Cultural representations of minorities in hungarian textbooks

Abstract

This article reports research analyzing cultural representations of minorities in Hungarian elementary school textbooks currently used throughout the country. A convenient sample representing more than 75% of first and fourth grade reading books was collected from three academic and public libraries in Hungary. Using content analysis techniques, images and stories from first and fourth grade spelling, reading and literature books were analysed for the presence of ethnic or national minorities or cultural ‘others.’ Findings demonstrate that minorities receive almost no attention within Hungarian school textbooks, and when they are represented, it occurs in narrowly defined or stereotypical ways. We focus attention on the portrayal of Roma in the sample and compare our findings with published data indicating that Roma are the victims of prejudice and discrimination in everyday life. We argue that school textbooks be viewed as cultural objects that affect relations between the majority and minorities, rather than merely as a by-product of pre-existing social relations. © 2005 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.