Cseri Miklós, Kósa László, T. Bereczki Ibolya szerk.: Paraszti múlt és jelen az ezredfordulón - A Magyar Néprajzi Társaság 2000. október 10-12. között megrendezett néprajzi vándorgyűlésének előadásai (Szentendre: Szabadtéri Néprajzi Múzeum; Magyar Néprajzi Társaság, 2000)

MOHAY Tamás: Új kérdések és új határok a néprajzban: az ezredforduló perspektívái

New questions and new borders in European ethnology: perspectives in the turn of millennium Tamás Mohay It is a fact of common knowledge that political and cultural boundaries do not coincide with each other all over Europe. This is extremely true in the Carpathian basin. The tensions caused by the existence, nature and crossing the different linguistic, cultural and political borders were not eliminated not only in the former multi-ethnic imperial structures but also in the states created with the Trianon Peace-Treaty. Ethnology played important role in the process of recognition of these well-known relationships for longer time. These problems are raised under new circumstances, and ethnological approaches do have new tasks in connection with that fact in this time. The traditional ethnography did not have to encounter those processes by that radically new meaning are given to the contemporary political and cultural boundaries: some of them are being reinforced, some displaced, others weakened or being come to connections with new symbolic meanings. It is enough to mention as to globalization, multinational enterprises, international criminality, information industry, computer networks, different forms of migration, problems of refugees or regionalism. These are not only catchwords but real facts and processes forming the everyday life of people and societies. Moreover new questions are raised in connection with the political, military and economic reorganisation of Europe. In the case of Hungary we especially have to remember that three of our neighbouring states were disintegrated in the last ten years; also, that the borders of NATO run along the eastern and southern borders of Hungary and again that ethnic Hungarians are living in the neighbouring countries in very dissimilar political structures. Even if it won't be true to say that the political borders became unimportant, it can not be denied that the groups of Hungarians living in different countries are connected with each other much more intensively and freely than earlier; however, the ways they can contact with European countries much more differ from each other. All these issues undoubtedly make influence on the repeatedly mentioned cultural „unity" of the Hungarian nation. In my paper I try to reflect to this newly arised questions taking into account that the ethnology has to notice its own disciplinary limits also in the process formulating questions, and in looking for answers of them. It seems to be sure that in consequence of this, not only the methodology, but the relationships with other disciplines and the training for our discipline will be altered.