Intersections-East European Journal of Society and Politics

The world in 2025 from a Weberian - Polanyian perspective:

2026-02-02

Iván Szelényi, Attila Melegh, Péter Mihályi

The world of work in Hungarian television:

2026-02-02

Andrea Nyéki

The main role of the media is to be an information source – such as a window on the world – which forms people’s knowledge, values and attitudes. Several studies have shown that the impact of television during socialisation is unquestionable, and it continues to shape people’s perceptions later on too. If the portrayal of the labour force on television is distorted, it can not only distort in the audience’s image of the world but also alter their perceptions of their own lives and make them dissatisfied with their own social status. A great amount of foreign research has been conducted on this topic, but no such research has yet been done in Hungary. The current study examines how Hungarian fiction series portray the world of work by quantitative content analysis of all series of which the premiere was broadcast between 2015 and 2019 in the prime-time slot and gave sufficient opportunity for discovering portrayals of occupational roles. The results show that the world presented on television is more masculine and glamorous, with certain occupations significantly overrepresented, while some other occupations are neglected compared to the real world. The portrayal of characters also shows a distorted picture of society in the television world.

Gender perspectives on research impact:

2026-02-02

Karolina Lendák-Kabók, Kalpana Shankar, Marc Vanholsbeeck

The increasing emphasis on research impact in academia necessitates a deeper understanding of how early career researchers (ECRs) perceive and engage with this concept, especially through the lens of gender. This study aims to explore the gendered dimensions of research impact among ECRs in the social sciences. We conducted a comprehensive survey across over thirty countries in Europe, as well as South Africa. The methodology involved thematic analysis of survey responses, focusing on differences in attitudes towards impact, the challenges faced, and the role of gender in shaping these perceptions. Our findings reveal that while there are no significant gender differences in the conceptualization of research impact, female ECRs experience greater vulnerability due to systemic inequities in academia. These disparities affect their career trajectories and ability to generate impact. This study highlights the need for tailored support structures to address these gender-specific challenges and calls for further empirical research to validate and expand upon these initial findings.