Intersections. East European Journal of Society and Politics

Natural language processing

Renáta Németh — 2023-04-26

Natural language processing (NLP) methods are designed to automatically process and analyze large amounts of textual data. The integration of this new-generation toolbox into sociology faces many challenges. NLP was institutionalized outside of sociology, while the expertise of sociology has been based on its own methods of research. Another challenge is epistemological: it is related to the validity of digital data and the different viewpoints associated with predictive and causal approaches.

In our paper, we discuss the challenges and opportunities of the use of NLP in sociology, offer some potential solutions to the concerns and provide meaningful and diverse examples of its sociological application, most of which are related to research on Eastern European societies. The focus will be on the use of NLP in quantitative text analysis. Solutions are provided concerning how sociological knowledge can be incorporated into the new methods and how the new analytical tools can be evaluated against the principles of traditional quantitative methodology.

Capturing populist elements in mediated discourse

Miroslav Pažma — 2023-04-26

The article measures the degree of populist elements present in party leaders’ discourses delivered as a part of their appearances in TV debates during the run up to the 2020 Slovak parliamentary elections. With the use of the ‘holistic grading’ approach, we empirically capture the presence and prominence of populist elements in textual transcripts of speeches delivered by 4 opposition party leaders. We start by defining populism as a discourse which can express a set of unique ideas and then follow up with arguments for the use of party leaders’ communication as the object of analysis. We then proceed to operationalize the exact coding process of the ‘holistic grading’ method which is used in our analysis. The measurement results quantitatively represent the degree of populist elements in the communication delivered during the electoral campaign. We note that the ‘holistic grading’ method was successfully able to capture populist elements in the performances of actors who have been previously labelled populist. We find consistent use of populist discourse in the performances of Boris Kollár, Igor Matovič, and Marián Kotleba, with the latter two producing several extremely populist performances. We then discuss our results and further implications derived from the collected data.

Making new ‘Solidarities’

Andrzej Turkowski — 2023-04-26

This article returns to sociological investigation of the intriguing phenomenon of the Solidarity social movement. Contrary to a popular position which sees Solidarity as important but closed chapter in Polish history, we argue that its legacy, in contrast to other historic events such as Prague’s spring and Hungarian uprising, should be seen as an ongoing social process in Poland and in the broader region of Eastern and Central Europe. In order to lay out our argument we describe Polish intelligentsia members’ practices aimed at the reproduction and strengthening of the legacy of Solidarity – an important tool which legitimizes intelligentsia’s dominant position in the post-communist Poland. In the empirical part we are particularly interested in analysis of efforts aimed at strengthening the legacy of Solidarity by universalizing it at the transnational level, which we analyzed on the case study of interaction between members of the Polish and Ukrainian elites.

The interconnectedness of biographies, migration and gender norms

Dóra Gábriel — 2023-04-26

The aim of the paper is to reveal the relationship between biographies, migration, and gender norms among Hungarian live-in migrant care workers and show their interaction through a dynamic analysis. The study is based on empirical research conducted mainly in the sending country, Hungary. The analysis involved thirty-seven interviews carried out between 2016 and 2019. The interviews were undertaken using a combination of narrative and semi-structured interview techniques. I employed the method of biographical case reconstruction and thematic analysis. I observe the potential links and interactions between the biographies, migration, and gender norms of carers with the help of a typology based on demographic and biographical elements. The analysis demonstrates that family background and partnerships have important effects on work abroad and its perception, while working abroad can also shape gender norms. Interview analysis reveals a complex picture. While some migrant workers of various social backgrounds can rely on supportive families, members of non-egalitarian families experienced reinforced gender norms due to labor migration, and women can find themselves in an even more vulnerable situation at home.

A qualitative exploration of the socioeconomic status and motivations of Chinese students in Hungary

Xueyan Li — 2023-04-26

Surprisingly little research has been conducted on Chinese students in Hungary, despite their growing number. Education has gradually become a crucial element in attaining higher socioeconomic status, so it is vital to understand such students’ socioeconomic backgrounds and motivation for studying in Central Eastern Europe. Applying cultural mobility theory, this article explores students’ family backgrounds and motivations for pursuing tertiary education in Hungary. Twenty-six narrative interviews were conducted and analysed using grounded theory method. The results indicate that three important factors influenced lower-middle-class Chinese students’ choices to study in Hungary: the constraints of reality, educational aspirations, and a desire for self-expression. Working-class or lower-middle-class families were required to make compromises for their children to study abroad because their financial means limited the opportunity for international study. Therefore, education in a relatively low-cost country like Hungary became an option. This research contributes to current theories of educational mobility by offering fresh understandings about students with a lower-middle class SES, the influx of working-class Chinese students into Hungary, as well as the relationship between upward social mobility and studying internationally. The recommendations for policymakers in China and Hungary made in this paper enable the development of practicable strategies for enhancing learning environments, producing positive educational outcomes, fostering equitable education systems, and ameliorating the impact of a lower SES background on educational and social mobility.

Young people’s moral decision-making and the Covid-19 pandemic in Hungary

Lilla Vicsek — 2023-04-26

There is a deficiency of in-depth investigations of young people’s moral decision-making during the coronavirus pandemic. The current article studies such decision-making with respect to socializing with peers, drawing on 44 interviews with Hungarian university students. The interviewed students overwhelmingly changed their socializing behavior because of the pandemic, however their concrete actions showed great differences. For some it was enough if they greeted their friends differently, and did not drink from their glasses, whilst for others greater changes were made in their former socializing habits. Based on their accounts, the following factors influenced their socializing: taking responsibility by not infecting others (concentrating on family members), conformity (alignment with friends’ behavior), closeness of relationships, epidemiological restrictions and rules, and fatigue and growing familiar with the pandemic connected to the passage of time. Whilst research on decision-making during the pandemic has primarily been quantitative, we argue that this study illustrates how qualitative research can provide valuable input.

Digital technology and family dynamics

Alina Bărbuță — 2023-04-26

The inclusion of digital technology in family life has led to the emergence of new practices of ‘being together.’ Communication between family members is mediated by digital technology, thus producing changes that can be observed in family dynamics. Eleven families participated in the present study that aimed to analyze family interaction with digital technology. Our qualitative study was guided by two research questions: How do children and adults use and subjectively assess digital technology in their everyday lives? and How do families react to digital technology use and inclusion in their daily family routines? Referring to the different forms of digital behaviors that a family can manifest in relation to the use of digital technology, we identified three specific family approaches to digitalization: Resistant, Retained, and Receptive. The 3Rs family conceptual model regarding the acceptance and use of digital technology includes children’s and adults’ perspectives and provides a constructivist approach to understanding how digital technology connects all family subsystems and ultimately produces changes in the dynamics and construction of family life and identity.

Methods of constitutional reasoning in six CEE countries

Miklós Könczöl — 2023-04-26

Book Review

Krisztián Németh — 2023-04-26

Book Review

Anna Sebestyén — 2023-04-26