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Hungary The Family
In traditional Hungary, the family served as the basic
social
unit. It had multiple functions, providing security and
identity
to individuals and reinforcing social values. In rural
areas, it
was also the basic economic unit--all members worked
together for
the material well-being of the whole family. Even before
World
War II, however, family cohesion began to decrease as
members
became increasingly mobile. But the process of change
quickened
after the communist takeover. Intensive industrialization
and
forced collectivization prompted many of the younger
peasants to
leave agriculture for industrial work or other jobs in the
cities, some commuting long distances between home and
work
(see Postwar Societal Transformation
, this ch.). Patterns of
family
life changed. A growing number of women worked outside the
home,
and children spent much of their time in school or in
youth
organization activities. Family members spent less time
together.
The emphasis in daily life shifted from the family to the
outside
world. Most members of the extended family came together
only for
important ceremonies, such as weddings or funerals, and
other
special occasions.
Changes in the traditional roles of family members were
dramatic. The dominance of the male head of the family
diminished. The remaining family members had greater
independence. Most notably, the role of women changed. By
1987
about 75 percent of working-age women were gainfully
employed.
Even peasant women became wage earners on the collective
farms.
This fact altered women's status in the family and the
community.
However, most observers agreed that in the 1980s males
were still
viewed as the head of most households, if only because of
their
generally higher incomes.
As women increasingly worked outside the home, their
husbands
and children assumed some domestic functions, helping with
household chores more than they had before. Outside
institutions
such as schools and nurseries also took over tasks
formerly
carried out by women within the home. Nevertheless, time
budget
studies indicated that women were still responsible for
most of
the child rearing and housework despite their employment
outside
the home. Women usually worked longer hours than men.
Working
women spent an average of more than four hours each day on
household chores, including child care, while men averaged
ninety-seven minutes in such activities. However, the time
spent
by women in outside employment was not correspondingly
shorter
than that of men, averaging only 1.5 hours less than men.
Women
devoted less time than men to leisure activities, such as
watching television, socializing, and engaging in sports.
(According to the same studies, women did read
approximately as
many books as men but spent much less time on newspapers
and
periodicals.)
The state viewed marriage as a secular matter, governed
by
civil law. A civil marriage was mandatory, but couples
were
allowed to supplement the procedure with a religious
ceremony.
The greatest number of both men and women married between
the
ages of twenty and twenty-four (44.6 percent of all men
and 41.3
percent of all women for those marrying in 1987). The law
assigned equal rights and obligations to both partners in
a
marriage.
In the 1980s, social analysts considered the family to
be an
institution under considerable stress. Statistics
supported this
contention. From 1975 to 1986, the divorce rate increased
from
2.5 to 2.8 per 1,000 population. In the 1980s, every third
marriage ended in divorce. The rate of remarriage also
dropped
significantly. In 1987 about 66,000 marriages were
performed, and
about 95,600 marriages were terminated as a result of
death or
divorce. Almost 12 percent of all families were headed by
a
single parent.
A primary source of stress within families, according
to many
observers, was the scarcity of adequate housing,
especially for
young families
(see Health and Welfare
, this ch.). In many
families, members faced the pressures and exhaustion of
trying to
hold down multiple jobs. Another source of tension within
families was the prevalence of commuting. Although in 1960
one in
every eight workers commuted, in the 1980s one in every
four
commuted. One million or more villagers commuted to the
cities to
work. This figure did not include long-distance commuters
who
lived in temporary quarters near their workplaces and
returned
home weekly or more infrequently. In 1980 such workers
numbered
about 270,000, bringing the total number of commuters to
about
1.5 million.
Despite the statistics, most observers found that the
cohesive force of the family remained relatively strong in
the
1980s. For many people, the family continued to be a
source of
personal comfort and reassurance in the face of worsening
economic conditions. The traditional sense of family
loyalty and
responsibility also seemed to survive. Family members
continued
to help each other in finding jobs or housing, in gaining
admission to schools, and in providing for each other in
times of
need.
Data as of September 1989
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