Supported by: EEA financial mechanism EEA, Norway financial mechanism and Slovak state budget.

Time Span: December 2008 – March 2010

Project Team: Jarmila Filadelfiová, Martina Sekulová, Oľga Gyarfášová, Zora Bútorová

Objective: 

The goal of this project is to analyze the situation and the trends of the development of cultural diversity in Slovakia and to identify challenges for the public policy, which emerge as a consequence of an increasing foreign work migration to Slovakia. We will concentrate on the analysis of interaction (communication, cooperation and conflicts) of native inhabitants and foreign work migrants working in Slovakia. The formation process of new minorities in the Slovak society and its effects on the native population – members of the majority population as well as members of traditional minorities – will be our point of interest.

The key place where this interaction occurs is the work market, or the working place and location (township, city, and neighborhood). Particular attention will be paid to the analysis of layered disadvantages or advantages to which members of new minorities, as well as the native population and traditional minorities, can be exposed.

The project will help fill in the gaps in knowledge of these phenomena and can considerably contribute to the enrichment and deepening of the Slovak debate concerning this issue. New information and findings free from myths and stereotypes can strongly help developing an adequate public policy and thus improving the integration of new minorities, the quality of multicultural coexistence as well as improve the position of disadvantaged groups.

The project will concentrate on three key activities:

1. Research and monitoring activities which will help fill in the deficit of knowledge and information. Part of the activities will be researching positive examples or positive experience (improvement of coexistence or interaction between new minorities and the majority or new or traditional minorities, activities for disadvantaged groups) and their elaboration in a language accessible for the wider public.

2. Communication of the research results within the specialized public and contribution to the debate.

3. Dissemination of the research results to the wider public in order to reinforce the multicultural environment in Slovakia.

Output: Book publication (March 2010)