Ethnic Struggle, Coexistence, and Democratization in Eastern Europe

摘要

Sherrill Stroschein examines the role ethnic identity had in the democratization of Slovakia, Romania and Ukraine during the 1990s. She argues that Hungarian and titular minorities gained political concessions through protests in response to state control and debates about language education. In turn, the resulting ethnic contention moderated group demands through deliberations that 'routinized' exchanges and transformed the goals of the groups. Stroschein draws on more than 160 interviews from the communities, including living with families, to understand the dynamics of local ethnic politics. In contrast to the ethnic and civil conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, she explains 'how ethnic protest served to incorporate Hungarians into polities in which they are permanent minorities by providing an extra-institutional means for them to influence policies' (p. 10). The book successfully details how ordinary people shaped policy and how ethnic contention moderated positions during the democratization process.