This article suggests that both territorial and symbolic borders ought to be treated as specific cultural forms enabling the exercise and practice of cross-border communication. The notion of active border is introduced as a nexus of the transnationalization of public spheres and identities in Europe. Active border is interpreted as a border that supports and produces both public criticism and social integration without generating antagonism toward those from “over borders.” Contrary to active border, passive border entrenches stereotypical negative identities and cognitive foreclosures and is a significant hindrance in positive identities formation. The concept of active border contributes to the broad sociological context of Europeanization and transnational public spheres and identities formations in which questions about cultural change and plurality should be discussed. It tries to offer a novel interpretative perspective on processes of transnationalization in Europe and beyond. This article draws inspiration mainly from Edward Shils’s typology of collective identities, Erik Erikson’s concept of identity formation, and Gerard Delanty’s typology of cultural encounters.

中文翻译：

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欧洲公共领域的活跃边界和跨国化：检查领土和象征性边界作为民主整合、积极身份和公民学习的来源

本文建议，领土和象征性边界都应该被视为特定的文化形式，从而能够进行和实践跨境交流。主动边界的概念被引入作为欧洲公共领域和身份跨国化的纽带。主动边界被解释为支持和产生公众批评和社会融合的边界，而不会对来自“边界”的人产生对抗。与主动边界相反，被动边界巩固了刻板的消极身份和认知丧失，是积极身份形成的重大障碍。积极边界的概念有助于欧洲化和跨国公共领域和身份形成的广泛社会学背景，在这些背景下，应该讨论关于文化变迁和多元化的问题。它试图为欧洲及其他地区的跨国化过程提供一种新的解释视角。本文主要从爱德华·希尔斯的集体身份类型学、埃里克·埃里克森的身份形成概念和杰拉德·德兰蒂的文化遭遇类型学中汲取灵感。