Testing the integration model:

The Hungarian case

Abstract

The aim of our study is to present how models of social integration and disintegration relate to the stratification models of a society and its inequalities. We argue that although the traditional approaches of research to social stratification have proved to be suitable for describing certain trends in post-transition transformations in Central and Eastern Europe, as a result of the social changes of the last quarter-century and the related new intellectual tasks, it is now necessary to establish new models focusing on social integration rather than just update stratification models based on occupation, consumption or the different types of capital. In our study, we present this new line of thinking through the example of Hungarian society. To prove the benefits of a model based on the logic of social integration, we examine the differences between social integration and social inequalities/stratification models. The results show that in terms of criterion validity, the integration model performs better in most respects than we have experienced with other models.