Ethnic diversity and polarization in Vojvodina

From a methodological perspective, this paper aims to demonstrate that ethnic diversity can be an objectively measurable notion, thus multi-ethnicity may have its own ‘units of measurement’. However, while the Hungarian geographic literature has concentrated by now on only the fragmentation (i.e. ‘E...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Áron Léphaft, Ádám Németh, Péter Reményi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences 2014-07-01
Series:Hungarian Geographical Bulletin
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ojs.mtak.hu/index.php/hungeobull/article/view/2883
_version_ 1819057433267404800
author Áron Léphaft
Ádám Németh
Péter Reményi
author_facet Áron Léphaft
Ádám Németh
Péter Reményi
author_sort Áron Léphaft
collection DOAJ
description From a methodological perspective, this paper aims to demonstrate that ethnic diversity can be an objectively measurable notion, thus multi-ethnicity may have its own ‘units of measurement’. However, while the Hungarian geographic literature has concentrated by now on only the fragmentation (i.e. ‘Ethnic Diversity Index’), another type of diversity should be also defined: the phenomenon called polarization when two or maximum three ethnic groups with nearly equal population number are present. Using the so-called ‘ethnic polarization index’ our paper emphasizes that the increase or decrease of diversity cannot be described as a two-dimensional process. Thus in our case study of Vojvodina not only the homogenizing and diversifying territories are outlined, where the minorities are shrinking, and conversely where the minorities increase their rate at the expense of the majority. Since both homogenization and diversification can result in polarization, it does also matter, which way the balance will shift regarding polarization. Taking intonconsideration the broad scale of potential impacts of ethnic polarization on social, economic and political spheres (e.g. on the risk of conflicts), we find it important to underline that human geography and sociological research in the future should focus on the polarizing territories as well which have been defined in our study.
first_indexed 2024-12-21T13:39:14Z
format Article
id doaj.art-783ca99dbcc64cb6b59a9c824c06cf28
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2064-5031
2064-5147
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-21T13:39:14Z
publishDate 2014-07-01
publisher Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences
record_format Article
series Hungarian Geographical Bulletin
spelling doaj.art-783ca99dbcc64cb6b59a9c824c06cf282022-12-21T19:02:03ZengResearch Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Hungarian Academy of SciencesHungarian Geographical Bulletin2064-50312064-51472014-07-0163213515710.15201/hungeobull.63.2.22883Ethnic diversity and polarization in VojvodinaÁron Léphaft0Ádám Németh1Péter Reményi2Institute of Geography, University of Pécs, HungaryInstitute of Geography, University of Pécs, HungaryInstitute of Geography, University of Pécs, HungaryFrom a methodological perspective, this paper aims to demonstrate that ethnic diversity can be an objectively measurable notion, thus multi-ethnicity may have its own ‘units of measurement’. However, while the Hungarian geographic literature has concentrated by now on only the fragmentation (i.e. ‘Ethnic Diversity Index’), another type of diversity should be also defined: the phenomenon called polarization when two or maximum three ethnic groups with nearly equal population number are present. Using the so-called ‘ethnic polarization index’ our paper emphasizes that the increase or decrease of diversity cannot be described as a two-dimensional process. Thus in our case study of Vojvodina not only the homogenizing and diversifying territories are outlined, where the minorities are shrinking, and conversely where the minorities increase their rate at the expense of the majority. Since both homogenization and diversification can result in polarization, it does also matter, which way the balance will shift regarding polarization. Taking intonconsideration the broad scale of potential impacts of ethnic polarization on social, economic and political spheres (e.g. on the risk of conflicts), we find it important to underline that human geography and sociological research in the future should focus on the polarizing territories as well which have been defined in our study.https://ojs.mtak.hu/index.php/hungeobull/article/view/2883ethnic diversitypolarizationvojvodinaserbia
spellingShingle Áron Léphaft
Ádám Németh
Péter Reményi
Ethnic diversity and polarization in Vojvodina
Hungarian Geographical Bulletin
ethnic diversity
polarization
vojvodina
serbia
title Ethnic diversity and polarization in Vojvodina
title_full Ethnic diversity and polarization in Vojvodina
title_fullStr Ethnic diversity and polarization in Vojvodina
title_full_unstemmed Ethnic diversity and polarization in Vojvodina
title_short Ethnic diversity and polarization in Vojvodina
title_sort ethnic diversity and polarization in vojvodina
topic ethnic diversity
polarization
vojvodina
serbia
url https://ojs.mtak.hu/index.php/hungeobull/article/view/2883
work_keys_str_mv AT aronlephaft ethnicdiversityandpolarizationinvojvodina
AT adamnemeth ethnicdiversityandpolarizationinvojvodina
AT peterremenyi ethnicdiversityandpolarizationinvojvodina