Locating the minority problem in Europe : a historical perspective

Roter, Petra (author)

The article challenges popular beliefs that seem to be prevailing especially in the wake of the Yugoslav crises, that minorities are problematic in the East, whereas there is no such "problem" in the West. In order to show that such beliefs appear to be out of touch with reality, the article traces - with the help of historical analysis - the origins of the "minority problem" in Europe. It shows that the "minority problem" was first a conflict between different religious communities, whereas it is centred on ethnic identity groups in the era of nationalism. The nation-states of Europe have indeed been brought about in different circumstances, roughly corresponding to the geographical division between the West and the East. Accordingly, minorities were created differently in the states that were formed according to the Western or Eastern models of nation-building and state-formation.

• Language: English
• Keywords: minorities, nation-building, kin-states, nationalism, national minorities, state-formation, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Western Europe
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Year: 2001
• Number of pages: Str. 221-249, 299, 302
• Numbering: Vol. 4, no. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-135857
• UDC: 323.1(4)(091)
• ISSN on article: 1408-6980
• COBISS.SI-ID: 8144205
• Publication date in RUL: 30.03.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Journal of international relations and development
• Shortened title: J. int. relat. & dev.
• Publisher: University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre of International Relations
• ISSN: 1408-6980
• COBISS.SI-ID: 76065792

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Umestitev problema manjšin v Evropo

Abstract

Članek oporeka splošnemu prepričanju, ki je še posebej prevladujoče v času po jugoslovanskih krizah, da so manjšine problematične na Vzhodu, medtem ko na Zahodu tovrstni 'problem' ne obstaja. Da bi pokazala, kako so takšna prepričanja brez stvarne podlage, avtorica s pomočjo zgodovinske analize proučuje nastanke 'problema manjšin' v Evropi. Članek pokaže, da je bil 'problem manjšin' naprej konflikt med različnimi verskimi skupnostmi, v obdobju nacionalizma (in nacionalnih držav) pa se osredotoča na skupine, ki se medsebojno razlikujejo glede na etnično identiteto. Evropske nacionalne države so dejansko nastajale v različnih okoliščinah, ki približno ustrezajo geografski delitvi na Zahod in Vzhod. Skladno s temi okoliščinami so tudi manjšine nasta(ja)le na različne načine v državah, ki so se izoblikovale glede na zahodni ali vzhodni model graditve naroda in oblikovanja države.

• Keywords: manjšine, graditev naroda, matična država, nacionalizem, narodne manjšine, oblikovanje države, Srednja Evropa, Vzhodna Evropa, Zahodna Evropa