„the invisible connection is more powerful…” on tolerance and intolerance among teenagers in...

„THE INVISIBLE CONNECTION IS MORE POWERFUL…”

ON TOLERANCE AND INTOLERANCE AMONG

TEENAGERS IN HUNGARY

by Mihály CSÁKÓ

ELTE / JWTC, Budapest

Mihály Csákó: "The invisible..."

Global Education Conference, Budapest, April 19, 2008

Mottos:

„The invisible connectionis more powerful than the visible one.” – Heraclitus

(quoted in Hippolytus, Refutations)

„I do not detest him. I simply do not talk to him and avoid to meet him.” – 17 year old trainee

(in a VET school)



Socio-historical background

• Hungarian as „others” and others to Hungarian in history

• Globalization brings about a new level of density in human co-existence (in the Durkheimien sense of the term).

• National differences in experiencing the new level of density



Methodology

• Theoretical background– Almond & Verba’s notion of „civic culture”– Annick Percheron’s conceptualization of political

socialization

• Sampling: no representativity– As a curricular activity of sociology students, the

project is limited in scope.– A larger survey needs money.

• Questionnaires: too many changes (for the same reason)



Sampling

Sampling principle: „different enough”• 1990: three classes in Budapest

– an inner-city school– an urban housing estate school– an elite school

• 1994: six classes in Budapestwith doubling the numbers in the same scheme

• 1998, 2002, 2006: six classes in Budapest, three classes in Győr six classes in Debrecen



Measurement 1

CHOSEN FOR SHARING A ROOM /A TENT /A DESK

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Nationality / ethnicity

Per

cen

tag

e o

f 7t

h g

rad

ers

wh

o c

ho

se t

hem

1998

2002

2006



Measurement 1

WITH WHOM REFUSE 7th GRADERS TO SHARE THEIR TENT (2002) OR DESK (2006) ?

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Gypsy Je

w

Romanian

Arab

Russian

Chinese

Africa

n

Germ

anPole

Slovak

Swedish

Englis

h

Nationality / ethnicity

Per

cen

tag

e o

f re

ject

ion

2002

2006



Measurement 2

INTOLERANCE EXPRESSED UNQUESTIONED

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

1991 1994 1998 2002 2006

Year

Pe

rce

nta

ge

of

7th

gra

de

rs

Jews

Gypsies



Trying to explain: 1. Politics

• Unexpected experience of political conflicts in the new democracy

• Arguments which rearrange the political scene and lead to a renaissance of anti-Semitism

• In September 1991, a new movement called Democratic Charta was started to defend democracy(János Kis, György Konrád, Iván Vitányi)



Trying to explain: 1. Politics

István Csurka• 1956: a student leader (interned for

half a year)• 1987: one of the founders of

Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF)• 1991-1992: Vice-president of MDF,

publishes an overtly anti-Semitic paper• 1993: expelled from MDF, he founds

the right-wing Party of Hungarian Truth and Life (MIÉP)

• 1994-1998: President of the extra-parliamentary MIÉP he managed to raise mass support for his party.



Measurement 3

"DO YOU LIKE…?"

-100

-80

-60

-40

-20

0

20

40

60

80

100

1994 1998 2002 2006

Year

Per

cen

t o

f p

osi

tive

/ n

egat

ive

atti

tud

e

American: yes

American: no

Gypsy: yes

Gypsy: no

Jew : yes

Jew : no

Transylvanian: yes

Transylvanian: no



Attitude to neighbors

RomanianSlovak

2002

2006

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Percentage of rejection

Neighboring nations

Year

NEGATIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS HUNGARY'S NEIGHBORS

2002

2006



Attitudes to special minorities

NEGATIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS SOME MINORITIES WITHIN HUNGARY

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Gypsy Jew Arab Chinese African

Minorities

Fre

qu

en

cy

of

reje

cti

on

2002

2006



An outlook to higher grades

STUDENTS' TOLERENCE TOWARDS NEIGHBORING NATIONS, 2005.

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Croate Slovak Serb Romanian

Nationality of the classmate

Wou

ld /

wou

ld n

ot a

ccep

t % Would not accept

Would accept

STUDENTS' TOLERENCE TOWARDS MINORITIES WITHIN HUNGARY, 2005

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Nationality of the classmate

Wou

ld /

wou

ld n

ot

acce

pt %

Would not accept

Would accept



Trying to explain: 2. Fathers’ roleTOLERANCE AND INTOLERANCE

EXPRESSED UNQUESTIONED TOWARDS GYPSIES, BY FATHERS' EDUCATION

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Elementary VETschool

Highschool

Higher ed.

Fathers' educational level

Perc

en

tag

e o

f th

e a

ttit

ud

e

Intolerance

None

Tolerance

TOLERANCE AND INTOLERANCE EXPRESSED UNQUESTIONED TOWARDS

JEWS, BY FATHERS' EDUCATION

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Elementary VET school High school Higher ed.


Pe

rce

nta

ge

of

the

att

itu

de

Intoler

None

Toler

POSITIVE / NEGATIVE EMOTIONS TRIGGERED BY THE WORD GYPSIES, BY FATHERS'

EDUCATION

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%



Po

sit

ive

/ n

eg

ati

ve

em

oti

on

s

Negative

Undecided

Positive

POSITIVE / NEGATIVE EMOTIONS TRIGGERED BY THE WORD JEWS, BY FATHERS' EDUCATION

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%



Po

sit

ive

/ n

eg

ati

ve

em

oti

on

sNegative

Undecided

Positive



Trying to explain: 2. Fathers’ role

Father’s educational level

N Mean forWestern countries

Mean for„colored”

groups

8 classes 45 2.18 0.58

12 classes 273 2.51 0.27

F 3.401 4.870

d 3 3

p 0.017 0.002




THE IMPACT OF TALKING WITH FATHER ABOUT POLITICS ON TEENAGERS' ATTITUDE

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Not talkingwith father

Talking withfather


Talking withfather

...Jews ...Gypsies

Attitude towards...

Pe

rce

nta

ge

of

the

att

itu

de

Negative

Undecided

Positive




%Talks with father about politics

No Yes N=100

Father's level of education

Primary 69,1 30,9 55

VET 60,2 39,8 133

Secondary 70,3 29,7 259

Higher 58 42 414

Total 66,7 33,3 993

Chi2 = 54,796 d=4 p=0.000



Trying to explain: 3. Teacher’s role

THE IMPACT OF TALKING WITH TEACHER ABOUT POLITICS ON TEENAGERS ATTITUDE

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%


Talking withfather


Talking withfather

...Jews ...Gypsies

Attitude towards...

Pe

rce

nta

ge

of

the

att

itu

de

Negative

Undecided

Positive



The Hungarian Guard is still marching

„the invisible connection is more powerful…” on tolerance and intolerance among teenagers in...

Documents