Minority towards Majority : What makes Roma students change their self-reported ethnic identity?

Absztrakt (kivonat)

Research concerning the definition of ethnic identity indicates that various classification systems may provide different information. Moreover ethnic identity, being both relational and contextual, should be treated as a continuously changing process. The formation of one´s identity occurs through one´s identification with significant others. This is especially true among adolescents, when peer groups play a crucial role in creating one's identity. Our aim is to reveal the most influential factors which incline secondary school Roma students to alter their minority identity. Therefore we assume, that identity change of Roma students can be effected by: 1. How their peers classify their ethnic identity. 2. The amount of Roma peers in the class. 3. The strenght of their ethnic identification Our research is based on a subsample (N=23 classes) of a national network panel study (OTKA K 81336). For data analysis, contingency table analysis and multilevel regression models are used.