Civic and Uncivic Values in Slovakia

Like other countries in East Central Europe, the Slovak Republic is facing new challenges which were not on the horizon at the time the communist system collapsed and there are worries that this country, with the pro-Russian Prime Minister Robert Fico now at the helm, might be at risk of democratic backsliding. One of the key factors determining whether Slovakia will weather its current political difficulties or slide away from democracy is the strength of civic values such as tolerance, respect for the equality of people, and readiness to play by the rules of the political game.

This book looks at the record of the Slovak Republic in the years since 1993, taking into consideration politics, values as reflected in public opinion surveys, gender inequality, and the values communicated in literature, religion, and film. In addition, the volume takes a look at ethnic minorities, focusing especially on Slovakia's Hungarian minority.

Situates Slovak society and politics in a broader European context Examines whether and how civic values have changed in Slovakia over the last twenty years Includes analysis of Slovak literature, film and religion to understand how they have impacted societal values

Autorentext

Sabrina P. Ramet is a Professor Emerita in the Department of Sociology & Political Science at the Norwegian University of Science & Technology (NTNU), Norway.

Vladimir Ðorevi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Security Studies, Faculty of Security Management, Police Academy of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic.

Christine Marie Hassenstab is a retired attorney who has also worked as an Adviser in the EU Grants Office at the Norwegian University of Science & Technology (NTNU), in Trondheim, Norway. She earned her Ph.D. in Sociology at NTNU in 2010.

Klappentext
The essays gathered in this collection offer a nuanced and insightful exploration of how valuescivic, national, liberal, and illiberalare shaped, contested, and deployed in contemporary Slovak society. The volume combines impressive breadthfrom analyses of populist rhetoric to examinations of feminism, Roma exclusion, and civic culturewith scholarly rigour and deep familiarity with the subject. Collectively, these contributions provide a timely and richly contextualized understanding of Slovakia's evolving democratic landscape.James Krapfl, McGill University, Canada Like other countries in East Central Europe, the Slovak Republic is facing new challenges which were not on the horizon at the time the communist system collapsed and there are worries that this country, with the pro-Russian Prime Minister Robert Fico now at the helm, might be at risk of democratic backsliding. One of the key factors determining whether Slovakia will weather its current political difficulties or slide away from democracy is the strength of civic values such as tolerance, respect for the equality of people, and readiness to play by the rules of the political game. This book looks at the record of the Slovak Republic in the years since 1993, taking into consideration politics, values as reflected in public opinion surveys, gender inequality, and the values communicated in literature, religion, and film. In addition, the volume takes a look at ethnic minorities, focusing especially on Slovakia's Hungarian minority. Sabrina P. Ramet is a Professor Emerita in the Department of Sociology & Political Science at the Norwegian University of Science & Technology (NTNU), Norway. Vladimir Ðorevi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Security Studies, Faculty of Security Management, Police Academy of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic. Christine Marie Hassenstab is a retired attorney who has also worked as an Adviser in the EU Grants Office at the Norwegian University of Science & Technology (NTNU), in Trondheim, Norway. She earned her Ph.D. in Sociology at NTNU in 2010.

Inhalt

PART ONE VALUES & THE SYSTEM.- 1 . From the Enlightenment to the Universal Declaration to the EU Charter: Civic/Liberal Values and how they are reflected in Slovak law and practice (An Introduction) Sabrina P. Ramet.- 2. Values Jozef Zagrapan.- 3. Politics Elisabeth Bakke.- 4. Religion and Civic values in Slovakia Aliaksei Kazharski and Michaela Granayová.- PART TWO EDUCATION, MEDIA, & CULTURE Media L'ubomir Bajanik.- 6. History Textbooks Juraj Maruiak.- 7. Slovak literature Radoslav Passia .- PART THREE GENDER AND CIVIL SOCIETY.- 8. Tolerance & intolerance of sexual minorities.- 9. Feminism in Slovakia Sharon Wolchik .- 10. Slovakia's challenges with ethnic minorities and immigrants Karen Henderson.- 11. The Hungarian minority in Slovakia Tereza Juhászová.- 12. Civic Culture & Democratic Stability Conclusion: Vladimir Ðorevi.