International studies, Vol. IX No. 3, 2009.
Conference paper
Ethnonationalism, National Minorities and Memory (Empirical Research: Czechs, Hungarians, Slovaks, Serbs)
Dragutin Babić
; Institute for Migrations and Ethnicities, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Empirical research which was conducted in Western Slavonia, Eastern Slavonia, Dalmatia, Gorski Kotar and City of Zagreb, had an aim to verify the attitudes of national minorities in Croatia ( Czechs, Slovaks; Serbs, Hungarians) towards their after-war position, relationships towards the members of majority nation, possible threats and memory of pre-war and wartime situation. The research showed that ethnonationalism in the Croatian und Serb variant, and especially war conflicts, have significantly influenced the change of the national 'puzzle' of Croatia, on structural as well as socio-psychological level. Primary social relations in local communities had been destroyed in great measure, national structure of the Croatian population in comparison to the pre-war period had been considerably disrupted, and mutual coexistence is less characterized with harmony and cooperation, and more with indifference and mutual bearing. Moreover, one can observe the difference between Serbs (who inhabited the former war zones, as well as those from locations which didn't suffer the war experience) and Czechs, Slovaks and Hungarians. Intensive participation of the part of the Serb population has certainly influenced the differentiated attitudes of the Serb population, which include more observable affirmative rating of the pre-war intra-national relations in Croatia, as well as more difficult socio-status position and socio-psychological pressure after the end of war conflicts, until present day.
Keywords
ethnonationalism; memory; war conflicts; Czechs; Hungarians; Slovaks; Serbs
Hrčak ID:
291389
URI
Publication date:
18.10.2009.
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