engleski

National identity and concept of homeland among ethnic minority and majority children in Croatia

The concepts of national identity and homeland can be more complex in ethnic minority then in majority and the context of majority/minority interactions may be the key factor in shaping their identities. In multiethnic states the minority rights practices often determine complexities of minority/majority relations. Hence, minority education certainly creates a specific context for minority/majority relations. This is the case in Croatia where ethnic minorities may practice the right on their mother tongue education. The aim of this study was to explore national identity and a concept of homeland among majority Croats and four minorities that practice minority education in Croatia: Checks, Hungarians, Italians and Serbs. In a series of focus groups with majority (15 focus groups) and minority children (11 focus groups) of age 11-18 years we explored how children understand and define their ethnic and national identity and the concept of a homeland. We were also interested in how schools and larger communities contribute in children’s understanding of these concepts. The thematic analysis revealed that the concept of homeland largely depends on the context of the majority/minority relations. Specifically, while in some (more tense) contexts minority children recognized the country of their (parents’) origin as their homeland, or the homeland is understood more as a home region rather than a country as a whole, in other (more harmonious) contexts majority and minority children share their notion of the (common) homeland. The complexities of the findings will be discussed by revealing and exploring contextual differences in minority/majority relations

national identity, concept of homeland, ethnic minorities, minority education

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