The minority identity and the idea of the ‘unity’ of the nation: the case of Hungarian minorities from Romania, Slovakia, Serbia and Ukraine

Abstract

A comparison analysis of the ethno-national identity of Hungarian minorities living in Romania, Slovakia, Serbia and Ukraine is performed in the paper, including the identifications to majority community and the relationship with Hungary, respectively.

According to the empirical results in every country, the community with the pan-Hungarian ethnocultural nation, and the identification with actual Hungary, is less important than regional Hungarianness in the minority identity of Hungarian minority members from outside the borders of Hungary. The primary in-group is the self-minority community in every country. This may be empirically grasped both on the level of the perceptions of social distances and on stereotypes toward Hungarians from Hungary and toward majority populations (Romanians, Slovaks, etc.).

Keywords:

• minority
• national
• identity
• Hungarians
• Transylvania
• ethno-nationality

Acknowledgements

The study and research was carried out with the support of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Domus Hungarica program, Bolyai Janos Scholarship (2008–2010) and the Romanian Minority Research Institute (ISPMN).

Notes

1. ‘Karpat Panel’ is an international research project about the social situation of Hungarian-speaking populations from the Carpathian Basin. Organisers: Minority Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA, Hungary) Babes-Bolyai University and the Max Weber Foundation for Social Research, Cluj-Napoca (Romania) Partners: Forum Institute (Slovakia), T. Lehotczky Institute (Zacarpatija, Ukraine). Research coordinators: Attila Papp, Valér Veres.

For similar research precedents in this topic, see Csepeli, Örkény, and Székelyi (2000) and Veres (2005).

2. Secklers (in Hungarian: székely): regional ethnic Hungarian population, living in Covasna, Hargita and Mures counties in Romania.

3. Homeland or Fatherland. In Hungarian: haza.

4. Transylvania was, between 1540 and 1688, an independent principality, vassal to the Ottoman Turkish Empire. Then, until 1867, it was a separate province of the Habsburg Monarchy. Between 1867 and 1918, Transylvania was an integral part of Hungary, without any separate status.

5. Its basic form has its origins in the joint ELTE-UBB ‘Karpat Study’ research from 1997.

6. In Hungarian language, it can be expressed differently the citizenship (magyar/román állampolgár) or the resident of the country (Magyarországi/romániai).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Valér Veres

VALÉR VERES is an associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Social Work – in Hungarian at Babes-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca.