Oldal 15 [15]
INTRODUCTION
segment i.e. during their college years. Aside from this, it was obvious in every
area that the female scholars have suffered disadvantages not because of their
gender, but on political-ideological grounds. Experiences related to horizontal
segregation only appeared in connection with vocational choices.
This was followed by the dilemma of the work-life balance, the conflict of
family versus career, which reflected the conclusions detailed in the theoret¬
ical sections of our work, namely that career and family could only be accom¬
modated with the presence of suitable subsidies. It could furthermore be
stated that women under this double burden had to combat significant disad¬
vantages. In order to be able to reach a conclusion in this matter, I have exam¬
ined women receiving subsidies, those lacking subsidies and those who chose
to remain solitary in three separate groups, comparing their answers and
opinions. The added challenges stemming from the traditional female roles
and the difficulties, obstructions rooted herein have visibly shown up here.
This proves that a dilemma affecting only women has presented itself at this
point in every case.
Based on the above, it can also be concluded that, while the number of
women present in education and the labour market rose drastically in Hun¬
gary during the emancipation movement following World War II, this did not
solve the issue of balancing one’s career and family.
Above all this, my results have reconfirmed the general tendency showing
that the extended family model is not overly typical in the case of scholars.
Beside a so-called “fortune motif” — consisting of three components (support
from family or other sources, support and personality of the husband — if there
was one — and the professional environment) the research showed that indi¬
vidual character traits have also played a significant role in scientific careers
of the individuals interviewed.
These women have interestingly not experienced any gender-based negative
discrimination in the junior researcher period of their lives. Here they have
only reported disadvantages which are mainly rooted in geographical (centre
vs periphery), geopolitical (Eastern Europe) and political-ideological (a social¬
ist country turning post-socialist) reasons. (See the chapter titled “Gender
history retrospective in Hungary after 1949. Spaces and opportunities after
the Declaration of Gender Equality and the shadow of the ideology of the
Party”.)
The qualitative research furthermore demonstrated that they suffered no
gender-based discrimination after receiving the DSc status at the Academy,
or in their scientific life in general — the only authoritative factors were knowl¬
edge, learning (beside the supportive family background, which we have already
mentioned), and their results, i.e. merit.
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