel between countries without showing a passport. The European Union has allowed people to work almost anywhere in Europe without dealing with work visa issues. This creates more economic prosperity for people who may otherwise not have been able to experience it.
I did my semester abroad in the Czech Republic (part of the Schengen Union) and it was painless and easy to travel across most of Europe. The Czech Republic used to be a communist regime, however, now citizens are able to work and travel all over. They are being exposed to all different cultures and while this may take away from a sense of Czech citizenship, it opens up more opportunities to succeed. Castles is right that having a national identify is important, (as evidence by the recent inauguration ceremony) however this must be balanced with a constant effort to increase globalization.
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