Oldal 115 [115]
GENDER HISTORY RETROSPECTIVE IN HUNGARY AFTER 1949
in 1978.%% The proportion of women among researchers rose to 22% by 1970-71,
growing to 26% in 1975. The number of female researchers rose further during
the ’80s, their proportion reaching 27%, 11% among professors and 16% among
research unit leaders.*”* Beside gender distribution and the increased number
of women, the composition of white-collar society has significantly changed
after 1945. It is the prestige of specialist intellectuals that rose primarily, thus
increasing the recognition of technical and economic careers.
It can, however, be pointed out that the proportion of men in the new po¬
litical system and restructured white-collar field was still significantly higher
in the university departments enjoying higher prestige (such as the technical,
economic or law faculties), while the number of women was only higher in
places of lesser prestige value.*”° So ultimately, even though their number had
risen to a huge extent in higher education, this did not result in a reduction of
the present disadvantage of women in the socio-economic field.
The situation shifted by the ’70s insofar as the gender proportion became
somewhat balanced in economic, arts, law, medical faculties and departments
of the natural sciences. This still did not change the general rule that the tech¬
nical careers belonged to men, with pedagogy belonging to women.*”°
In the business world — similar to what can be experienced in the scientific
value hierarchy — gender segregation was still apparent. Though it may have
seemed, based on the economic activity of women, that the objective of state
socialism with regards to equal opportunities had been fulfilled, the gender
disparity had been reproduced in practice.
In her book Feltérekvé dolgozé né |The emerging working woman], Maria
Schadt pointed out that women’s ideals created by propaganda (Stakhanovite
women, etc.) may have increased the number of working women, but they
primarily succeeded in feminising those workplaces offering bad wages.*”
There is one more interesting thing. If you look at certain positions, like that of an
assistant dean for education, meaning when there is work to do, where the burden
is significant, women are immediately found, but if it comes to leadership and
acknowledgement, higher wages, men come to the limelight at once [...] (Subject no.
9, natural sciences)
The high influx of women onto the labour market has — similarly to higher
education — not come with the reduction of social-gender segregation and
stratification.
3% Ferge: Vältozik-e manapsäg, 890-893.
Cf. Faragó: Nők a tudományban, 27.
325 M. Schadt, Ellentmondásos..., 66.
326 Ferge: Változik-e manapság, 888.
327 Schadt: , A feltörekvő dolgozó nő", 9.
324
e 113"