THE NOTION OF MULTICULTURALISM IN THE ANALYSIS OF ETHNIC ISSUES IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE

Multiethnic issues in Central and Eastern Europe are very often perceived from the point of view of interethnic conflict and the renaissance of nationalism. Not many European social scientists would describe this part of the world using the terminology of multicultural theory. These terms seem to be reserved for immigrant countries such as Canada or Australia and are gaining popularity in the academia of Western Europe as the number of immigrants grows and the need for a coherent multicultural policy becomes obvious. However the basis of ethnic conflicts are still present in Eastern Europe, as well as the tradition of peaceful cooperation between the ethnic groups; hence there is a solid basis on which to discuss the history and the future of cultural pluralism in Central and Eastern Europe. The article presents the theory of multiculturalism and its theoretical potential for explaining ethnic problems in Central and Eastern Europe. The text starts with a review of conceptions defined by the common names of cultural pluralism and multiculturalism. Next, the authoress considers some historical and present examples of the unique mosaic of nations and ethnicities on the Eastern European borderlands where 'everyday practices of multiculturalism' are created without support from the state. In conclusion, she emphasises that these phenomena provide a research area that can present ethnicity in Eastern Europe from different perspectives as well as enrich our knowledge of the nature of multiculturalism.