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

138 Károly Tóth

As for the choice of the language of instruction the picture is shifting towards the Slovak kindergarten and school. Slovak, as the language of instruction, is chosen by more persons than what the language use would seem to justify. This indicates that in a significant number of families there is a language and culture change taking place for a longer period now, which is proved also by the high number of ethnicallymixed marriages. Moreover, the identity strengthening institutes which could also give support to the community are completely missing in the village and cultural activity ceased ten years ago.

This survey demonstrates that it is not sufficient to fight against aggressive assimilation. An effective minority protection has to be also aimed at slowing down and stopping the processes of natural assimilation. Apparently more extensive research is needed in order to disclose the motifs and the elements of natural assimilation. Protection from natural assimilation, so called "positive discrimination” (i.e. laws that help a minority group to maintain its identity or its rights), is necessary to maintain the linguistic, cultural and human values of a minority. The results of the last census only underline this and, at the same time, they indicate that positive discrimination has to be formed at a state level since it is beyond the power of a small village, such as Dlhá nad Váhom. 1

1 The Hungarian version of the article was published in the periodical of FORUM Institute for Social Studies, Szemle, vol. Ill 2001.

2 For an accurate description of the ethnic periphery see László Szarka, this volume.

3 Hosszúfalu in Hungarian.

4 This is an approximate number calculated by the author himself. Exact results according to the published data are not available since in 1991 the district of Galanta was divided in two: Galanta district and Šaľa district. Some villages were taken out of the Galanta district and annexed to the Senec district. Similarly, from the Nitra district, three villages were annexed to the Šaľa district. Regarding the decrease of the population the districts can be divided into three categories. If we consider the population