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East or West? Finnish national identification in the light of historical narratives
33-57Views:140The 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 Social Ecology of Rural Schools: Family-Community-School Relationships in Cross-National Perspective
76-103Views:378Rural small schools are situated at the intersection of educational and social inequalities, where students’ learning outcomes and overall development are closely tied to the quality of relationships among families, schools, and local communities. Although extensive research has examined parental involvement and social capital, relatively few comparative studies have explored the social ecology of rural small schools-particularly the interrelations between family milieu, community embeddedness, and institutional autonomy. This study addresses this gap through a systematic review of empirical and theoretical research published between 2010 and 2024. The analysis draws on Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model, Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital, Coleman’s concept of social capital, and Epstein’s typology of parental involvement. Findings indicate that the family-community-school nexus exerts a multi-level and interactive influence on children’s cognitive, emotional, and social development-directly through family practices, indirectly via the quality of parent-school relationships, and structurally through local social capital and institutional resources. A cross-national comparison reveals that while rural schools are universally positioned within structures of educational disadvantage, variations in cultural norms, community organization, and policy frameworks crucially determine whether family and community resources mitigate or reinforce these inequalities. The study concludes that the success of rural small schools depends not on the quantity of resources but on the quality of relationships. Trust, reciprocity, and partnership within the family-school-community triangle are essential foundations of rural resilience. Policy interventions are most effective when they strengthen the community-based and family-centered functions of small schools, embedding parental involvement as an integral element of the learning process.
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Rural Small Schools’ Social Functions and Structural Dilemmas in Disadvantaged Areas
28-53Views:336This study examines the situation of small rural schools in disadvantaged areas, structured around five main research questions: (1) how small schools can be defined conceptually and what their key characteristics are, (2) what structural and operational challenges they face, (3) how they are related to educational inequalities, (4) what community roles and functions they fulfil, and (5) what social policy directions and preservation arguments can be identified. The analysis was based on a systematic literature review carried outin 2025. From 2847 initial records, 127 relevant publications (89 international and 38 Hungarian) were included and analysed through thematic synthesis, covering both national and international databases. The findings indicate that small rural schools are not merely educational institutions but also key nodes of social capital, cultural identity, and economic viability in rural societies. At the same time, in disadvantaged regions, compositional effects and segregation processes amplify the reproduction of disadvantage, leading to the “equity trap” dilemma, access alone does not guarantee genuine equality of opportunity. The study concludes that the survival of small rural schools requires targeted social policy interventions that balance the need for access with the assurance of educational quality.
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The situation of Roma education in Harghita county – attitudes of pedagogues
75-92Views:229The study presents the attitudes and behaviours of pedagogues, based on interviews with
teachers working with Roma children which constitute the quotidian educational practice. In
absence of institutional programs, infrastructural and personal conditions, the teachers need
to find solutions for the given difficulties. They become the key figures of the integration process
and hence their attitudes and approaches are determining from the point of view of Roma
children’s school efficiency. The target audience of the research are composed by pedagogues,
who teach in elementary schools in the Csiki Basin in Harghita county, where the rate of Roma
learners exceeds 25 percents. Signalling the main directions of the national policy and the
presentation of literature examining the Hungarian-Roma relationship in Szeklerland offer a
broader framework for the interpretation of the subject. -
The Situation of Adult Education in Seclerland: Summary of professional analyzes from the decades following the regime change
93-108Views:191The study uses previous analysis and research reports to review the evolution of adult education.
It presents the national and regional contexts, after that engages in the detailed presentation
of adult education – structures, conditions, practices and functioninig – in Harghita county.
One of the conclusions from the review of previous analysis and research reports is that the
basic practices of adult education evolved during the first two decades of transition are still
very dominant in today’s functioning of adult education. The possible current chances of adult
education are not yet exploited neither in regional policy planning nor in regional development
practice. There are further research and development tasks and opportunities in adult education. -
Help professionals in schools and in local communities, with a particular focus on mental health
161-185Views:210This study was conducted as part of a larger research project aimed at gaining a detailed understanding of rural elementary schools in disadvantaged areas and their environment to formulate recommendations for their development. This paper summarizes international and Hungarian literature that presents the work and methods of professionals working in small settlements, as well as programs targeting disadvantaged children and young people living there, with a particular focus on mental health and school inclusion. The target group belongs to the most vulnerable in society, as they have to face complex problems at a very early age. With this in mind, we have divided the study into two main sections. In the first part, we emphasize the power of community cooperation in and outside of school, presenting practices on both national and international level. In the second section, we present a specific problem that strongly affects the target group, namely alcoholism and substance abuse, and its impact on children’s lives and mental health. The main conclusion of the study is that if we want to improve their living conditions, school performance, and mental health, we need complex, multi-professional cooperation and intervention as early as possible.
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The EU states innovation and competitiveness clusters in 2013
22-36Views:209In the era of the innovation economy it is natural that innovation is one of the key definitions, because of its literature is excessively far-reaching: global, micro and macro level, in connection of
the business and non-business sector, it’s also defined in social context. The literary background
of this essay shows a historical overview of the development that occurred in the definition of
innovation and its different interpretations.
After exploring the literary background a quantitative, descriptive and explanatory statistic
analysis will be written in a monothetic and deductive approach. In this phase of my research
I will make macro level international comparative analyzes with the help of the EU and the
WEF (World Economic Forum) data base (Innovation Union Scoreboard, illetve Global Competitiveness Index), and the SPSS software. This essay’s goal is to determine whether there is a
connection between innovation processes and the forming of competitiveness on a macro level
and if there is how it can be interpreted. Later with a similar goal and methodology I would like
to make international micro level comparative analyzes and then by combining the macro and
micro level results, I will determine how the macro level innovation policy influences the micro
level innovativeness and competitiveness. Using all of these results I would like to determine the
special features of the national innovation policy and the chances for optimalization. -
The 2019 local elections in Szeged
52-66Views:222The 2019 local, municipal election outclasses the second-order elections in the given political constellation. This is especially true in the case of Szeged, where the opposition – unlike the situation at the national level – has the power for a long time. To change this situation, the governing parties, taking advantage of their dominant position – and using all means – conducted a very vigorous campaign, changing the city into a battlefield. According to the results, the governemt’s attempt was not successfull, it was rather contraproductive. The reigning mayor and city management won an unprecedented victory. The root cause of it is a special urban policy which extracted the local politics from the partyfights and overrode party interests, and which represented the interests of the city succesfully and with credibility even against cross-wind. Based on the cooperation of the entire opposition the implemented urban policy is symbolized by and embodied in the person of the mayor in office since 2002.
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Familyplanning and labour market aspirations among youth in fosterhome
87-109Views:254Several international and national organisations are concerned with the aspect of children. This
essay examines a special group of children and youth who live in fostercare. Their future aspects
are basically determined by the break away from their families. Even they area way from their
familiesf or a short or a long time, becoming an adult is a complex process and many factors
define their lives. Among these factors the environment of the fosterhome and the relationship
with the biological family is essential. The essay focuses on two fundamental dimensions of
becoming an adult: familyplanning and working. Although the desires about their future lives
are quite diverse, the implementation is similarly difficult for each of them. Those who haven’t got the supportive background are hadicapped in many dimensions. In these cases the
childprotection has a leading role. The essay attempt stogive an insight to these young adults’
futureplans while it highlights the dimensions of familyplanning and working. -
National Survey on the Membership of Hungarian Roma Colleges for Advanced Studies
113-117Views:122Biczó Gábor – Szabó Henriett (szerk.) (2020): A magyarországi roma szakkollégiumok tagságának országos vizsgálata.
Humán Regiszter 2020, Roma Szakkollégiumok Egyesület, Debrecen, 107 oldal -
Maintenance of minority languages and economic viability of minorities in the mirror of the Transcarpathian linguistic landscape
119-141Views:195The study examines the linguistic landscape of the territories of Transcarpathia (Ukraine) which
are mostly inhabited by Hungarians in the context of language and economy. It will be presented
how economically prestigious world languages, English and Russian are displayed in this region.
We show that economic realities suppress the nationalism of the minority int he linguistic landscape.
We note that the language policy in support of the language maintenance of the national
minority can not be successful if it is not related to the development of the economy. If we want to
improve the economic situation of the Hungarians of Transcarpathia in a multilingual environment,
the teaching of languages is one of the areas where it is necessary to invest. -
Labour law and insurance from patriarchy to the beginning of nationalisation
279-282Views:174If the reader picks up Zsombor Bódy's The Society of Industrial Labour, the title page will probably lead him to a long discussion of the new problems and tasks caused by industrialisation, and the structure and situation of social relations that it changed.
However, reading the first pages, we understand that Bódy, touching on the deeper social context, selects only a slice of the complex problems of industrial society of the time, the development and change of the institutional system related to work from the mid-19th century to the end of the Second World War. The author, who has extensively processed relevant volumes of international and national literature and numerous archival and printed sources, has synthesised his findings in this volume after several smaller studies. The work contains a number of new approaches and new problem definitions, which I would like to reflect on below. From the book we can learn about the views and plans of the time in relation to labour, the provisions that were born, from the patriarchal view to the beginning of the era of nationalisation. A great advantage of the work is that it analyses at length the prevailing social policy ideas of each period, contrasting the different views. It deals not only with governmental ideas, but also with the views of the opposition, the interest groups and, last but not least, the experts and their associations of the time. It examines the power of each organisation in each era and the influence it could exert on decision-makers, achieving different results, even against other groups. All of this is to the advantage of the essay, and the author perhaps sometimes over-details the battles between different views. -
The 2022 Italian election under the microscope
53-72Views:499The 2022 parliamentary elections marked a turning point for the Italian political system in many ways. As a result of the measures approved and introduced over the past almost ten years to change the electoral system (electoral reforms, decisions of the Constitutional Court, constitutional amendments, parliamentary reforms, etc.), Italian voters had the opportunity to elect the new members of both chambers of the parliament under the same electoral system, for the first time in the Republican era. The purpose of the article is to present the steps leading to this historic moment by analysing in detail the different measures affecting the electoral system and their impact. The paper then describes the electoral results and explains the processes leading to the vast victory of Italy’s first female Prime Minister, with a particular focus on the return to the bipolar logic favoured by the electoral system following the release of the three-pole system in 2013.
