Hungarian Studies Newsletter, 1974 (2. évfolyam, 3-5. szám)
1974 / 4. szám
8 NO. 4, 1974, HUNGARIAN STUDIES NEWSLETTER RESEARCH IN PROGRESS The International Studies Newsleter of the International Studies Association reports in its Winter 1973 number on "The status of the international comparative political parties project” directed by Kenneth Janda, Prof, of Political Science at Northwestern U. The NSF-supported project, which includes Hungary, is essentially an empirically-based analysis of political parties across the world. 155 political parties operating in 52 countries roughly between 1950 and 1962, are being investigated. The parties have been coded on approximately 190 separate variables mainly pertaining to party theory. The data collection phase has ended and the data will soon be made available through the Inter-University Consortium for Political Research. The full data set will be published by The Free Press some time in 1974 under the tentative title Comparative Political Parties: A Cross-National Handbook. In late 1974 The Free Press will begin publishing a series of four volumes on the analysis of the data. Dr. Enikő Molnár Basa, Professorial Lecturer in Literature at the American University, Washington, D.C. has signed a contract with Twayne’s World Authors series for a criticalanalytical study of Sándor Petőfi. The manuscript should be completed by March 1975, with publication following within the year. She is also completing work on a study of The Tragedy of-Man by Imre Madách, in which the Tragedy is studied as an example of the poeme d’humanite: both influences and similarities with Western European poems are considered. DISSERTATIONS (Continued from page 6) analytically valuable ensuing rounds of restriction and liberalization of abortion availability, combine to provide a degree of experimental control not usually possible in the aggregate analysis of human behavior. Detailed analysis is made of these policy changes, demonstrating the close abortion-fertility linkage in each historical case. Differences between countries in the fertility implications of abortion reform are systematically related to factors such as the actual operational practices of the abortion systems, the structural characteristics and prior demographic history of these populations, especially the degree of success in controlling marital fertility. The experience of each of these three countries was found to be very similar in the postreform period, except for the small absolute magnitude of the fertility decline in Bulgaria. While its effect is necessarily conditioned by the preexisting demographic circumstances of the population in question, it is clear that easily available induced abortion has large demographic implications. The fertility effects of abortion reform are conditioned by the extent of unwanted births and the pre-existing level of contraceptive expertise among the population. Editor’s note: Those interested in the subject may want to consult “Induced Abortion: A Factbook." No. 14 (December 1973) of the Reports on Population/Family Planning, a publication of the Population Council. It gives an overview of current international data on induced abortion, primarily from the demographic and health point of view. Data are discussed in the context of country policies toward abortion. Hungary, of course, is included. For free copy write to Population Council, 245 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Also: According to the Abortion Research Notes Vol. 3, No. 1 of the International Reference Center for Abortion Research (8555- 16th Street, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910) “By the decision of the Council of Ministers (No. 1040) effective January 1974, abortion in Hungary became more difficult to obtain for married women under age 40 residing with their husbands in adequate flats and having fewer than two living children. However, abortion commissions will continue to give consideration to all applicants whose request ‘is seriously motivated by social reasons’ and presented within a given time limit; the Decision also states that ‘non-desired pregnancies should be prevented rather than interrupted’ and that marriage licenses will be issued only on presentation of written certification of compulsory consultation on family planning with a physician; published in Magyar Közlöny, October 18, 1973, No. 71. 744-778.” VISITING SCIENTISTS Two Hungarian scientists are engaged in a year-long research project at the National Cancer I nstitute at Bethesda, Maryland: Dr. Pa'l Venetia'ner, a biochemist who has done research here twice before, and his wife Dr. Anikó' Venetiáner, a geneticist. Both husband and wife come from the newly opened Biological Research Center of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences at Szeged, and are carrying out their research in the framework of the National Institutes of Health Visiting Scientists Program of the U S. Government. HUNGARIAN RESEARCH CENTER AMERICAN HUNGARIAN STUDIES FOUNDATION P.O. Box 1084, New Brunswick, N.J. 08903 Address Correction Requested Non-Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 257
