Social Trends

The Social Trends Research Unitis responsible for the planning and implementation of the Foundation’s fundamental and applied social science research projects. Additionally, it ensures publications of related scientific findings, as well as maintaining connections and collaborations with Hungarian and international research institutions and universities related to Századvég’s research areas.

About us

The Századvég Foundation founded the Social Trends Research Unit in 2023. Its main mission is to design and execute the Foundation’s fundamental and applied research projects in the social sciences, to participate in the fieldwork, data collection and data processing, and to provide research and expert support for the implementation of projects. The research unit edits academic publications, articles, volumes and brochures. It also participates academic life, both nationally and internationally, including maintaining contacts and collaborating with Hungarian and international research institutes and universities via conference participation and joint publications. The research unit’s staff members are involved in teaching, academic organisation, academic management and the editing and coordination of several academic journals.

Sociologist, Doctor of Sociological Sciences. He wrote his doctoral thesis on research methodology, and is currently head of the Department of Social Research at the Institute of Sociology at Pázmány Péter Catholic University as an associate professor. He is Director of the Századvég Foundation and Századvég Konjunktúrakutató Zrt. and Head of the Social Research Division.

He was a youth researcher and then head of department at the National Institute for Youth Research, Mobility, and the National Institute for Family and Social Policy between 2002 and 2014. He has been working with Századvég since 2012. His main research interests include research methodology, public opinion research, social stratification, mobility and youth sociology. He has been involved in all six phases of the large-scale youth research between 2000 and 2020, and has worked as a youth pillar leader in a SROP (TÁMOP) project.

He is the editor of Századvég Riport, a member of the editorial board of Századvég periodical, and, from 2021, editor-in-chief of the quarterly Y.Z. periodical published by the National Youth Council. 

In 2008, he was awarded a Ministerial Commendation by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour for his outstanding work in the field of youth research.

Reseachers

Dávid Kollár

Senior Analyst

Eszter Bogáromi Dr.

Associate Director of …

Lili Zenovitz

Senior Analyst

Miklós Gyorgyovich

Associate Director

Mónika Makay

Team Leader of Research Unit

Nikoletta Péntekné Simon Dr.

Analyst

Tamás László

Senior Analyst

Our research activities focus on the following areas

Theories of society and communication

A large and widely available dataset alone does not provide a basis for understanding the complex social phenomena of the 21st century. For sociological imagination, in the world of complex social systems, networks and new media, it is particularly important to have a comprehensive and multifaceted knowledge of social and communication theory as a basis for designing research projects and interpreting outcomes. 

Media use and social inclusion

The dynamics of changes in media technology, as well as the under-researched cultural and social approach to media use, also justify systematic and complex research into the relationship between people and media. The media perform diverse functions in modern societies, playing a central role in social inclusion and cultural mediation, and its research provides substantial data for decision-making.

Resilience

Resilience, defined as the flexible ability to resist or adapt, is closely associated with issues of social solidarity from a sociological perspective. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the critical importance of maintaining the functionality of social relationships and resources during times of crisis is, thereby highlighting the need to address and develop at the individual, community and societal levels. 

Social mobility

Research projects examining social mobility explore changes in social status and the life course of individuals, measuring mobility across various dimensions (e.g. education, occupation, income, etc.). Our research unit aims to investigate how individuals improve their position, the evolution of the perception of mobility, and the expected and equitable mechanism for “repositioning”.

Social stratification

The aim of social stratification research projects is to classify members of society into groups that are subordinate to each other according to specific criteria. In addition to purely material factors, we are also developing a stratification model which, departing from the previous hard-variable models, describes the current divisions in Hungarian society using a holistic approach.

Sociology of Values

Research projects in the Sociology of Values aim to understand the values that influence social behaviors, thoughts and consumption habbits and to study their social roles, formation and transformation. Our research unit aims to explore trends of changing values and the impact of values on action through specific research projects.

Non-profit Sector and Volunteering

The non-profit sector and volunteering play a vital role in social life and community development. Therefore, thorough research is essential for decision-makers at both local and national levels. The national volunteering survey required by the National Volunteering Strategy to be carried out every 5 years was conducted by our Foundation in 2013, 2018 and 2023, and we have also carried out several surveys through questionnaires, interviews and focus groups to gather the opinions of the Hungarian non-profit sector.

Family sociology studies

Our research unit places great importance on the family as the fundamental unit of society. As such, we continually monitor the situation of families and public policy measures implemented to support them. Through our quantitative and qualitative research projects, we gain insight into evolving attitudes towards families and the impact of policies on family life. 

Sociology of settlements and rural areas

Differences between urban and rural areas have become extremely complex, to which relevant policy choices need to adapt, and which means that research needs to take a more complex approach to exploring the linkages. To this end, our research unit has already carried out several small and large-scale studies in the field of urban and rural sociology, using both qualitative and quantitative methods.

Qualitative text analysis and discourse analysis

Texts from a diverse range of sources are an adequate source for the study of society, culture and politics, and the main tool for their processing is the trained researcher with a hermeneutic approach, which can nowadays be supported by an increasing number of analytical software tools. The staff members of our research unit have extensive experience in the comprehensive analysis of textual datasets in social sciences for close to a decade.

Sociology of Religion

The theory of secularization provides only a partial interpretative framework for the decline of institutional religiosity and the rise of individual religiosity. Recognising that Christianity remains a key component of the cultural identities of European nations, our research unit regards the study of religion and Christian culture as a perpetual research topic. Additionally, individuals display a diverse range of beliefs and values, with various levels of connection to churches, religion, God or even the community of religious individuals. These connections may range from strictly religious to non-religious, with many “fluid” categories and combinations of ways of life in between.

Generational research

Although it is fashionable to attach a generational dimension to the interpretation of social behaviour and consumption patterns, pointing out generational specificities must go beyond the use of stereotypes for marketing purposes. Generational experiences acquire significance when individuals live alongside other generations, engage in horizontal and vertical transfers of historical experiences and social inventions, and gain meaning through the combined study of these processes.

Memory research

The interdisciplinary cooperation of history, sociology and communication studies is the overarching framework that makes the research on the social changes of the 20th century and the discursive selection mechanisms of the historical “semi-history” quite multifaceted. The legitimacy of hybrid approaches is particularly evident in cases where personal and family memories, as well as political discourses, favour fragmented and seemingly contradictory conclusions and value judgements. 

National identity

Hungarian history offers a multitude of source material for individuals, regardless of whether their national identity is shaped by collective traumas or events, people, and deeds that invoke a sense of pride. Like all questions of identity, the diversity of national identity(ies) is a subject matter that ultimately goes back to the power of value choices to (re)constitute social reality. 

Cím (Publikációk)

According to the November 2023 survey of Századvég Konjunktúrakutató, the sense of prosperity among households did not change, while the sense of prosperity among businesses improved significantly. The household index, measured on a scale of -100 to +100, dropped from -18.8 to -18.9, while the business index improved from -15.5 to -12.6. Over a longer horizon, the indices show a significant improvement: compared to November 2022, the household index increased by 7.5 index points and the corporate index by 8.1 index points. The prosperity index remained in negative territory, still determined by the Russia-Ukraine war, a declining but still higher inflation environment and the uncertainty caused by economic sanctions. A major improvement in the sense of prosperity will only be possible if the war ends, inflation continues to fall, the interest rate environment becomes more favourable and energy markets see sustained low prices.
On 7 October, Hamas militants carried out a terrorist attack against Israel that claimed more than 1,400 lives, most of them civilians. In response to the action of the Palestinian terrorist organisation, Israel has launched a military operation in the Gaza Strip to destroy Hamas infrastructure. At the same time, mass demonstrations, not without antisemitic manifestations, in support of Palestine or Hamas took place in many major cities in Western Europe. In light of these developments, Századvég has mapped public attitudes towards the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Századvég’s Sovereignty Conference attracted great interest, with its focus on the efforts of Hungarian conservatives to preserve Hungary’s sovereignty and the presentation of the latest results of the Project Europe research. The event also commemorated the 30th anniversary of Századvég. The event featured high-profile politicians, public figures and Századvég colleagues who shared their thoughts and plans with the participants.
Brussels is asking Member States for EUR 50 billion in additional funding for Ukraine. The proposal would not only impose a significant financial burden on the entire population of the EU but would also allow the armed conflict to drag on. However, EU citizens believe that the parties should instead be urged to negotiate peace and the war should end immediately.
The October 2023 survey of Századvég Konjunktúrakutató shows that both households’ and businesses’ sense of prosperity has improved. The household index, measured on a scale of -100 to +100, improved from -23.0 to -18.8, while the business index improved from -17.5 to -15.5. The prosperity index remained in negative territory, still determined by the Russia-Ukraine war, the still higher inflation environment and the uncertainty caused by economic sanctions. A major improvement in the sense of prosperity will only be possible if the war ends, inflation continues to fall, the interest rate environment becomes more favourable and energy markets see sustained low prices.
As a result of the price rises caused by the energy crisis, the proportion of energy-poor households across Europe has increased significantly, with 22% of the EU population facing difficulties in heating. Hungarian families are the least affected by this problem thanks to the overhead cost reduction policy.

Cím (Megjelenések)

No data was found

Regisztráció

Registration

Add Your Heading Text Here

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

Regisztráció

Frissítettük feltételeinket