Hungarian Studies Newsletter, 1982 (10. évfolyam, 31-34. szám)

1982 / 31-32. szám

Gömöri, Edith. “Special Protective Legislation and Equality of Employment Opportunity for Women in Hungary.” International Labour Review 119:1 (January-February 1980) 67-77.

Sixty-seven percent of working age women are gainfully employed in Hungary. Laws protect women’s health and grant compensation for historic discrimination suffered by women (“affirmative action”). An annex to the Labor Code lists jobs from which women are barred because of the strain involved. The maximum weight they are permitted to lift is 20 kg. The author discusses the special facilities for working mothers, such as liberal leave policy and supplementary wages. Women may retire at age 55 while men ony at 60. Perhaps the most important rights and privileges pertain to the protection of maternity and “helping women to carry out their biological functions as mothers and to reconcile these with active participation in the labor force.” Certain jobs are reserved for women as a matter of policy, and night work, though considerably reduced, seems to be indispensable under the prevailing circumstances in industries working at multiple shifts. The author is a doctor of law in Budapest, and a former staff member of the U.N., section on the Status of Women. □

Hoppal, Miha'ly, “Genre and Context in Narrative Event: Approaches to Verbal Semiotics,” in Genre, Structure, and Reproductions in Oral Literature, ed. by L. Honko and V. Voigt. Budapest: Akade'miai kiadó', 1980, 107-128.

A folklore event can lead to the revelation of the laws of narrative folklore. The celebration of a feast day, such as Joseph’s day, shows the way in which a Hungarian village, Körönd in Transylvania, perpetuates the custom of humorous story telling. The roles are less set than in other types of folklore events (weddings, funerals) yet the narrators clearly emerge from the group. The narratives, the context of the performance (social, visual, cognitive, and linguistic) and the aspects of the text (verbal, social, visual, objective, and subjective) are delimited. The study concludes that the comic feature is lent by the situation but is influenced by the style of the performers, a set of presuppositions, discrepancy between the “text world” and the “real world,” and the incorrect statements, on which the punch line frequently depends. (EMB) E

Kontra, Miklo's, and Gregory L. Nehler, “Ethnic Designations Used by Hungarian-Americans in South Bend, Indiana,” Ural-Altaische Jahrbücher 53(1981)105-111.

This is a summary of “the findings related to ethnic designations of over fifty hours of tape-recorded interviews” in the South Bend community. The earliest settlers came mainly from Sopron and Győr counties and by 1932 numbered 10,000. Employed primarily in the industries of Oliver Farm Implement Co., Singer Sewing Machine Co., and the Studebaker Co., these immigrants were followed by smaller waves of political emigrants after 1945 and in 1956-1957. The Hungarian minority was one of several comprising 20% of the population. The study deals with labels applied to oldtimers (Hungarians or Hunkies; Magyar or the pejorative term greenhorn, grinor, grinhorn, and others. Sometimes the terms öreg magyar or öreg was used. Vadmagyar had two meanings: those who were wild in their Hungarianness, but also those who, while born of Hungarian parents, did not speak Hungarian. The post World War 11 refugee is generally called dipi or dipis, (D.P.s for displaced persons). For the

NO. 31-32, SPRING-SUMMER, 1982 HUNGARIAN STUDIES NEWSLETTER

1956 emigrants a variety of terms is used .szabadság-harcos, refjudzsi, refudzsi, ötvenhatos, új magyar, as well as the English terms freedom fighter, fifty-sixers, Hunky and honky, while causing some confusion, are not accepted as homophonous. While “Hungarian” is the term used to designate all of Hungarian descent or connection, Americans receive a wider range of designations:amer/ka/, angol, bennszülött, and the pejorative jenki. Blacks are called fekete, and néger, but also barna, színes and kapuvári. The origin of the latter term seems to be connected with local Hungarian rivalries and a reference to Gypsies, but the connection is tenuous. Miklós Kontra is docent of English at Kossuth L.U., and Gregory Nehler is at Indiana U. (EMB) □

Kramarics, Gabriel, “Hungary” Eastern European Economics

19:4 (Summer 1981)47-52.

Within the journal’s comprehensive summary The Economics of the CMEA Countries and Yugoslavia at the End of the Decade (1979-1980), the author provides a concise survey of the Hungarian economy. In 1979 the economic growth was about a third of the targeted 3 to 4 percent. The stagnation was due to weather-related setbacks in agriculture and a low growth rate in industry. He believes that sluggish growth will assist in the consolidation of investments, foreign trade, and prices. He says that the main emphasis in the Hungarian economy will continue to be on elimination of “disproportionalities in foreign trade and on improving the international competitiveness of Hungary. All other goals are subordinated to these.” Events in 1980 seems to have born out these predictions. □

Madl, Ferenc, “Hungary,” in Legal Aspects of Joint Ventures in Eastern Europe ed. by Dennis Campbell, Hingham, Massachusetts: Kluwer, 1980, 75-84.

Whenever foreign participation is involved in a Hungarian economic enterprise, its existence and function become regulated by special legislation. Legislation introduced in 1972 (Decree no.28) authorizes the formation of such enterprises, and brings the joint operations of the Hungarian and foreign partners under statutory regulations, so that they may serve technical and economic development on the basis of mutual interest. Accordingly, such companies may assume the form of (a) commercial partnership, (b) publicity-held corporation, (c) closed corporation, or (d) joint enterprise. The law limits foreign participation to 49%, and guarantees insurance against loss due to governmental measures. It also regulates the distribution of profit and says that the formation of such enterprises cannot be denied except if they violate Hungarian law or vital national interest. The organization centers around the board of directors representing all members and uniting the functions of a shareholders’meeting and of an operative board of directors in the general meaning of the term. A manager is elected by the board of directors and is responsible for the everyday business of the enterprise and is its statutory representative. □

Ortengren, Kjell, “Human Rights in Hungary and Bulgaria.” Paper presented at Indiana U. of Pennsylvania on May 15,

1980. ix + 28 pages. Mimeo.

The well documented comparison of human rights in the two countries shows striking differences and some similarities. Ka'da'r’s relatively liberal policies enjoy cooperation from the citizens at large, and the 1977-78 legislative changes improved the implementation of international human

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