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Causes of the educational and labour market overrepresentation of women among NEET youth – Trends in Hungary’s Northern Great Plain region
32-51Views:244In the member states of the European Union, the gender distribution of the NEET generation (young people aged 15–24 or 15–29 who are not in education, employment, or training) does not follow a uniform pattern. While in Western countries men tend to be overrepresented in this group, in Eastern European member states, including Hungary, women are affected disproportionally. In this study, beyond a review of the relevant literature, we also present the results of our qualitative research from 2024 carried out in Hungary’s Northern Great Plain region (Hajdú-Bihar, Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg, and Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok counties). In this research, we examined the forms of gender inequality among NEET youth in terms of education and the labour market. Our key finding is that although men have, on average, lower levels of educational attainment and a higher rate of early school leaving than women, their long-term labour market prospects are more favourable. This is due to their greater geographic and occupational mobility, broader employment opportunities, and smaller burden of family responsibilities.
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Family plans and career plans among higher education students in the field of social sciences based on a pilot study in Eastern Hungary
71-93Views:323Our paper explores the family and career plans of social sciences students at Hungary’s second largest university based on a questionnaire-based pilot study. Nowadays, careers include more than the traditional vertical promotion within an organisation, as seen from the emergence of the self-directed “protean” career type, which prompts organisations to adapt to individuals’ values, attitudes, and own career definitions. In addition, the Kaleidoscope Career Model sets out that individuals adapt their career goals to their life stages. Thus, students’ career and family plans matter to prospective employers. Our results show that a modern self-directed career type has emerged among students, for whom it is a priority to meet their own expectations. In several cases, starting a family is preceded by career goals. Furthermore, despite the “feminine” nature of social sciences, our pilot study shows that male students in the field still tend to conform to traditional gender roles regarding the importance of family and career. Our research implies that prospective employers need to adapt their HR strategies to young people’s family and career plans. Moreover, organisations should support students in gaining relevant work experience and in achieving their subsequent career plans.
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East or West? Finnish national identification in the light of historical narratives
33-57Views:99The study presents the main milestones in the formation of Finnish national and state identity, the process of building the Finnish nation state, based on the regional archetypes of historian Jenő Szűcs and researcher Antonsich. The analysis of the literature presents four main identity narratives of Finland. These narratives do not follow each other chronologically, but are time-to-time reinforced at different historical periods and turning points. These narratives include: „Finland has always been part of the Western world,” „Neither East nor West,” „Finland as a bridge between East and West,” „Finland as a northern country.” During the study the influence of Eastern and Western European historical developments on Finland’s historical self-identification, described by Szűcs, is highlighted, which includes both Eastern, Byzantine (Russian Empire) and Western (Swedish Empire) elements and symbols. In various approaches, we view identity conveyed by the state as a construct that was created under the influence of the ruling elites of the time, but for the purpose of forming and strengthening national identity. These elites mainly used folk motifs and social identities that have strengthened the sense of belonging to the nation among the predominantly agrarian population of Finland. After all, the national identity expressed by citizens and the identity narrative conveyed by the state can influencing each other resulting in a stronger sense of identity and identification. In the case of Finland, the most significant events influencing the formation of national identity include the wave of Russification that began at the end of the 19th century and the policy of Finnish neutrality that developed during the Cold War. The former led directly to the creation of the Finnish nation state, while the latter represented a kind of forced return to Eastern identity, reinforcing the narrative of Finland as a bridge between East and West, which is also often emphasized in the case of Hungary. Today, Finland’s identification with the West is clearly pronounced, but nationalist, populist ruling parties, primarily the Finns Party, are promoting narratives that once again bring the „neither West nor East” approach to the fore. In addition, the national populists emphasize Finland’s marginality and separateness, which is manifested in the emphasis on efforts to break away from the European Union.
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The Career-building effect of volunteering in higher education
146-160Views:501Nowadays the motives for volunteering are changing among higher education students, and
besides traditional altruistic motives, career-building motives also appear (the acquisition
of work experience and professional knowledge, professional development, networking,
the presentation of voluntary work in the resume). In this paper, we use data from a survey
conducted in five Central and Eastern European countries (N=2,199) to examine through linear
regression analysis the factors affecting the strength of career-building motives and to analyse
through a logistic regression model the determinants of whether or not volunteering is related to the field of study. Our hypotheses are formulated based on the literature. Our results show
that career-building motives are more pronounced among women and students who have a
close relationship with external friends outside the university, study outside Hungary, and study
something other than engineering, computer science or science. Voluntary work is more likely to
be related to the field of study among teacher education students, students with an unfavourable
financial situation, those who study in Romania, and those who have a close relationship with
faculty. -
Where is the truth? – Greek catholic high school youth’s justice values
105-123Views:239The purpose of our study is to present what young people think about justice, and how they
are different from the youth and society of the country. The functioning of a society requires
that fair conditions prevail in it. However, there are several types of justice. What young people,
as adults of the future, think about this value is essential for the functioning of a society. We
present philosophical interpretations and value sociological research on justice, then we define
the concept of justice for Hungarian society and Hungarian youth. In our research we asked all
eleventh and twelfth students of a Greek Catholic high school in Eastern Hungary in 2014 and
2019. Quantitative method was used to compare students’ views on justice with the other young
people in the country. According to our results during the five years of research, equality was
more important for young people, especially for the boys. The importance of the value of equality
was clearly related to the religiosity of the asked young people. -
Challenges in rural Hungary in the post-pandemic period: Perception of problems in „emerging settlements” of Sellye district
5-31Views:392The social problems of marginalised rural areas have intensified and transformed in recent years, particularly in the context of pandemic and economic crisis. In the countries of the Central and Eastern European region integration of marginalized areas is a major challenge. Unlike in the West, segregation and ghettoisation are problems of small rural settlements far from prosperous centres. In Hungarian countryside, the life of small villages, which are located far from economic centres and lack institutions, continues to be characterised by negative migration trends. In this article, we present the situation of seven small villages in southern Baranya, which are covered by the programme to help the 300 most disadvantageous Hungarian settlements to integration, in the light of the perception of problems of the population living there. Our survey aimed to explore the difficulties related to the pandemic and everyday life at local level. The assessment of subjective perceptions provided an opportunity to structure the disadvantaged rural population from a specific perspective and to analyse the problems of the characteristics of each group.
