Ethno-cultural Aspects of National life of Young People of Slovak nationality in Croatia and Serbia (theory and empirism)
Ethno-cultural Aspects of National life of Young People of Slovak nationality in Croatia and Serbia (theory and empirism)

Summary/Abstract: Background: Ethno cultural processes belong to the most dynamic, most complicated and most important socio-cultural characteristics of each society. An ethnic definition of culture and society is at present, at a time of multiculturalism and de-ethnicity of culture, an effective and used means of description, genesis, and pursuance of political as well as economic management. The socio-cultural environment of Lower-country is an excellent setting to study the processes; in some parts it seems to be quite homogenous (Lower-country culture) whereas in others it is complex and internally differentiated. Objective: The aim of the study is to characterize the Slovak minority living in Croatia and Serbia in the ethno-cultural background of its development, to define the main factors of ethno-cultural progress and the perspectives of their development. At the same time it aims to represent the opinions of the research participants (young Slovak people living in Croatia and Serbia). The study consists of a theoretical as well as a practical part. Method: The theoretical part of the study includes an integrated knowledge of important aspects of the ethno-culture of the Slovak minority, which were gained by long-term ethnological research in the environment. The empirical part focuses on the data gained in field research (2015) within a grant project ‘Verbal-communication behaviour of Slovak youth in Croatia and Serbia in a situational background of intra-ethnic usage of Slovak.’ Based on the quota sampling (age and gender), 170 respondents took part in the research (49 from Croatia and 121 from Serbia). The research sample included: People of Slovak origin, who either declared their Slovak nationality themselves or Slovak was mother tongue of at least one of their parents. People who, in their opinion, spoke Slovak language in everyday life. Two groups of students from various types of high schools and universities (with Slovak lectorship) took part in the research. The students were aged between 15 and 25 with 65 girls and 105 boys participating. To collect the sample data we used a structured questionnaire. The purpose of the method was to study how ethno-cultural aspects influence the awareness of the respondents. We also studied different aspects in the verbal-communication behaviour of the respondents. The role of the aspects in the verbal-communication behaviour of the respondents in Croatia (SCr) and Serbia (SSr) was also studied. The ethno-cultural indicator applied three items and studied the opinions of young generation in regards to the development of: National culture; Slovak mother tongue; National school. Results: In the theoretical part of the study we specified the display of ethnic identity and the functioning of the minority language, and we characterized the remaining cultural traditions of the Slovak minority living in Croatia and Serbia. Until the members of Slovak minorities living in their environment have a relationship to the ethnicity, Slovak language and traditions they will consider them values. While the language and the traditions represent a practical tool for the profit, they will keep, hand over or develop them. The empirical part presents opinions of Slovak youth in both countries. The opinions judged individual aspects of ethno-cultural development of their minority. A basic analysis of opinions on question 13 in the questionnaire was presented from the point of view of both language groups. Question 13 deals with the development of national culture, mother tongue and the national education system. Each value was rated by participants on a 7-point- scale (from 1= not important to 7 = very important). On a seven-point-scale (1 – definitely not, 7 – definitely yes), the respondents rated each item individually. The scale enabled us to use a descriptive analysis (arithmetic mean of the whole sample MSCr-SSr, arithmetic mean of individual subgroups MSCr, MSSr, average values and standard deviation SD) frequency analyses (responses in %, N=number of respondents in subgroups: SCr, SSr) which uses chi-square (χ2 ). After scale modification, three groups of respondents were formed – negative opinions, ambivalent opinions and positive opinions. Having done a normality test, we find out that the respondents‘answers concentrated mostly in one pole of the scale which was why a nonparametric statistic (Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for 2 independent groups SCr/SSr) was used. To judge the inner structure of the three items of ethno cultural development of minority, we used the method of factor analysis (extraction method – Principal Component Analysis, rotation Varimex, Varimex normalization) which led to a distinctive 1-factor structure: SCr: with eigenvalue 2.13 with saturation 71%; SSr with eigenvalue 2.52 with saturation 83.92%. The proportion of spread of results explained by 1-factor structure is plausible. To determine the inner consistence of variables we used Crombach alfa coefficient (Cα ). The total value of the reliability coefficient for SCh-SSr170 is Calfa=0.863 which is considered acceptable. Respondents’ answers to the question were highly positive; they support the three aspects of ethno cultural indicator – national culture, Slovak mother tongue and national educational system. While, on average, SCr preferred mostly national culture (M=6.08), with SSr it was the language aspect that reached the highest values (M=6.31). It results from the frequency analysis that the respondents in either group choose 7 (the top point on the scale) with all three items. With SCr, respondents supporting national culture represent the largest percentage. They are followed by items ‘mother tongue‘(75.5%) and ‘national educational system‘(69.4%). For SSr their Slovak mother tongue is most important (92.6%). It is followed by education (88.4%) and national culture (87.6%). Scale modification (negative vs. positive answers) shows that Slovak youth in Croatia and Serbia choose positive variants when evaluating the progress of selected items of ethno cultural development. As for SSr, there is a higher percentage of responses with each item. The ethno culture support with SCr is as following: 69.4% (education), 75.5% (Slovak language), and 83.6% (culture). With SSr we can observe higher percentage: 87.6% (culture), 88.4% (education), and 92.6% (Slovak language).The difference between the preferences of individual aspects is also plausible – with SCr it is the culture aspect, with SSr it is the language aspect which is ranked highest. Conclusion: Slovak language and ethno culture are socio-cultural complexes and phenomena which are typical for the environment and they have been present for a long time. Studying their present shape, state, usage and applicability makes them a cultural potential. The empirical results confirm that Slovak adolescents in Croatia and Serbia express a higher rate of importance in all three selected aspects of ethnocultural development of their minority. Collected data confirm group differences in preference of individual aspects – the cultural aspect dominates with SCr, whereas with SSr it is the language aspect. These can be determined not only by various factors of ethno cultural development of each minority, but also by their specific characteristics (minority size, setting, cultural-social forwardness etc.) and by the ethnic development rate (identity rate, ability to use mother tongue at a communication level, education system, institutionalisation rate etc.) A more detailed study of the processes would offer a deeper insight into the issue.

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