BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE RESEARCH:
The aim of this three-year research is to explore the current situation of the social economy and social enterprises/initiatives in various rural regions of Hungary, and to examine the relationship between their specific (substantive) mode of operation and the social integration of disadvantaged/difficult-to-integrate local people, as well as the coherence of local communities.
Our research investigates the characteristics of the social economy on multiple levels: on one hand, we are conducting national-level data collection to map different organizations, and on the other, we are carrying out expert interviews with professionals who have insight into various support structures and organization types. Taking into account organizational density and heterogeneity, four different rural sub-regions will be selected for intensive fieldwork and deeper examination.
The novelty of this research lies in its approach: it does not merely map actors in the social economy based on traditional organizational forms and available databases, but aims to uncover a wider range of actors using expert interviews, local data, documents, and a snowball method based on a substantive definition. Social enterprises/initiatives are studied not as isolated entities but as embedded in local societies and networks, combining several sociological and anthropological methods to enable in-depth analysis (such as semi-structured interviews, field visits and participatory observation, visual data collection, focus groups, and network analysis).
The research focuses not only on the individual-level benefits of the social economy (e.g., for disadvantaged workers) but also on its broader impact on communities. As such, it connects research areas like social economy and local identity or place attachment. This research is linked to previous studies on the social economy and local economic development in Hungary, and through systematic analysis, it highlights changes that have occurred over the past decade. It expands our knowledge not only of the social economy and local development but also of contemporary rural Hungarian society, and is expected to yield important results from the perspective of social integration and sustainable development.
RESEARCH TEAM:
- Márta Kiss – Lead Researcher
- Bernadett Csurgó – Senior Researcher
- Boldizsár Megyesi – Senior Researcher
- Katalin Rácz – Senior Researcher
- Gyöngyi Schwarcz – Senior Researcher
- Botond Palaczki – Research Associate
MAIN RESULTS in 2024:
In 2024, within the research project, a database of domestic social economy actors was compiled, based on which national and district-level maps were created. The four sub-regions selected for fieldwork have been determined. The planned national expert interviews were conducted, and fieldwork was carried out in two of the selected districts: a) at the regional level through expert and organizational interviews, document collection, and mapping local websites; b) through three "deep dives" per district into individual settlements, including interviews with mayors, organization leaders, civil actors, and residents, along with the documentation of organizational networks, field visits, and visual documentation.
- In connection with the research topic, a national conference session was organised: “Digitalization and Social Change” – Annual Meeting of the Hungarian Sociological Society, 2024, Pécs
- A total of two domestic and one international presentation were delivered on the topic.
- Furthermore, a Q1 international journal article on the status of social cooperatives in Hungary was published:
Kiss, Márta – Rácz, Katalin (2024): Beyond the formal economy. Social cooperatives for labour integration under the pressure of market competitiveness. Social Enterprise Journal, Vol. 20 No. 4, pp. 472–498. Emerald Publishing Limited.
DOI: 10.1108/SEJ-09-2023-0112
Available: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/sej-09-2023-0112/full/html
- Additionally, a session plan and presentation abstract on the topic of social and solidarity economy were submitted and accepted for the international conference “Navigating rural transitions: Exploring liveable futures” organised by the ESRS (European Society for Rural Sociology), to be held in 2025 in Riga, Latvia.
Conference link