Torsello, Davide - Pappová, Melinda: Social Networks in Movement. Time, interaction and interethnic spaces in Central Eastern Europe - Nostra Tempora 8. (Somorja-Dunaszerdahely, 2003)

Interethnic spaces

134 Károly Tóth

rapid abandonment of Hungarian identity, taking place in the course of one generation. Mixed marriages are also the driving forces for assimilation processes (such as the suppression of the Hungarian language in domestic use, the choice of Slovak as the language of instruction in the school, etc.).

Since all of this occurs "within the family”, the environment (family members in this case) is much more tolerant towards the whole process. For an outside observer this process of gradual language change becomes visible only years later, for example at the time of choosing the language in which children will be educated. At this moment the process is already irreversible. In this context it does not appear to be a distortion if the local people see and perceive mixed and Slovak marriages as the same category. If we compare the proportion of Hungarian marriages with the proportion of mixed and Slovak marriages, the result is nearly 50% to 50% (see Table 7).

Table 7: Division of marriages

Marriages

Number%

Number of marriages

142100,00

Both spouses are Hungarian

76

53,52

Both spouses are Slovak

21

14,79

Mixed marriages

45

31,69

Mixed and Slovak marriages together

66

46,48

Similar conclusions can be drawn from the examination of the ethnic structure of the households. I indicated earlier that I used a very strict system of criteria in separating Hungarian households from Slovak households. If all members of the household were ethnic Hungarians, with an everyday use of the Hungarian language and with Hungarian as the language for their children’s education, I categorised the family as a Hungarian household. If all members were ethnic Slovaks with everyday use of the Slovak language and with Slovak as the chosen language of instruction, I categorised it as a Slovak household. If any of the members showed a diver