Hungarian Studies Newsletter, 1985 (13. évfolyam, 43-46. szám)

1985 / 43-44. szám

ARTICLES & PAPERS (Continued)

lowlife.” Konrad is accessible to the Western reader and “perhaps because he is a Jew who lived through World War II as an impressionable child, or because as a student of literature he is mindful of the unity of Western culture, Konrad does view his country’s problems from a superanational perspective.” He is frequently being accused for writing for Western readers who respond to his dissident views. It is true that Konrad’s essays are inseparable from his fictions, but politics, he says, is like “money in the Western world: regardless of whether you like it or not you have an ongoing relationship.” Some critics who consider Konrad a humanist were surprised that some of his heroes talk about “the idealist phase” of East Central European socialism in works that expose the arbitrariness and cynicism of state socialism. A few years ago, Konra'd summed up his ars poetica as follows: “On the door of a Budapest church a simpleminded priest put up this sign: ‘Spend a half hour with your soul.’ I liked to go into this church for a half hour, which I felt I did spend with my soul. If somebody reads, he is in a better state of mind than if he is jostled on the subway. He may have a moment of self-discovery. If the light the author sheds on his own self is strong enough, it may illuminate his reader’s mind. A concentrated, terrible, and serene moment is what literature really is.” The author is prof, at Suffolk County Community College, Seiden, NY. □

Simkus, Albert and Rudolf Andorka. “Inequalities in Educational Attainment in Hungary, 1923-1973.” American Sociological Review 47:6 (December 1982)740-51.

Between 1923 and 1973, the Hungarian educational system experienced great changes in structure and policies related to disparities in the opportunities of school ing. An analysis of historical changes in inequalities in the odds of persons progressing from given forms of schooling to others indicates the consequences of these shifting policies, and the process through which overall disparities in schooling changed. As in the U.S. anti Britain, the overall odds of everyone completing the lowest grades increased, pushing everyone up to a higher level, where socoieconomic differentials are generally smaller. In contrast to the case in the U.S. and Britain, socioeconomics differentials in the odds of given levels did not increase across cohorts. In fact, for the progression of primary education, such differentials declined. Differentials based on gender showed large cross-cohort decrease, but changes in the effects of place of residence were modest. These changes in Hungary appear to demonstrate the effectiveness of both the elimination of a class-based dual structure of primary education and administrative control over the process of social selection as a means of reducing socioeconomic inequalities in the allocation of schooling. Simkus is on the faculty of the U. of Michigan; Andorka is chairman of the dept, of sociology, Eötvös L.U. D

UNGARN JAHRBUCH, Zeitschrift für die Kunde Ungarns und verwandte Gebiete, edited by Gabriel Adriányi et al, has just published its vol. 12 (1982/1983). The annual volume contains 14 essays of which 3 are in English, and 44 bookreviews of which again 3 are in English. Editorial office is at: Ungarisches Institut, Clemensstrasse 2, 8000 München 40, West Germany. □

Veres, József, “The Small Firm in Hungary: The New Legal and Organizational Possibilities.” International Review of Contemporary Law, 1983 (1) 89-97.

Hungarian economists, realizing for some time the Soviet economic model does not fit Hungarian conditions, decided

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to enlarge the private sector by making small industrial, commercial, and agricultural enterprises possible so to complement the public sector. Such a move is expected to benefit both, the State and the individual. A1982 government decision made it legal to create small enterprises and modernize the existing ones. This study discusses the legal aspects of the change. The decision stipulates various forms of enw organizations, as follows: (a) The small firm and subsidiary are distinguished not so much by their legal character but by the simplified economic regulations by which they are governed. They possess a streamlined accounting system and are free from governmental regulations or interference in their business, (b) The small cooperative, which is self-managed, can employ part-time labor, and can assume various structural forms, (c) The specialized groups within industrial, agricultural or service enterprises are not autonomous legal entitites but enjoy extended freedom in their operation and their membership can share in the profit, (d) Contractual managements are entitled to a contractual system of accounting, and the manager is free to decide on the disposition of surplus funds, (e) The repayment of expenses system makes it possible to refund expenses for the benefit of sections employing not more than 15 persons, (f) The collective economic interest association inside the enterprise is set up by individuals to supplement, organize, and further the activity of the enterprise. This association is a kind of contractual non-commercial firm. The article concludes with a discussion of the new organizational forms of small private enterprises. The author is dean of the law school of the József A.U. □

RESEARCH IN PROGRESS

The American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies Newsletter (Fall 1984) lists the following research projects in progress: "Linda Degh (Indiana U.) “Identity preservation through traditionalizing: a comparative study in modern Hungary and the U.S.” * Joel Marrant(Linfield Coll.) “Dimensions of cultural indentity in Maramures, Romania, 1875-present.” *Andrei Simic (U. of Southern California) “Production of a documentary film on Serbian immigrant culture in Chicago.” *David W. Paul (5506 First Avenue, NE, Seattle, WA 98105) “The hero in Soviet and East European cinema.” *Keith Crane (Rand Corp., Santa Monica, CA) “Credit worthiness of Eastern Europe, mainly Poland and Hungary.”* John Komlos (Gumpendorter Strasse 137, Wien, Austria 1060) “Nutrition and economic development in the Habsburg Monarchy, 1730-1930.” Also: “Economic development in the Czech Crownlands in the second half of the 18th century.” *Andrew C. Janos (U. of California, Berkeley) “Eastern Europe in the modern world: the bureaucratization of revolutionary regimes. *Ivan Szelenyi (U. of Wisconsin) “Part-time family farming.’’Also: “Formation of working class in Hungary and Poland.” *Marianna D. Birnbaum (U. of California, Los Angeles) “Humanists under the half moon: the survival of Latin humanism in 16th century Hungary- Croatia." * András Boros-Kazai (Indiana U.) “The journalism of "fin de siede Budapest, 1880-1900.” Also: “Populism as a literary and social force in 19th century Hungary, 1810-1900.” "Mary Boros-Kazai (U. of Indiana) “Hungary’s lawmakers and the emigration problem, 1880-1910 "Thomas Sakmyster (U. of Cincinnati) “A political biography of Admiral Miklós Horthy, 1918-45.” *András and Mary Boros-Kazai (Indiana U.) “Magyar nyelvkönyv: A Hungarian textbook for English speakers.” In cooperation with *Peter Szaffkó (Kossuth L.U.) □

NO. 43-44, SPRING-SUMMER 1985 HUNGARIAN STUDIES NEWSLETTER