Böröcz, József
Dual dependency and property vacuum:
social change on the state socialist semiperiphery

This essay - the Hungarian version of a study first published in vol. 21 of Theory and Society - places an analysis of the transformations of the property relations of state socialism in the context of the transformations of East-Central Europe's external dependency. It argues that, ever since the establishment of the Soviet-centered empire - marked by property vacuum as the dominant property relation -, the political and economic components of the region's external dependency have been focused on geopolitically distinct centers. Control over the boundary function is a key element of any state socialist entity implanted within a capitalist world economy. Typical relations between the two legs of dependency - and the corresponding different internal institutional modes of control over property vacuum - characterize the three periods of state socialism in East-Central Europe. Implications for the ongoing transition from state socialism are explored.
 

Csepeli, György-Kolosi, Tamás-Neményi, Mária-Örkény, Antal
Hidden normative aspects explanations for wealth and poverty in Hungary

This article deals with analysis of a survey on perception of social justice and injustice which was carried out as a part of a cross-national investigation covering eleven nations including Western democracies, post-communist countries and Japan. Results of the Hungarian survey indicate attitudes emphasizing equality and stress concerning social differentation stemming from the communist past are still significant. Socio-economic variances do, however, correlate with attitudes on equality. The higher the status of the respondents the lower tendency to support levelling. A group of high status respondents however, did show contrasting attitudes: discontent with existing inequalities and interest in levelling.
 

Márkus, Mária
The politicization of needs

In the modern liberal democracies "civil society" is the stage where the various interest-groups are competing. In the course of the formation of the welfare state the autonomy of civil society vis-á-vis the state decreased. This process would be offset by acknowledging pluralism as the potential basis of social integration. This objective has been set by the new social movements.

The politicization of needs can be explained by two factors. On the one hand the administrative apparatus of the welfare state has been fully established, and on the other hand the various needs have become the objects of public debates in the movements. The "universalisation" of the needs, establishing so-called "rea" needs is not possible. The new social movements are organized around "issues" and by this they may renew the structures of civil society, but there is also a danger of ensuing fragmentation.
 

Tamás, Pál
Functional transformation of knowledge elites in the post-state socialism

The paper presents the theoretical part of a proposal accepted by the Hungarian National Science Foundation.

The central problem discussed here is the interrelation of the administrative power in the academe and the political power in the late state socialism. It also deals with the transformation of the academic power elite created trough the new period of science policy and higher educational reforms.