The Serbs of Hungary: Ethnicity and government policy in a transitional societ

The dissertation examines ethnic identity among Serbs living in Hungary in the 1990s. The situation of ethnic minorities was largely ignored during the communist era, but new government brought changes in official policy, revitalizing minority communities. Inter-group relations and state policy toward minorities in the socialist and post-socialist periods must be examined to compare new attitudes and policies with those of the socialist era. The dissertation describes minorities' views towards their situation in contemporary Europe and their demands for cultural autonomy and state funding to support their cultures. It provides a survey of officially recognized ethnic and national minority groups within Hungary. The second section describes conditions for Serbs living in Pest county. The method of research utilizes official literature, interviews within government agencies and nationality organizations, and interviews and questionnaires with members of the Serbian community. It uses archival material in Hungarian libraries, the Hungarian press and Hungarian Serb press. This dissertation will support the thesis that members of a small minority group (0.05 to 0.1 percent of the population) can retain a plural group and personal identity within a majority culture and will demonstrate the methods with which a small minority group maintains a plural identity in a multicultural society.