(N=1195) Ethnic group Region, subregion
Hungarian Non Hungarian Total
Hungary 102 - 102
Slovakia 70 29 99
Ukraine 86 12 98
Total 258 41 299
Hungary 100 - 100
Ukraine 89 8 97
Rumania 45 55 100
Total 234 63 297
Hungary 64 39 103
Slovenia 31 70 101
Austria - 82 82
Total 95 191 286
Hungary 100 - 100
Slovakia 78 22 100
Austria 3 110 113
Total 181 132 313
TOTAL 768 427 1195
Table 14. Self-estimation of Hungarians from Hungary (versus neighboring ethnic groups) Ethnic NeighboringethnicgroupsDifferenceRelative group _________________________________________________________ Subregion Hungarians Slovakians Ukrainians Rumanians Slovenians Austrians Romas (l) difference
__ _
I__ _
I__ _ I __ _
I__ _
I__
I__ _
1% Region 1 4,573,893,91- __________-________ 2,520,68_______17,0 Region 2 4,41- 3,242,55 _-__________-________ 2,35 1,8646,5! Region 34,70~- _-_________ 4,204,122,660,50_______12,5 Region 44^43,11_________-__________-__________ 3,77 2,27 1,0726,8 1: Difference between Hungarians and majority ethnic groups Table 15 Self-estimation of ethnic Hungarians living outside Hungary (versus majority ethnic group) Ethnic groupHungarians MajorityDifferenceRelative difference Region, subregion_____________________nation_______________________________(%)________________ Region 1Slovakia______________4,61__________Slovakians: 4,29______0,32___________8T)________________ Ukraine 4,73Ukrainians: 3,211,5238,0 Region 2Ukraine_______________4,62__________Ukrainians: 3,84______0,78__________19,5_______________ Rumania4,02Rumanians: 3,49 0,53 13,3 Region 3Slovenia______________4,42__________Slovenians: 4,13______0,29___________7^3________________ Region 4 Slovakia4,22Slovakians: 3,400,8220,5Relative difference m_____________in
O N
»OOÍ *o
<N
39,0 iniH
r - H C D
m 10,3 28,3
Difference 0,38 -0,50 0,50 1,56 0,46 1,36 0,41 cn
Hungarians 4,21 4,83 4,50 2,84 3,53 in
co 2,23 3,23
Non Hungarian ethnic group 4,59 4,33 5,00 4,40 3,99
H
in 2,64 4,36
Ethnic group Region, subregion (Slovakia) (Ukraine) (Ukraine) Rumania Slovenia Austria
cn| Austria
CN m
3 C 3 3
O o O O
‘ob ‘ 3b ‘ 3b ‘ 3b
<D <u <L> <D
tó tó tó tó
Table 16 Self-estimation of neighboring ethnic groups (versus Hungarian ethnic group)
Reviewing the responses from within Hungary we see that:
- regional differences are insignificant,
-self-estimation of Hungarians is regularly higher than that of their neighboring ethnicities,
- Rumanians are least favored as a neighboring ethnicity,
- Romas are the least favored and shunned within mixed ethnic areas of the border regions, to a worrying extent. (Table 14.)
Similar statements can be made about Hungarians living outside Hungarian borders. Also Hungarians estimation of their own ethnic group is higher than that of the majority ethnic group. But the greatest difference in their case shows not in relation with Rumanians but instead with Ukrainians. It is also interesting that Hungarians in western Slovakia are more reserved with the Slovaks than the Hungarians in eastern Slovakia. (Table 15.)
We also need, however, to observe the other side of the coin, namely, How do non-Hungarian ethnic groups in the border regions along Hungary regard Hungarians?
The self-esteem of the ethnic groups is also revealed in the self-estimation here with one exception regarding the Ukrainian side of the Hungarian- Slovakian-Ukrainian region: non-Hungarians rate themselves a point higher than they rate Hungarians. However it is mostly Austrians and Rumanians who rank themselves higher than Hungarians. (Table 16.)
Table 17
Comparing ethnic judgments of Hungarians from Hungary and neighboring ethnic groups
Ethnic group-pairs Index of
sympathy
Difference Relative difference (%) Hungarians about Slovakians 3,89
(Slovakians about Hungarians) 4,21 -0,32 -8 ,0
Hungarians about Ukrainians 3,91
Ukrainians about Hungarians 4,83 -0,92 -23,0
Hungarians about Rumanians 2,55
Rumanians about Hungarians 2,84 -0,29 -7,3
Hungarians about Slovenians 4,20
Slovenians about Hungarians 3,53 0,67 16,8
Hungarians about Austrians 3,77
Austrians about Hungarians 3,23 0,54 13,5
By continuing this line of thought and using the same breakdown, the ethnic judgments by ethnic couples can be compared.
Two distinct groups can be made by comparing the opinions of Hungarians from Hungary about their neighboring ethnic groups, and the opinions of these ethnic groups about Hungarians:
1. Concerning Rumanians, Slovaks, and Ukrainians, the picture formed by these neighboring ethnic groups about Hungarians is more favorable than the picture Hungarians formed about them.
2. The opposite is the case of Austrians and Slovenes: the picture formed about them by Hungarians is more favorable than the picture they formed about Hungarians. (Table 17.)
However we can find a significant difference in the case of Hungarians living outside the borders of Hungary - their opinion about the majority ethnic group is generally more positive than the opinion of these majority ethnic groups about Hungarians. (The table shows an exception regarding Hungarian- Ukrainian relations. However in this case the number of Ukrainians sampled is too small to draw justifiable conclusions, further political events of the recent period contradict the above hypothesis. See Table 18.)
Table 18
Comparing ethnic judgments of ethnic Hungarians living outside Hungary and majority ethnic groups
Ethnic group-pairs Index of
sympathy
Difference Relative difference (%) Hungarians about Slovaks (1) 4,29
(Slovaks about Hungarians) 4,21 0,08 2,0
Hungarians about Ukrainians 3,21
(Ukrainians about Hungarians) 4,83 -1,62 -40,5
Hungarians about Rumanians 3,49
Rumanians about Hungarians 2,84 0,65 16,3
Hungarians about Slovenians 4,13
Slovenians about Hungarians 3,53 0,60 15,0
Austrians about Hungarians 3,23 -
-Note:
( ) = the sample-element number is under 30 (1)= Eastern Slovenia
Table 19
Comparing ethnic judgments of Hungarians from Hungary and ethnic Hungarians living outside Hungary by region
Region 1
Region 2
Region 3
Region 4
Indicator
Region, subregion Index of sympathy
Difference Relative difference
Hungary 4,57
Slovakia 4,61 -0,04 -1 ,0
Ukraine 4,73 -0,16 -4 ,0
Hungary 4,41
Ukraine 4,62 -0,21 -5,3
Rumania 4,02 0,39 9,8
Hungary 4,70
Slovenia 4,42 0,28 7,0
(Austria)
-Hungary 4,84
Slovakia 4,22 0,62 15,5
(Austria)
-We also find noticeable differences by comparing the ethnic self-estimation and self-esteem of Hungarians living within Hungary and those living outside the borders. They show that in the eastern regions the self-estimation of ethnic Hungarians outside Hungary (except Rumania’s Szatmar region) is higher than within Hungary itself. The opposite is the case in western regions where people living in Hungary have higher self-esteem and self-confidence. (Table 19.)
This phenomena can be explained by the following:
1. This west-east ‘axis’, present and well-known in Hungary, appears not only in social and urban contexts but mental context as well concerning levels of self-esteem.
2. Concerning ethnic Hungarians living outside Hungary, it is strange that there is such a significant difference in the ethnic consciousness of ethnic Hungarians living in the two Slovakian regions.
* * *
le 20 nicimageformedabout neighboringmajorityethnicgroups byHungarians fromHungaryandethnic ungarians living outside Hungary by region EthnicNeighboring or majority ethnic groups Diffe- RelativeDiffe- Relative group________________________________________rencedifferencerencedifference Region,SlovaksUkrainians Rumanians Slovenes Austrians (1) (%) (2)(%) subregion________________________________________________________________________________________ 1Hungary3,89_____3,91_______-_________;________;______________________________________________ Slovakia4,293,76____________________________________-0,40-10,00,15 3,8 Ukraine 2,92 13,211 I I 1-0,972,43 0,7017,5~ on 2 Hungary_________3,24_______2,55
______
^________;______________________________________________ Ukraine________3,84_______2,20______-________^________-0,60-15,0______0,35 8,8_______ Rumania________2,09_______3,49______
^________I________1,1528,8_______-0,94-23,5_____
3 Hungary_________-__________:_________4,20_____
4,12___________________________________________ Slovenia________2__________^_________4,13_____
3,94_____
0,07 1,8________0,184,5_______ (Austria)___________I__________I__________I_________I_________I_______I__________I_______I__________ on4Hungary3,11_____
-__________-_________^________3,77___________________________________________ Slovakia3,40 _________^_________j________ 3,31-0,29 -7,3 0,4611,5 (Austria)__________________________________________I_________I_______I__________I_______I__________In summary, significant differences are seen in the ethnic preferences of nations and ethnic groups living in the surveyed Central European border regions.
Ethnic preference strongly correlates with the status a given ethnic group holds in the country - i.e. either majority or minority. This distinction makes it possible to understand the different answers of Hungarians within the borders of Hungary and ethnic Hungarians outside the borders.
(This study was originally published in the Yearbook of European Studies 11
“Expanding European Unity - Central and Eastern E u r o p eEd. by László Marácz, Amsterdam, Rodopi, 1999.)
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