An X-ray of Catalans who feel Spanish

As support for Catalan independence has waned in the polls, the same surveys have detected an increase in the percentage of people who feel as much Catalan as Spanish (43% in the latest poll by the Center for Opinion Studies) and a decrease in those who consider themselves solely Catalan (15.5%). In certain circles, identity and territorial preferences are often linked, especially to support positions in favor of Spanish unity.

On the one hand, it has been argued that independence would "break the hearts" (to put it in Miguel Bosé's words) of a half of Catalan society that has dual identities, because they are supposed to choose only one. On the other hand, those opposed to independence pointed out that around 12% of Catalans feel only or rather Spanish, which would make them a minority in need of special protection (supposedly from the Catalan government, which would violate their rights).

But the truth is that the tendency to encapsulate those who feel Spanish in Catalonia into a single category is careless. The feeling of Spanishness among a significant portion of Catalans has some commonalities, such as those opposed to independence, the fact that they are or have direct origins in the rest of the state, more conservative positions (although some convergence is observed), or a certain satisfaction with phenomena of national cultural expression (such as the Vic). However, among Catalans who feel Spanish, at least three large groups can be detected.

Spanish nationalists living in Catalonia

The first population group is made up of those with a strong sense of Spanish nationality. Together, they make up nearly 12% of the Catalan population. Since 2006, this group has been growing progressively. This is a segment of the population with a strong Spanish identity, even more so than in other single-national Spanish autonomous communities. Their profile is that of a voter much further to the right than average, although nearly 15% of center and center-left voters also have a high level of Spanish nationality. These people are low-educated, live in urban areas, and primarily speak Spanish.

Their abstention rate used to be higher in the Catalan elections, but in the latest elections they have mobilized (they continue to vote less) and largely opt for the PP or Vox. However, a high sense of Spanish nationalism is also present in a third of those who have a high level of sympathy for the PSC. It is also a group with a very stable national sentiment. According to data from the POLAT survey, conducted between 2014 and 2020 and which has allowed the same people to be followed over time, the vast majority (between 70% and 80%) do not change this sentiment over time. The same does not occur with high Catalan pro-Catalan sentiments, which are much more volatile (50-60% maintain them over time).

Fluid Spanish identification

The other two groups of Catalans with a Spanish sentiment are made up of people with dual identities, but with divergent intensity and direction. Ultimately, the category "I feel as Catalan as I am Spanish" in a survey hides diverse situations. Except for those with low values in both identities (about a third), a first group is made up of those who effectively have a dual national affiliation, but in which the Catalan identity is rather conceived as inseparable from or closely related to the Spanish one. Popularly put, for this group, being Catalan is their way of being Spanish (and vice versa). Both identities coexist, but with a certain hierarchical superiority for the Spanish one. This group also has stable identifications, which are not very fluid depending on the context.

Finally, a second, smaller group are Catalans with dual identities and a certain degree of Catalanist positions. Whether because they understand identity as an administrative factor or an inevitable one (among other factors), their position fluctuates depending on the context. During the height of the Process, for example, they fluctuated for a time toward more pro-sovereignty positions, but in recent years they seem to have returned to their original position.

Taking care of yourself to live better?

A recent survey conducted in 93 countries and involving more than 93,000 people attempted to determine whether certain factors or patterns related to self-care are present everywhere. The use of cosmetics, personal hygiene, and dieting to improve one's physical appearance are universal patterns, while mental health, eating well, and caring for one's body vary across societies and factors such as individualism. However, what is also universal is the effort that men and women put into taking care of themselves physically. Already in post-adolescent years, women take more care of themselves than men. Although the effort women report decreasing between their thirties and forties, it intensifies again when they reach fifty, an age after which women take almost three times more care of themselves than men.