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Culturalist explanations of the crisis in the Greek public sphere
*uring the ongoing economic crisis in Greece a large number of liberal intellectuals, policy makers and public personas forwarded an interpretative framework with the notionof ‘national identity’ at its very core !his framework emphasi%es some characteristics of the Greeks, presented as essential, such as the over$dependence on traditional familialstructures, the emotional and outbursting character, the dogmatic treatment of history, ta(evasion, fren%y consumerism and an often irrational way of thinking and decision$making !he latter traits are not only thought to be in radical discordance with the valuesof a modern #estern state and its civil society, but are also portrayed as the main reasons behind the economic downfall !he crisis is here presented as an opportunity for Greeksto rediscover themselves while austerity is reali%ed, as the ‘bad citi%ens’ have theopportunity to redeem themselves through introspec