Language negotiations in Slovakia: Views from the Hungarian minority

Abstract

This paper discusses myths about the Hungarian minority in Slovakia and how such myths shape social reality with respect to intergroup contact and conflict. Specifically, an analysis of Hungarian reactions to three myths current in public discourse is presented. Data for this study are drawn primarily from a sociolinguistic survey conducted in three communities in Southern Slovakia in 1996. Results suggest Hungarians conceive of difficulties for Slovak and Hungarian monolinguals as resting in private and public spheres respectively. Moreover, the analysis of the discourse of Hungarian minority members, even when selected to represent those who might have the strongest views on the importance of resisting the current moves to mythologize reality, suggests that there is little active resistance to the current power elite's ideology