Impact of educational instruments of Hungarian kin-state policy on the identity of Hungarian minority in Vojvodina, Serbia

Abstract

The thesis examines the impact of Hungarian kin-state educational support on the self-identity of the Hungarian minority in Vojvodina, Serbia. This study addresses a gap in the literature on kin-state politics through how educational instruments of kin-state policy and support impact a kin-minority’s self-identity. The main research question is ‘How do kin-state educational interventions serve as sites of identity contestation and production, influencing the identity of a kin-minority?’ In doing so, the research employs an interpretivist single case study design and a mixed-methods approach that combines qualitative methods. Data was collected through document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and passive anthropological observation. The participants were university students, high school pupils, teachers, experts and officials. The research results utilise the multifaceted identities of Hungarians in Vojvodina, who convey a low level of identification not only with the majority Serbs but also with the kin-state of Hungary. The research has shown that while Hungary’s educational instruments are actively engaged with and highly regarded by the community, the impact on self-identity is not direct or straightforward. The findings show that the community does not merely adopt a singular “Hungarian” identity as designed by the kin-state’s policies. Instead, the community’s self-identification is a complex and negotiated outcome, interpreted through the lenses of shifting local contexts and individual agency. The fact that identity persists is not an indication of failure of the policy but simply a recognition of the complexity and mediated nature of the outcomes. Instead, it shows that identity is not a straightforward cause-and-effect relationship. It serves as an important reminder for researchers and policymakers that the understanding of relations between kin-states, kin-minorities and host state requires a greater understanding of how minority group agency and local contexts mediate the political effect of these policies.