Minority
Minorities are a hot topic! At the beginning of the 21st century, this is increasingly evident because migration phenomena and the diversity debate within Europe result in ever more people facing issues of identity and belonging. In short, the term „minority“ is a complex one and thus elusive. Alongside the frequently used terms „minority“ and „ethnic group“ there is a plethora of adjectives such as old and new, traditional, historic, national or linguistic minority or ethnic group, or autochthon and allochthonous minority, which can sometimes be used synonymously.
Religion
Religious or sectarian minorities originate from a group’s refusal to assimilate to the traditional and, most often, well established religious majority. Migration plays an important role in the history of religious minorities because religious minorities have often been discriminated against or persecuted and have had to flee or emigrate. Freedom of religion might be one of the basic human rights, but, alas, the daily news is filled with stories on religious conflicts and their serious consequences.
Language
Occitan in Calabria, Limburgish in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, or Finnish in Sweden. The European Union’s apparatus even features an office for minority and regional languages, alongside the language offices for every one of the official languages. In Europe, about 46 million people speak less common languages. Origin, vocabulary and syntax of these various minority languages are not only exciting research subjects for linguists, but also form an important body of knowledge for the whole of mankind.
