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IZOLDA TAKÁCS: THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY motherly role. Ihis meant that the ideal woman in this period was the good mother, and the interests of children were taking primacy as well (the institution of GYES was introduced in this same period). 1he third period (3) lasted from 1975 to 1980, and it was typically characterised by accommodating work and family, but a definable ideal had not taken shape. Finally, the fourth period (4) was the one after 1980. Ihe pivotal expectation of this era was for society to acknowledge the social importance of family, children, as well as taking care of the sick and elderly. Ferge concludes that the notion of the ideal woman previously containing the attribute of “good mother” was thereby expanded into “the Good Samaritan”, because caretaking and nursing is naturally a female task. This meant that the new woman's ideal became: “good mother, good wife, good caretaker”. The motif of self-sacrifice became even more accentuated than before, not to mention that the interests of women were almost completely subordinated to the interest of children." Table 1. Women’s ideal in state socialism Change of | 1st period 2nd period 3rd period 4th period women’s 1945 to 1965 | after 1965 1975 to 1980 | after 1980 ideals in state socialism Charac- — the idealis | — the mother- | —- can funda- | - society needs to teristics the earner, ly role of a mentally be acknowledge takthe working | woman can- typified by ing care of family, woman not be hin- the reconcili- | children, sick and dered by em- ation of work | elderly to be an ployment or and family important social overdriven interest work — the trait of “the Good Samaritan” got added to being a “good mother” — interests of | — the ideal — no defin- — the new ideal children woman isa able women’s | became “good were not good mother, ideal has mother, good wife, considered the interests taken shape good caretaker” to be im- of children are portant also pivotal Own edited resource, 2019 Ferge considered these constant shifts in values to be dangerous from multiple aspects, because she claims that “achieving clearer, unambiguous 347 Ferge: Változik-e manapság, 903. «120 +
