Ethnic Attitudes of Hungarian Students in Romania

Abstract

Participants in this study were ethnic Hungarian secondary students attending high schools in Romania in which Hungarian was the primary language of instruction. Attitudes of participants toward ethnic and cultural groups were measured using a variation of the Bogardus (1933) Scale of Social Distance. Results were consistent with predictions based on Allport's intergroup contact theory. Students reported a wide range of tolerance levels for majority and minority ethnic groups with which they were likely to have contact in Romania. However, the students reported little difference in tolerance levels for groups that are not a recognized part of the Romanian cultural landscape, such as people of Hispanic origin, and Native Americans.

Notes

1.The term Rroma has been adopted by human rights groups as well as the Romanian government, the European Commission, and others as a respectful linguistic gesture. Some Romani linguists and others prefer the spelling Roma (Woodcock 2007).