ETNOKULTÚRNY VÝSKUM SLOVÁKOV V SRBSKU, CHORVÁTSKU A RUMUNSKU – ŠPECIFIKÁ, PERSPEKTÍVY, VÝZNAM

The Slovaks living in Serbia, Croatia and Romania are not just a result of historical development from the perspective of assimilation, but they create ethnic communities which are active, purposeful and coordinated. This situation is not a matter of course, automatic or inertia. It is the result of sophisticated and conscious continuous stimulation of ethnicity. Specifics of environments of these Slovaks are an important determinant of general and particular development trends and perspectives of their existence. Ethno-cultural research must therefore take into account the current local, regional and areal context of their identity, language and cultural traditions. It is more effective to perceive the minority culture from the perspectives of its preservation of the cultural wealth and values and to interpret it as the cultural potential that can be converted into the cultural capital.