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Community resilience and social support relationships – An analytical approach and research results based on long-term series analysis of communities affected by the red sludge disaster
6-31Views:67vOne of the most serious consequences of disasters is the disruption or even the loss of social
support relationships. Hence, this paper analyses the social support relationships in the
framework of community resilience based on face-to-face interviews with direct (180 people)
and indirect (180 people) victims of the red sludge disaster, using data for 2013 and 2020.
(Hungary, Devecser district).
The focus was analysed according to four types of social support relationship: reciprocal,
donor to recipient and incomplete/disintegrated. At the time of the disaster, we identified a high
level of support activity and a strong reciprocal-donor type of aid model. In contrast, in 2013, we
found an incomplete/disintegrated - reciprocal model with low support activity, and in 2020, a
reciprocal- incomplete/disintegrated model with medium activity.
Based on a detailed statistical analysis of different social support types among the red
sludge disaster’s victims the paper explores and presents the social support activities and
their various patterns with respect to their roles in the resilience of communities. The different
patterns of social supports relationships that emerged in each period examined varied widely,
though – with different intensity – they were primarily influenced by the fact how people were
affected by disaster’s damages (directly and indirectly). Nevertheless, by 2020, other factors,
such as residence, age, and economic activity had already an equally strong impact on different
types of social support relationships as the affectedness by the disaster of 2010. We found that
communities responded to the red sludge disaster in 2010 and to the Covid-19 epidemic in 2020
in a reactive way by activating their social support relationship. -
Two sides of one coin: Social network of commuter and their families
54-71Views:69People around a person have important roles of the social integration and form of quality of life.
Changes in the life circumstances like getting a job or changes of the workplaces have significant
effect to egocentric social network. In a new workplace usually shape new relationships. Then
again, it is also possible that besides increasing of number of new contacts, there will be those,
which are drop out from the personal network. Paper shows the rearrange of the personal
social network of people who works as a commuter and theirs partnerships. Commuter is a
person who works far from his/her home and he/she goes home weekly or rarely. This topic was
examined making interviews in 2019 (N=24). On the one hand, these interviews revealed a wide
and confidant family and kin networks. On the other hand, it seems that, due to the workplaces
and the common activities at the workplaces and other places (accommodation, shopping etc.), commuter can make new, long-term and confidant friendships which complete his/her family
relationships and make their social capital stronger. -
In the thick of relationships? Personal and distance relationships with relatives and friends in Hungary in 2015
65-101Views:75The study presents the structure and intensity of the relationships of the Hungarian population over 16 years of age through a descriptive analysis of four variables measuring the frequency of personal and distance contact with relatives and friends from the EU-SILC 2015 survey. According to the data, the relationship structure is on average balanced, half of the relationships are related to relatives or friends, and the relative proportions of personal and long-distance relationships are similar. According to our results, in addition to age, the financial situation of the household has a significant correlation with the characteristics of the relationship structure. One of the lessons of multivariate regression models is that the effect of other background variables on the relationship structure intensifies in parallel with aging, leading to a deepening of relationship inequalities among the elderly. Another lesson of the models is that the inclusion of household characteristics (financial situation, number of household members, material transfer relationship with other households) has a significant effect on the mechanism of individual background variables, thus confirming that a deeper study of relationship intensity and relationship structure within the household is essential. At the end of our analysis, we compiled clusters based on the intensity of relationships, the direction of relationships, and the channel of contacting, with a relative majority of more than one-third of the respondents with extremely weak relationship embeddedness.
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Interpersonal relationships in Hungary – an overview
72-93.Views:59Our paper aims to demonstrate that social structure has significant impact on the formation of
interpersonal relations. We review and analyse the characteristics of ego-centric interpersonal
networks of Hungarians based on data from nationally representative adult population surveys
between the mid-1980’s up to 2015. We focus especially on core discussion networks, friendship
ties and weak ties and analyse how the transition to market economy influenced interpersonal
relationships. As expected, the large-scale social changes brought about by the transition
changed interpersonal networks as well. During the first decade of the transition (in the 1990’s)
one could not witness a significant change of personal networks, nonetheless the adaptation
process was easier for people supported by strong, traditional family ties. Non-kin ties, especially
friendships seem to gain significance at the expense of kin relationships. Overall, resources
available through weak ties seem to be decreasing. -
The characteristics of social contact intensity, contact frequency and contact structure in Hungary in 2006 and 2015
102-138Views:58The study aims at comparing the Hungarian results of the questions on the frequency of personal and distance contact with relatives and friends in the 2006 and 2015 ad hoc modules of EU-SILC. According to our results, in line with the findings of previous Hungarian research, compared to 2006, there were fewer contacts in Hungary in 2015. Relations with friends, especially those held in person, were less exposed to weakening compared to relations with relatives. Among the different social groups, the already disadvantaged were typically negatively affected by either the change in intensity or the structure of relationships. However, the situation of the elderly and the inhabitants of deprived households deteriorated in all three dimensions examined: their relations weakened more strongly, and those related to relatives and personal ones further narrowed by 2015. This result indicates that the social disintegration of these groups has accelerated particularly between the two years, which poses a serious social policy challenge.
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Family perspectives for young people growing up in child protection care
67-87Views:88The study examines the factors of family perspectives among vulnerable youths – children and youth living in alternative care – with qualitative method. The target group is children who live in the Hungarian child protection system as juveniles. Children and young people experiencing different family substitute arenas may result in various family perspectives. These family perspectives are examined within a theoretical framework of family sociology and human ecology.We used a complex approach to describe the experiences and changes of these structural and family-replacer dimensions together with their impacts on the family perspective. We have found that the family perspectives of the young people are diverse and their narratives about their visions of the future are often linked to dominant family and life events previously experienced in family milieus and forms of care. At the same time, the complexity of life events and the diversity of future plans are not necessarily reflected in the institutional background and the professional-young relationships that could support young people’s autonomy. Based on the interviews, the family and community levels of the human ecology model can also be a significant factor in young people’s family perspectives, so cooperation between family and community, institutional actors can be one of the keys to providing adequate support for young people. In order to realize future plans for family perspectives, professionals need to focus more on individual needs and the diversity and variability of family perspectives.
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Social contacts and spending of leisure time of the elderly
86-104Views:220The phenomenon of the aging of societies is now well-known, demonstrating its demographic, economic and social impact in many countries around the world. The increase in average life expectancy at birth and the low number of children have naturally triggered the emergence of declining, aging societies. All this has led to a number of tasks for policy makers, domestic and international organizations, primarily to promote active, healthy aging. This article describes some of the results of an empirical study of 167 people conducted jointly with St. Luke’s Greek Catholic Charity in the winter of 2019 in order to assess the situation and needs of the elderly. This article presents the results of our study, which focuses on community activities, leisure, and social relationships. During our analytical work, we found that those living in residential care homes are more open to community-based activities to maintain physical and mental activity.
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Limits of the relationships in the roma communities living on the margins of society in Budapest
97-120.Views:47In this essay, I aim to summarize the main characteristics of the relationship structure of
poor Roma families in Budapest. The generational changes in the relationship structure are
illustrated by interviews and a short review of the relevant literature. In my research, I try to
find the answer to the question, whetherthe examined segregated streets and apartment blocks
– individually or collectively – can be called a community. And also if these segregated areas
have a describable connection limit, if we can describe them in a geographical or social sense,
or ifthese relationship have ethnical boundaries. I recorded my semi-structured interviews in
the 8th and 9th district of Budapest in 2017. I interviewed twenty people from ages of sixteen to
fifty-five. All parts of the interviews are accompanied by the related analytical and explanatory
notes. -
Peer-group ties and a prison sentence: a chance to enhance successful re-entry
52-82Views:68Interpersonal relationships of prisoners are of key importance from the aspect of their reintegration. We focus our attention on non-kin, primarily friendship ties on a sample of young Hungarian males convicted for the first time, for a relatively short period of up to 3 years. In our longitudinal qualitative research, 80 offenders from eight penal institutions were interviewed while serving their sentence and 31 of them could also be reached 6 months after they left the prison. We analyse what significance prisoners attribute to their friendship ties, how these change during the prison sentence, which factors influence their sustainment or dissolution, weakening or strengthening.
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Territorial integration and development policy. : The case of Vértes Nature Park
41-63.Views:50The paper seeks to understand the influences of development policy initiatives on territorial in-tegration. Through the analysis of Vértes Nature Park case study we aimed at exploring whether the territorial relationships of the stakeholders can be restructured by spatially based develop-ment. The aim of the paper is to present the mechanisms of territorial integration by a case study analysis of rural territorial development.Our findings show that the participation and involvement of stakeholders in rural develop-ment are determined by their role and status in the initiative, thus the initiator actors are the more active ones. The territorial relationships of stakeholders are increased and strengthened by the level of involvement in the activities of Vértes Nature Park. Nevertheless, the territorial closeness also affects the stakeholders’ involvement. Csákvár and its surroundings have central position in this territorial relationship. The acceptance of the principals of the initiatives is also affected by the territorial closeness and it limits the contested development initiatives.
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Themes of medical profession and professional socialization in medical sociology textbooks
79-97Views:65Introduction: The present study examines the information on the medical profession and how the changes occurring in the medical practice, the social role and the evaluation of the physician are reflected in the English and Hungarian language medical sociology textbooks used in Hungary. Method: We analyzed chapters of Hungarian language medical sociology textbooks of the
last 25 years that discuss medical profession and student choices, and textbooks used in English language courses of Semmelweis University. Results: The corpus of the Hungarian textbooks (history of medical profession, medical role models, models of doctor-patient relationships, medical socialization) stayed relatively unchanged. While preserving the myth of the medical profession, there are criticisms towards the role and relationship models. The theme of the medical education gradually disappears from the
English language textbooks. The social positions of the medical profession and health care are discussed in a broader context, focusing on the health care system and health care provision, incorporating the allied professions, and taking aspects of patients/consumers into greater consideration. Summary: Both textbook types reflect on the changes in the social position of the medical profession. However, the English literature approaches the modernization processes from the angles of the health care system and health care provision, resulting in the diminishing importance of the topic of medical profession while the Hungarian literature focuses on the profession and professional education of physicians. -
The place and role of field studies in teaching medical sociology
44-55Views:70Introduction: The goals of the subject of Medical sociology are to familiarize and explain the relationships between social environment and health. The theoretical and practical elements of the medical sociology education and the field studies that form a part of practical work serve these goals. During filed studies, we build on the previous knowledge and experience of the
students. Method: The themes of the field studies change from semester to semester. From the series of studies we picked three themes that were connected to and built on each other. We present the role of field studies through their description and the explanation of our experiences. Results: Field studies add empirical skills and experience to the knowledge acquired during the
theoretical and practical training of medical sociology. The field study assignments also serve to strengthen the effects of the “hidden curriculum”, the process of the indirect professional socialization at the medical school. Furthermore, the new knowledge and skills give the students a better understanding of the scientific literature helping them in the interpretation of statistical
and methodological aspects of biomedical results and concepts. Conclusion: Our experiences show that field studies are an efficient teaching method. Its most important outcome is sensitizing medical students towards health related social problems and helping them to understand and handle such problems. -
Studying further in higher education as a human capital investment
134-144Views:105In our paper, we examine the motives of further studies in higher education among higher education students, as well as how socio-demographic variables modify these motives. Our research method is quantitative. We used a research database gathered in the historical Partium region in 2014 (N = 1792). The theoretical backgrounds of our research are the human capital theory and Bourdieu’s capital conversion model. Based on ten motives of further studies, we made a cluster analysis and examined the relationships of these clusters and the socio-demographic background variables. Our finding is that the most important motive of further studies among students was expanding knowledge. Therefore, the motive of getting higher wages in the future, which is the central aspect in the human capital model, proved to be of minor importance. Based on the capital conversion theory students wanted to gain cultural and social capital when they decided to study further, as both can be profitable for them in the future. However, while the motives of further studies were affected by the social background of students, contrary to our hypothesis, financial motives were not more important for those students coming from disadvantage backgrounds than for other students
