Cseh, István

Hungarian

The author provides a brief summary of the results of an ethnographic social study of a monographic nature made in two characteristic Hungarian ethnographic regions, Sárköz (Tolna county) and the area of Zengőalja (the region of Pécsvárad, Baranya county). In these regions, during the period 1870—1910 there still existed patriarchal joint-families comprised of three, and sometimes four families, and exhibiting a strict internal unity. In the first part of the publication it ispointed out that during that period these joint-families represented a transitional type in the approach to the independent-family form. Nevertheless, they do make up one of the links with the tradition of the joint-family form which could still be found in certain districts of Hungary even in the second half of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century. The protestant Hungarians o f Sárköz and Zengőalja adhered to this family form for the following reasons: 1. The safeguarding of the continuity of the economic system in the interest of the maintenance and increase of the family assets. 2. The assuring of the welfare of the old members. 3. Initially (in the 1870's) because of the financial difficulties, and then later the increasing of the assets. An anomalous side-effect and consequence of this was the norm of the birth of oniy one child (Hungarian: „egykézés"). 4. The custom of the joint-family form inherited from earlier centuries and preserved. 5. The characteristically closed ethnic group. 6. The Southern Slav influence, evidence for which can be found in the ornamental art of Sárköz and in the costume too. The second chapter of the dissertation expounds more fully on the significance of the economic factors. In the next part follows a description of the position, rights and duties within the family of the patriarch and his wife, and of the other members. Attention is drawn to the connections of the joint-family with the more distant relatives and with the inhabitants of the community in general.. This chapter presents the terminology used to name the cognate relation-groups, and a more detailed definition of their meaning. Next follows an account of those indications of relationships arising as a result of marriage, and the names of the various types of artificial relationships. The fourth chapter describes those customs which contributed to the practising and cultivation of the relationships within the joint-family in the studied regions. Participation in the most important events of life and in their related ceremonies (birth — christening, marriage — wedding-feast, death — funeral) can primarily be regarded as the important element. The dissertation ends with the raising of essential questions still to be examined. Such vital problems are, for instance, the research of the historical analogies of the transitional joint-family form written about here, and the investigation! of the survival and modifications of the family structure based on patriarchal relations

Cseh István

University of Szeged

A nagycsalád-rendszer emlékei és maradványai a Sárközben és Pécsvárad környékén : 1870-1910

http://acta.bibl.u-szeged.hu/3533/1/etno_lingu_015_016_179-185.pdf

A nagycsalád-rendszer emlékei és maradványai a Sárközben és Pécsvárad környékén : 1870-1910

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

University of Szeged