Impact of language ideologies on educational choices in intermarriages

Abstract

This paper explores how parents in intermarriages choose between the majority language (Serbian) and the minority language (Hungarian) as their children’s instruction medium in Vojvodina, the northern province of Serbia. Adopting language ideologies as a theoretical framework, the study sheds light on (systems of) cultural ideas concerning social and linguistic relations, encompassing family and societal contexts. Qualitative research involving interviews was conducted with spouses/partners of individuals from the Hungarian national minority who are in a marriage/partnership with members of the majority community in Vojvodina. The analysis reveals that the choice of education in the majority language is influenced by both objective factors (such as the absence of minority language schooling in the parents’ locality) and subjective considerations, which are connected to adopting various language ideologies supported by gender differences. The study highlights the crucial societal function of intermarriage, as family decisions significantly shape the identity and ethnic affiliation of children born into these unions. The choice of the language of instruction for their education plays a significant role in this process, with opting for the majority language accelerating acculturation and assimilation compared to choosing the minority language and maintaining the minority community.