Preliminary communication
Ethnicity, Nations and National Minorities in the Contemporary World
Sreća Perunović
; Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Social processes connected with national/ethnic questions are one of the features of the second half of the 20th century. There are various ways in which “ethnic turbulence” – as the author calls these processes in their entirety – is manifested. These include such phenomena as renewed national/ethnic demands, the activation of national minorities in the struggle to preserve their identity, ethnic/national controversies, the recognition of the national question in official state policies, the formation of new nations, greater influence of ideologies with a national/ethnic programme etc. In order to answer why national/ethnic principles and social orientations have been put forward or (once again) stressed, the author attempts to synthesise certain elements which on a global level provide a possible explanation for “ethnic turbulence”. These are: the gradual atrophy of universal morality and the alienation of people in contemporary society, the appearance of previously suppressed national/ethnic minorities and nations, long-term socio-economic crisis, greater equality and a stronger sense of self-awareness among previously suppressed national/ethnic minorities and nations, the wave of liberalisation in socialist countries, mass culture.
Keywords
ethnicity; nation; national minority
Hrčak ID:
128053
URI
Publication date:
29.9.1989.
Visits: 1.692 *