Structură socială și etnicitate Social structure and ethnicity Section Miscelanea

Abstract

The paper attempts a theoretical and empirical analysis of the relationship between ethnic affiliation, social stratification and ethnic attitudes in Central and Eastern Europe, and in Romania in particular. In the first part of the paper I examine the main theoretical constructs involved in explaining the relationship between stratification and ethnic affiliation, ethnic stratification and class stratification, and the role of market mechanisms in the dynamics of social and ethnic stratification. In order to validate the proposed hypotheses 1 use data regarding former communist countries in Central and Eastern Europe For the Romanian case I employ a multilevel analysis by using regional, community and individual level data.

The analysis of empirical data at the national level suggests that a homogenous ethnic composition of a country determines a global orientation of the population towards a less tolerant ethnic attitude. A homogenous ethnic composition at the level of historical regions in the case of Romania is also a favorable environment for ethnic intolerance. Ethnic intolerance tends to be higher in the lower social strata. The relationship between one`s social position in the stratification space and one's attitude of ethic intolerance is not a linear one. Regions, types of local and residential communities, and also human and material capital variables emerge as being relevant predictors of ethnic intolerance.