Educational Choices and Attitudes Towards Multiculturalism and Assimilationism of the Majority and Minorities in Four Croatian Multiethnic Communities

U ovom je radu ispitan odnos preferencija modela obrazovanja nacionalnih manjina i stavova prema multikulturalizmu i asimilacionizmu u četiri višeetničke zajednice u Hrvatskoj. Sudjelovalo je 1568 učenika od 11 do 19 godina, pripadnika hrvatske većine, i četiri nacionalne manjine, koje se školuju po tzv. obrazovnom modelu A, odnosno pohađaju cjelokupnu nastavu na manjinskom jeziku i pismu (Česi, Mađari, Srbi i Talijani), te 2000 njihovih roditelja. Ovo je prvi rad koji opisuje neka sociodemografska obilježja učenika u A modelu manjinske nastave, kao i neke aspekte njihove jezične kompetencije u hrvatskome i manjinskim jezicima, upotrebu jezika u obitelji te namjere nastavka školovanja u Hrvatskoj, odnosno u zemlji podrijetla. Rezultati pokazuju da su preferencije manjinskih obrazovnih modela donekle povezane sa stavovima prema multikulturalizmu i asimilacionizmu, ali i to da su grupni status (manjina ili većina), te višeetnički kontekst u kojem je istraživanje provedeno, važne odrednice ovih stavova.In this study we examined the relationship between the preference of minority educational models and attitudes towards multiculturalism and assimilationism in four multiethnic communities in Croatia. A sample of 1568 students, aged 11 to 19, members of the Croatian majority and four national minorities (Czechs, Hungarians, Serbs and Italians) enrolled in model A of minority education (all classes are taught in the minority language), and 2000 of their parents participated in the research. Additionally, this is the first paper describing the major socio-demographic characteristics of students in minority education model A, as well as aspects of their language competence in Croatian and minority languages, the use of language in their families and their intentions to continue education in Croatia as opposed to their country of origin. The results have shown that the preferences of minority education models are slightly related to attitudes towards multiculturalism and assimilationism, but also that group status (minority or majority) and the multiethnic context the study has been conducted in are important determinants of attitudes towards multiculturalism and assimilationism