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GENDER HISTORY RETROSPECTIVE IN HUNGARY AFTER 1949
This social and educational system was profoundly transformed by the
communist, state socialist system after 1945. First, the materialistic system
governing enrolment was substituted by the “cadre approach”, and second, the
most competent candidates were selected from the working class and poor
peasants for various vocational and rapid training courses and to fulfil the role
of the new white-collar class.*"* The class composition and political loyalty was
controlled by those entering traditional higher education as well. The aim of
this control was to secure the training of intellectuals loyal to the party in
these educational avenues. Places were reserved in universities for those deemed
politically appropriate due to either descent or their membership in the party.
An intellectual descent was therefore unfavourable in terms of a person’s eli¬
gibility for further education due to political-ideological reasons.
I started with a disadvantage due to my white-collar heritage. When two students
achieved the same score on the matriculation, the one enrolling was the “m-kind”,
the offspring of a working class family, not the white-collar child. (Subject no. 24,
social sciences)
Students from middle class families could only get into higher education
institutions if they had a flawless scholastic record, to the places left open by
the aforementioned.*”’ The result of this, however, opened up opportunities
for higher education to the lower strata of society as well as to women. This
forced mobility has fundamentally changed the status of social classes, but it
was quite often joined by senseless sacrifices.*”°
I can only enter university with this white-collar background, if I apply for physical
labour before, they said to me back then. My uncle mentioned a factory near us,
saying I might apply for a job there. So I was there for a year as a physical worker,
I had to work on small radio parts, before I could continue my education. (Subject
no. 15, natural sciences)
Certain interviewees of mine reported not being accepted to the university
of their choice because the political leadership at the time considered them an
enemy of the establishment due to their family or heritage.
I was among those least acceptable politically because of my father and my family.
So this is what caused issues, not the fact that Iam a woman. I always reached the
maximum scores, but as I said, I was not politically suitable. On top of that, my
318 Faragó: Nők a tudományban, 27.
319 Asztalos-Morell: A mernöknö, 147-148.
320 Cf. Valuch: A magyar művelődés.
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