Slovenians of Yugoslavia: Who are They, What is Their Impact on the Yugoslav Federation, and What is Their Future

摘要

Recognizing that the Slovenians are a pivotal nationality with present day Yugoslavia, a deeper understanding of Slovenian ethnicity is warranted. Thus, this paper will attempt to: (1) define what Slovenian ethnicity is, based on an assessment of those components contributing to the development of an ethnic group or nationality (e.g., history, culture, religion, and language); (2) assess future developments regarding the Slovenian ethnic character, with specific emphasis on how socialism, modernization, and inter-republic competition will impact this character, and finally; (3) determine the effects the Slovenian nationality will have on the Yugoslav polity in the future, with specific emphasis on national cohesion and centralized authority. Additionally, this paper will evaluate the general concept of ethnicity and define other related terms such as nation, nationality, community, state, and minority. These concepts and definitions will then be related to my thesis, which is that the Slovenian nationality will continue to retain its strong ethnic identity and considerable influence in Yugoslavia's future. This will occur even in the face of efforts made by the central government to integrate the republics and nationalities and despite the pervasive effects of modernization and Westernization. (Author)