ETHNIC IDENTITY AND LINGUISTIC PRACTICES OF ROMANIANS AND MOLDOVANS (ON THE EXAMPLE OF CHERNIVTSI OBLAST, UKRAINE)

includes Chernivtsi Oblast2, which borders Romania and the Republic of Moldova. According to the Census in 2001, this oblast is 75% Ukrainian, 12% Romanian and 7.3% Moldovan, and is also home to Russians, Poles, Jews and others3. Sociological research conducted in the Chernivtsi Oblast in the early 1990s, showed that members of ethnic minorities were willing to change their status. A part of them assumed Ukrainian nationality, being pressurized


PRELIMINARY FINDINGS
Contemporary nation-states have profound regional dissimilarities which are often related to their multi-ethnicity.Mutual penetration of cultures is characteristic also for Ukraine, where 22.2% of the population belongs to an ethnic minority 1 .Similar to the background of includes Chernivtsi Oblast 2 , which borders Romania and the Republic of Moldova.According to the Census in 2001, this oblast is 75% Ukrainian, 12% Romanian and 7.3% Moldovan, and is also home to Russians, Poles, Jews and others 3 .Sociological research conducted in the Chernivtsi Oblast in the early 1990s, showed that members of ethnic minorities were willing to change their status.A part of them assumed Ukrainian nationality, being pressurized fected the dynamic of ethnic relations in the Oblast.In 2000 regional media drew attention, 4 .Due to the dynamic of social interactions and its dependence on the context, the following research questions can be formulated: what role does language play in creating the ethnic identity of Romanians and Moldovans inhabiting Chernivtsi Oblast?And does mother tongue play only a communicative function for these groups, or does it constitute an essential element for both groups in developing ethnic identity?In other words, there is one language (Romanian), but two ethnic identities -Romanian and Moldovan.The analysis is based on qualitative data gathered from in-depth interviews, carried out among Romanians and Moldovans living in Chernivtsi Oblast (15 altogether, between the ages of 21-55).On the basis of everyday language practices three types of declared ethnic identity of Romanians and Moldovans have been established: one Romanian (based on the Romanian language) and two Moldovan (one based on the Moldovan language, the other on the Romanian language).

ETHNIC IDENTITY VERSUS LANGUAGE: A THEORETICAL INTRODUCTION
Putting aside the factor of ambiguity of the term "identity", its cultural social dimension becomes most important (Paleczny 2008: 20-22).In traditional societies identity was established were innate.The contemporary design of identity seems problematic.As a result, an individual out when he says that now everyone can choose whom one wants to be (Bauman 2004: 33).
In the subject literature, considerable attention is drawn to the structure of identity, as it Wojakowski 2002: 50-52; Paleczny 2008: 52-54).Accepting the latter option, which arises the fact that each ethnic group offers their own (antithetic) patterns and values while interact-1997: 84).Whereas self-determination of an individual takes place based on factors both impartial (language, religion, etc.) and subjective (that is, based only on self-determination Returning to the structure of identity, it is crucial to posit these questions: a) which social identities remain in relation with ethnic identity?b) of what type are these relations (supporting kowski 2002: 57).Taking into consideration that 91.9% of Romanians of Chernivtsi Oblast indicated Romanian as their mother tongue, and 91.6% of Moldovans indicated the Moldovan language5 ethnic identity or it exists as a self-dependent linguistic identity.
a frequently used term.The authors of "Sociology of language" emphasized that "only these that the use of linguistic repertoire forces the researcher to interpret language as a usual act of communication.It has to be noted that in ethnic and culturally heterogenic societies, a linguistic community very often does not limit itself to choosing one language (or it uses more than one language in everyday communication).If there is social space (Bourdieu 2009: 15), linguistic space may also exist.And if there are social practices, there are also linguistic practices present.In practice of everyday life in a multicultural society, individuals can use or Russian).They can also demonstrate their knowledge of other languages that they treat as foreign languages, which they acquire in the process of education.These languages are perceived as an important element of human capital.Whereas social contacts between people from different cultures, and also the interaction that they are entering, are the basis for shaping the ethnic borders (Barth 2004: 354-355).Speaking of linguistic practices, we should draw our attention to the mother tongue of ethnic minorities, which in the Ukrainian political realm exists as an important factor of national language policy.For instance, legislation of a new act regarding languages6 has already led to a certain succession in the researched region.For example, the administration of Tarasivtsi village in Novoselytsia Raion legislated a decision in September 2012 regarding "acknowledging the Romanian (Moldovan) language as regional in the territory of the village"7 .It must be indicated that at the beginning of the 1990s, the representatives of minorities in Chernivtsi Oblast emphasized the necessity of realization of the discussed language policy while the generations of the 1980s and later possess enough linguistic competence to communicate in the Ukrainian language, for the older group of Romanians and Moldovans the basic means of communication outside the ethnic community still remains the Russian language.
In densely populated areas, children from ethnic minorities often choose schools teaching in a non-Ukrainian language.When establishing the curriculum, a so-called optional part the individual preferences of students 8 .This means that there are problems with entrance exams to universities.The language division between Russian and Ukrainian becomes apparent during interviews with respondents.When a choice of language for communication is allowed, the generation of the 1980s and 90s, irrespective of the level of education, often chooses the Ukrainian language.Older interviewees choose Russian.
The linguistic criteria of Romanian and Moldavian languages are another important element of the analysis.Romanian can be divided into four main dialects: Daco-Romanian, Aromanian, Megleno-Romanian and Istro-Romanian.The Daco-Romanian dialect includes the whole of Romania, the Republic of Moldova, regions of Ukraine, Serbia, Bulgaria, Hungary and the absolute majority of the Romanian-speaking Diaspora (Lozovanu: 571).It means that the glossonym "Moldavian" should be understood as a local "name" of the Romanian language in the Republic of Moldova, the former Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic 9 .In the early 1990s in the independent Republic of Moldova, two nations were being created, one pro-Romanian and the other pro-Moldovan.It can be found not only in the attempts to10 , but also in promoting the idea of Great Romania, in returning to the Latin alphabet11 , and in adjusting linguistic standards to literary language12 .Based on linguistic criteria (structural differences, distinctions in social or national group membership, and differences in the value associated with them) Matthew Ciscel writes: "The Moldovan dialect of Romanian does have several structural features that mark it as potentially distinct from standard Romanian.Many common words with labial consonants in initial position in standard Romanian are pronounced with non-labial equivalents in the Moldovan dialect" (Ciscel 2005: 110).
group is highly crucial because of two functions of a language: communicational (to underlanguage and, simultaneously, "draws" the individual into the community (Szul 2009: 23).ethnic communities use the same or very similar languages -the recognition of a common name 8 main.cgi?nreg=651-14 [24.03.2009]. 9Soviet authority called the local language in Moldova as "Moldovan" and introduced Cyrillic.Soviet Union tried to change Romanian into Moldovans, persuading them that they are not only Moldovan in geographical sense, is a declaration of linguistic-ethnic communion, whereas, using different names -a demonstration of dissimilarity (Szul 2009: 49).
Examples of this include Moldovan and Romanian languages in the Republic of Moldova, Serbian and Croatian, and Catalonian and Valencian (Szul 2009: 42).Looking at those data from an ethnical perspective, we can see that ethnolect is an instrument of creation of "oneself" through language practice (frequency and width of the use of a native language) and linguistic identity (perception of the language as marker of cultural and ethnic differences).

ROMANIAN IDENTITY: IN OPPOSITION TO SLAVIC LANGUAGES
In the analysis of Romanians' narration it is notable that every respondent, without exception, declares their nationality, whatever the age, social background or place of living, without hesitation.Almost everybody has graduated from Romanian schools13 .Everyone uses the Romanian language in conversations with parents, family and friends, apart from the time when they are at work.Everyone comes from an ethnically Romanian area of the countryside in Northern Bukovina, even though, at the time of the interviews most of them had been living in Chernivtsi for a long time, or had moved to the city to continue their education.Aside their origins and nationality appeared when they began their studies.In their opinion, it was related to the need of a more intense usage of a Ukrainian language (Russian).At the same time, for some of them the discomfort in communicating became essential motivation for a more profound study of the Ukrainian or Russian languages (depending on the generation).Contact with other groups has made them ponder their own culture.
I felt Romanian when I was still at university, because I saw how many Ukrainians, Russians and Jews there were.Therefore, I began to respect my nationality more.Do you know why? Because, I started to differentiate them.I felt the difference between nationalities (Rm21).
I have learnt in a school with Russian as the language of instruction where the question of nationality was not present.I studied concurrently at a music school in Chernivtsi, therefore sometime in the second year my level of knowledge and use of Russian was good enough not to feel discomfort.I mastered the language almost immediately.I began to feel the discomfort later on, at university (Rm49).Another helpful factor in shaping the idea of one's own group in the "we" category is the feeling of kinship with the Moldovan ethnic group together with the coexistent emphasis on differences.First among them is the Moldovan writing based on Cyrillic (in recent years).
Union) on the Romanians or Moldovans, as well as the proper policy of Soviet authorities.Romanians themselves indicate that the Moldovan language is a Romanian dialect.Hence the declaration that Moldovans are an ethnic group of the Romanian nation, and thus they have the right to speak the dialect.Considering the discrepancies between Moldovans and Romanians, the Romanians sometimes disregard "simple" arguments, such as dialects and in culture and systems of values.
I think that Moldovans differ from Romanians only in the fact the Moldovans were under a stronger country, and afterwards it was divided.And so they, how to say it, talk in a dialect (Rk20).
However, such an attitude to Moldovans as a political nation goes against the grain.
To immediately answer a question about my attitude towards nationality, whether there are Moldovan and Romanian nationalities, looking at it from the point of view of an ethnic group who lives in Bukovina, I'll say -yes, there are.It is connected to self-determination of a person; every person has the right to think of himself in such a way.Is there a Moldovan nation in a political sense?Yes, because a Moldovan country exists.Are Romanians and Moldovans different ethnic groups?In in relation to historic and geographical development, starting from the nineteenth century (Rm49).
In analyzing people's statements another assumption comes to mind, one which requires stitute additional resources in the ancestral motherland.Nevertheless, the interviewees have uncertainty.First of all, it concerns language, only if the Romanian language in Romania itself seems to be slightly foreign, incomprehensible and too literary, for the interviewees.Second of all, the distance of interviewees from the motherland is noticeable.In their interpretation, it is often a foreign country, both unknown and uninteresting.
I have been to Romania.Although I think of my nationality as Romanian, it is a foreign country for me, therefore it was interesting.Everything there is in Romanian; here everything is in Ukrainian (Rk20).
A: Did you want to leave for Romania?R: What do you mean, forever, or to study?Yes, I'd like to see interesting places.But I couldn't rest only on that, I would like to visit many interesting places in the world.But I couldn't leave Ukraine permanently!I am a bit of a Ukrainian nationalist.I was born here.All my friends live here, and I commit my life to Ukraine (Rm21).
characterize the frequency and dynamics of relations between Romanians in Chernivtsi Oblast and their fellow-countrymen from Romania.

MOLDOVAN IDENTITY: TWO LANGUAGES, ONE NATION?
studying in a secondary school or at university.
Until I came to the city to study, I would mostly use Moldovan.I live on the border with Moldova, I am not a Romanian, I am Moldovan most of all.I learnt in a Moldovan school, all the subjects were in the Moldovan language.Before I started studies in the city, I went to a preparation course, for about 8 months, to not have the accent because my parents feared that I wouldn't pas, (Mf25).
All the subjects at school were taught in the Moldovan language.And even if you knew the subject Remembering what the Romanians said, in stories where the territorial-symbolic divisions basically did not exist in any meaningful sense (unless in relation to the need to have a passport to cross the EU border), it could be assumed that the Moldovans would not pay attention to territorial-symbolic divisions either.However, as the research shows, Moldovans often emphasize the importance of transborder contacts, and refer to historic events related to establishing the borderline between the USSR and Romania.More meaningfully, a frontier between Moldovan and Romanian culture occurs.It is especially noticeable among people originating from places that border with Moldova.A visible division appears in people's anof occupancy of the Oblast.
It is clearly visible in conversations, that in the Moldovans' interpretation, the borderline is transparent, and quite easy to cross.One has to remember that all one needs to travel from EU member), even for people of Romanian or Moldovan background.It means that it is much easier to maintain family relations and friendship in Moldova and through them develop language contacts.Not focusing on discrepancies between languages, the interviewees often simply establish the fact of difference between Romanian and Moldovan.Explaining why it is easier to understand the Moldovan language from Moldova, the interviewees frequently base their opinions on the norms of literary and unliterary language: nunciation is different.For example in Voloka, where there are Romanian nationalists, they are more polite.And here, in Ukraine everybody speaks as Moldovans do.And if you listen to how Romanians in Romania speak, it is beautiful and cultural.I could also speak that way, but I've already forgotten (Mm41).
For the older generation, an example of phonetic differences between Romanian and Moldovan languages is often seen on television.It appears that the language of television both of the local Chernivtsi television programs 14 (which use a standard Romanian literary language), and of those broadcast from Romania, sometimes bring about problems with understanding.The Moldovan television product is more oriented to the post-Soviet context.This is understandable, as Moldova, like other former Soviet republics, is still under post-Soviet Russian with pop music, as Russian pop dominates the radio air time.
Television has to be watched constantly to understand it.When the speaker speaks Romanian on television -it is understandable.He has wonderful diction.And when you can hear the local language, when the non-presenter appears, not everything can be understood, a different accent.And when you watch other programs, not the news, it isn't entirely understandable...And the local Romanian television is not of good quality.There are more interesting programs (Mm55).
In light of the described situation, it has to be emphasized that not all Moldovans described the Moldovan language as their own mother tongue, at times declaring the Romanian language instead.They hesitated in determining their nationality (Romanian or Moldovan) simultaneously.Dualism occurs also through the prism of changes in standards of writing (Latin/Cyrillic).
A: Are there mixed Moldovan-Romanian families in your village?R: Yes, there are.A: What language of communication do they choose?R: Well, only Romanian language.A: That language, is it Romanian or Moldovan?R: Now, it's Romanian.There is no Moldovan now.Then, it used to be Moldovan, but written with Russian letters.And now everything is in Latin (Mk38).
In the above-mentioned context two interesting examples are given.Both interviewees originate from mixed families: they are half Moldovan (maternally) and half Ukrainian having moved to the city where her parents had lived, and who used Russian when speaking to each other, went to a Russian school.Declaring her Moldovan nationality, she admits school, calls herself Ukrainian.
A: What is your nationality?R: I am Moldovan, but to be more precise we should say I am Romanian.When they ask, it all depends on, how to say it...For instance, many people ask: who should 14 prised of Romanian-speaking programs.Information about Romanian-speaking programs is available through I be to be prestigious, Russian or Ukrainian?And Moldovans, they are, in a way, backward, stupid, something like that.I don't know what to say.They have never been regarded as a nation.And Romanians, they are in the EU now.Romania has always been better educated, and it was more prestigious for us Moldovans to speak their language (Mk33).
Using two names to determine a mother tongue can be treated as a classic manifestation of situational linguistic self-determination, as long as external conditions require a certain adjustment.

CONCLUSIONS
Approaching the analysis of problems connected to ethnic identity of Romanians and Moldovans in Chernivtsi Oblast, I assumed that this identity can be based on language (although not always).There are plenty of examples which either support or deny this dependence -from Germans for whom the German language is without a doubt the basis of their ethnic identity, to the Irish, for most of whom the Irish language has a symbolic meaning rather than communicational.Therefore one can clearly state that Romanians without hesitaperceive themselves as Romanians.
One should look for quite believable reasons for dichotomy in the processes related to the politics of the three countries, both in terms of the mother tongue, as well as the Ukrainian or Russian languages.So, it can be assumed that among Romanians, their mother tongue (Romanian) plays two roles simultaneously: communicational, on the level of intercommunication within their ethnic community, and symbolic, which begins at the moment of joining the Slavic linguistic space, because at this point a separation into "we" (Romanians the emotional recognition of the borderline plays an important role, which separates Romanians in Chernivtsi Oblast from their historical motherland.We can observe that national identity arises, revealing itself not only in the awareness of an emotional bond with the local community, but also through a reluctant attitude towards changing one's nationality and leaving massive issuing of Romanian passports to Ukrainian Romanians is not a result of a change in the border, most often due to economic reasons, and granting the possibility to travel around tongue is also noticeable, because the difference in linguistic standards is a stress factor while communicating with countrymen from Romania. One has to remember that politicization of ethnic processes not only in the region, but throughout Ukraine, as well as behaviour of Romanians towards Romanians remaining outside the borders of the country leads to strengthening the ethnic identity of Ukrainian Romanians.In conversations it can be seen in the emphasis of proximity of Moldovans and Romanians.If Romania, being a member of the EU (which is perceived in Ukrainian public opinion as an unequivocal success and a defeat for Ukraine) continues to show a positive dynamic of changes, this development will strengthen the position of Romania in the "ranking" of ethnic minorities in Northern Bukovina.In connection with realizing the necessity to deepen one's own competence in relation to the national language, it will be the preliminary condition for achieving success and increasing the social status of individuals and groups as a whole.That means the need to change the point of view and modify the strategy of behavior among the Ukrainian social-cultural majority.
It also has to be emphasized that some of the above-mentioned assumptions also concern Moldova, especially when it comes to the role of interethnic relations and the meaning of the Ukrainian language (in the conditions of earlier linguistic "isolation") in shaping their own ethnic identity.It also concerns the phenomenon of using different names to indicate the mother one's own dissimilarity (Szul 2009: 42), which seems to be a frequent phenomenon among some European nations.It also correlates with the results of research conducted in Moldova, which shows ideological "instability" and a division towards identity inside the Moldovan some Moldovans is still noticeable to the present day.Its causes can be found in the situation of Moldova itself, and the sources of information for inhabitants of Ukraine are, most of all, the television, family relationships, friendships, and also relationships of an economic nature.Moldova, being a post-Soviet country, is often associated with a type of a country whose development is not much different from Ukraine's, or is even lesser (Moldova ranks as one of the countries with the lowest GDPs in Europe).Thus, for residents of Chernivtsi Oblast, its attractiveness as a potential labor market and destination for emigrants is very low.The range and scope of the frustration phenomenon is hard to determine, and requires further research.But if Moldova develops economically, in the medium-term perspective, the ethnic and linguistic frustrations will be leveled.BIBLIOGRAPHY Barth, Fryderyk. 2004

I
am Romanian, I am a representative of a Romanian-speaking community, but knowing I live in are facing, when you don't know what oxygen means, what hydrogen means [in Ukrainian].You understand, I tell them, it's a problem.Girls from Bahrynivka who want to take the Matura exam in history at school come to me.I speak to them, but they don't understand me (Rk36).The story of one person from a Romanian village, born in 1937, is slightly different from the others.Being a Romanian, he went to a Moldovan school in 1945.It was the time when the policy of "Moldovazation" of the Romanian population in the region started, which does In my childhood I never heard Ukrainian and Russian in my village.I went to university if they accepted Moldovan groups and they admitted them without exams, unlike in Ukraine, where it Natalya and Sergiy Gerasymchuk (eds).2008., Kiev: Strategic and Security Studies Group & Pylyp Orlyk Institute for De mocracy.