Hungarian Studies Newsletter, 1979 (7. évfolyam, 19-22. szám)

1979 / 21. szám

same degree as the "colonial" powers (mainly because the latter refused to risk capital investment in the periphery), a cultural division of labor developed as expressed in a reinforced trend toward separate cultural identity. The concept of cultural division of labor assumes a system of stratification in which cultural distinctions are superimposed on class lines. The authortries to apply this theory to Austria- Hungary-Transylvania. She contends that the relationship between Austria and Hungary has frequently been that of colonizer-colony, but also states that Hechter’s theory does not perfectly fit the Austro-Hungarian scene. At times the colonizer provokes “false” ethnic consciousness in pursuit of his political objectives, i.e. to facilitate manipulating people in the Metternichian sense. Verdery’s concern is as much with the applicability and shortcomings of Hechter’s theory as it is with finding how “objective difference” between ethnic groups in Austria-Hungary have been defined. In conclusion, she says “Instead of positing a superimposition of objective culture differences on economic inequalities, I would ask about the ideological idioms in which inequalities of all sorts are phrased, and I would push the focus on inquiry back to how these ideological idioms acquire the form they have.”

The author is assist, prof, of anthropology at Johns Hopkins U. □

Travelogues. Three successful writers visited Hungary and published brief essays containing keen observations in regard to everyday life. Stephen Birnbaum has a piece in Esquire (January 1978, pp. 24-26): “Getting Away: Hungarian Holiday.” He says that the atmosphere a tourist meets is bourgeois rather than political. The boundaries of the politically .possible are clearly defined and a pragmatic acceptance characterizes the population’s attitude. He had little difficulty getting around without knowledge of the Hungarian language (“incomprehensible to most mortals”) always finding someone who spoke English or German. The other essay is by Kati Marton, “Hungary: The Other Side of the Fence,” in Atlantic (May 1979, pp. 6-16). She is the daughter of journalist Endre Marton and thus can put present observations into a historical perspective of unpleasant personal experiences. But now she says “I feel a bond with the people that goes beyond politics or philosophy, to something more basic: a shared culture...” She concludes with Tibor Déry that “to be a Hungarian is difficult, but not

MEETINGS

We published a detailed program of a symposium on Transylvania wh ich was held at Kent State U. on May 18 to 20, 1979 (see HSN no. 19/20, p. 11). Now, we learned that the meeting was a significant academic event in which all speakers delivered their papers as scheduled with the exception of Paul Jonas (U. of New Mexico) and Elemer Illyés (Munich) who were unable to attend. According to the ITT-OTT, an Oregon-based Hungarian periodical (3306 S.E. Taylor, Portland, OR 97214), the meeting was the first academic level conference concerned with the social and political problems of Transylvania. In spite of the highly controversial nature of the subject, the tone of the meeting was characterized as dignified and constructive. The overall context of the symposium was human rights in Romania, and the effort was to understand and to explain the issues at heart. Kent State U. is planning to publish the transcript of the symposium in book form some time in 1980. O

IN MEMÓRIÁM

Veronika Gerver, 1939-1979 Ferenc Harcsár, 1910-1979

impossible.” The interested social scientist may find these pieces of good journalism relevant to his research on social dynamism. The third item is not so much of a travelogue but a site report from Hungary on the problems of Gypsy assimilation. Jonathan Spivak writes in the Wall Street Journal (June 11, 1979) of “Hungary’s Gypsies, Poor and Unpopular, Embarass Regime.” He says that like capitalist America, communist Hungary is wrestling with the knotty problems of trying to help an impoverished minority, 320,000 Gypsies. There is a growing resentment among the population in Hungary because of perceived “reverse discrimination” in favor of Gypsies as far as government policies are concerned. At the same time, many Gypsies worry about loss of identity. The problems begin in childhood. Gypsy children make up half of all Hungary’s homeless children. They fall back in education. There are only 12 Gypsies among the country’s 65,000 college students. A Hungarian sociologistarguesthat the government fears that "recognizing the Gypsy nationality could increase Gypsy demands on it.” The article is full of useful sociological data on such areas as education, housing, demography, life style, government efforts, and “Gypsy Power.” CJ

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS

ERDÉLYI FIGYELŐ; a new newsletter. The Kalaka Institute (Kalaka Village, Kerhonkson, NY 12446) has commenced publishing a newsletter in Hungarian concerned with Hungarians in Transylvania. The first issue of Erdélyi figyelő' emphasizes intensification of contact between Transylvanian Hungarians and those scattered the world over; gives an overview of pertinent publications; ethnographic trivia; personnel news; reprints an open letter addressed to Romanian intellectuals; and presents the first installment of a who’s who in Transylvania. Editor is Imre Beke. No subscription price is given. CH

FINN FORUM ’79. The Multicultural History Society of Ontario is organizing an international conference on the history of Finnish immigration to North America, November 1-3, 1979. The program contains groups of papers on the following topics: Finnish identities in countries of immigration; Churches and temperance; Labor history; Women's history; Finnish drama in North America; Finnish culture and language of Finnish America; Patterns of migration. On November 4th the conference will be continued in the form of mini-conferences in Thunder Bay and Sudbury. The Multicultural History Society of Ontario was founded in 1976 by a group of academics, civil servants, archivists, and librarians. It received its original operating funds from the Government of Ontario. The society operates under the directorship of Prof. Robert F. Harney. The society is situated

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NO. 21, 1979, HUNGARIAN STUDIES NEWSLETTER

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