At a research in the Biharkeresztes micro-region (conducted via semi-structured interviews) we
asked family households living in poverty. Roma households were mostly among the respondents.
We also found that that estimated number of Roma population in the settlements correlated to
the number of people working in public service. The examination of age structure diagrams at
the settlements showed that the ones the mayors estimated to have a higher Roma population,
are the younger settlements. The fact that there can be a causal relationship between these
phenomena is supported by numerous previous researches (Kemény, 2004; Molnár, 2007). These
researches pointed out the effect of poverty ethnicisation in Hungary (Ladányi – Szelényi, 2004).
Furthermore, a research conducted in 2007 at the neighbouring Szabocs-Szatmár-Bereg County
also confirmed the ethnicisation theory (Fónai et al.). The aim of this study is to examine the
possibility of poverty ethnicisation at the five settlements of the Biharkeresztes micro-region,
with the help of the implemented qualitative inquiry, previous researches, and databases from
CSO and TeIR .