This paper suggests that Europeans need to treat both territorial and symbolic borders as specific cultural forms which enable to exercise and practise cross border communication. Such communication should allow for a better understanding of differences rather than constructing and perpetuating them. The notion of active border is introduced as a nexus of the Europeanization of public spheres and identities. Active border is interpreted as a border which supports and produces both public criticism and social integration without generating antagonism towards those from “over borders”. Contrary to active border, passive border entrenches stereotypical negative identities, cognitive foreclosures, and creates a significant hindrance in positive identities formation. The concept of active border contributes to the broad sociological context of Europeanization and trans/national public spheres and identities formations in which questions about cultural change and plurality should be discussed and in which the concept of active border offers the novel interpretative perspective. Among others, the paper draws inspiration from Edwards Shils’ typology of collective identities, Erik Erikson’s concept of identity formation, Gerard Delanty typology of cultural encounters.
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