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"One-Dimensional Conception of National Identity versus Heterogeneity of Ethnic Identity among Emigrants" (an article) |
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Article |
| Contributed by: |
Marina Luksic-Hacin |
The article speaks about national identity as one of the specific form of ethnicity or ethnic identity. Its starting-point is the question of conceptual differences among different views of national identity, and different concepts of national and ethnic identity which can be found among Slovene immigrants or their self identification. Let us start with a one-dimensional understanding of national identity in which the nation s understood as the “legal and institutionalized concept.” In this case the understanding of the nation is tied to a specific territory. Strongly stressed are the central role of such national territory., common laws and institutions, judicial equality of all citizens, and the importance of common civic (homogenous) culture. It is assumed that state borders correspond to ethnic ones, which is the essential characteristic feature of the concept of nation. As a contrast to this notion of ethnicity there is another, somewhat more agitated notion based on the Central European alternative of forming a nation in which the nation appeared as a community of language and culture. It was supported by intellectual and cultural elites.
Strongly accentuated are the importance of ethnic origin, cultural ties and mutual language. The nation is thus a “cultural and social concept.”
Regional identity intersects national identity in a specific manner, either corresponding to it or being in an unsoluble conflict with it. Europeans also cannot avoid the problems of national minorities, minority identity and its relation with the national. Regional identity and minority identity shatter the schematic double structure, the double loyalty between ethnic identity and citizenship; it seems that the second model of understanding a nation may be too static and rigid as well. If we add to migration problems and situations which involve people who had emigrated from Central Europe it is imperative that we view the identity of an individual as a dynamic, contextual one. Depending upon their current situation individuals identify themselves through numerous variants of ethnic identity. Among Slovene emigrants dealt with in this article there is a multitude of potential group (ethnic) identities which had been defined for each individual; on the hand this individual may “choose” among them in a way.
Numerous emigrants speak about being different , again depending upon the situation they find themselves in. A person may have a several group identities which attain equilibrium in different context. Incessantly changing and altering one’s role demands a unique “flexible” identity which has to maintain a balance among all identities. Different situations may trigger an identity and loyalty switch which may also be expressed through a language code switch. In different situations both the identity and the language contain different levels of occurrence. This frequently occurs when due to the split between loyalty to their country and their ethnic identification, that is between their citizenship and their ethnic identity (without mentioning other alternatives of ethnic identity, or other possibilities of group identification) individuals take a specific stance.
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