Papers by Ágnes Van Til Kövér
Socio.hu, 2024
A tanulmany megvizsgalja a szimbolikus rendszerek egyes elemeit, az eszlelesnek, a nyelvnek es a ... more A tanulmany megvizsgalja a szimbolikus rendszerek egyes elemeit, az eszlelesnek, a nyelvnek es a nemek reprezentaci6janak azon kontextusait, amelyek felepftik es naturalizaljak azt a nemek hierarchiajan alapul6 szimbolikus hatalmat es strukturalis val6sagot, amelynek egyszerre vagyunk elszenvedoi es ujrakonstrual6i. Ravilagft tovabba a tudomany szerepere a nemi viszonyok hierarchikus rendjenek eloallftasaban es evszaza dokon keresztul torteno igazolasaban. Mindezt a 20. szazad masodik felenek filoz6fiai es tarsadalomtudoma nyi, a posztstrukturalizmust, a fenomenol6giat es a posztmodernt magaba foglal6 aramlatainak segftsegevel teszi, melyek - elsosorban a nyugati vilagban - jelentosen hatottak a nemekrol es nemi viszonyokr61val6 gondolkodasra. Vegul a tanulmany f6kuszba helyezi azokat a kfserleteket, amelyek a szimbolikus rendszerek erejevel, a nyelven keresztul, a dekonstrukci6 eszkozeivel pr6baltak lebontani a hierarchiat, majd attekinti a noiesseg dekonstrukci6janak a 20. szazad elejen indul6 es maig tart6 kfserleteit. A tanulmany valaszt keres arra, hogy a szimbolikus rendszerek kulonfele elemei hogyan tesznek fogekonnya a hagyomanyos nemi sze repek es szerepelvarasok elfogadasara, es hogy hogyan hasznalja ezeket az eszkozoket korunk autoriter illi beralizmusa a patriarchatus restauralasanak jelenkori folyamataban, illetve hogyan hasznalhat6k ugyanezen szimbolikus eszkozok a nemi hierarchiak es a nemi elnyomas elleni kuzdelemben.
The paper explores the constituent components of symbolic systems, including perception, linguistic const ructs, and the representation of gender, which contribute to the establishment and normalization of symbo lic authority and the structural framework predicated upon gender hierarchies. Moreover, the text elucida tes the pivotal role of scientific discourse in the generation and legitimization of gender-based hierarchical arrangements across epochs. Drawing upon the philosophical and sociological movements prevalent in the latter half of the 20th century, notably post-structuralism, phenomenology, and postmodernism, the text delineates the profound influence of these, particularly within Western discourse, in shaping conceptions of gender and gender relations. Furthermore, the study directs attention toward attempts to subvert hie rarchical paradigms through deconstruction methodologies. Finally, the study explores those efforts which, from the beginning of the 20th century to the present, have applied the metaphor of ,,femininity as a mask" to protect women's autonomy and independence. The paper seeks to discern the mechanisms by which variouscomponents of symbolic systems predispose us to acquiesce to traditional gender roles and expecta tions and the ways in which symbolic systems are utilized by authoritarian illiberalism to restore patriarchal rule.
The Hungarian Patient, Jun 1, 2015
Women have been targeted in demographic discourses and policies for more than 200 years due to th... more Women have been targeted in demographic discourses and policies for more than 200 years due to the unquestioned premise that the “natural fact” of procreation is women’s primary concern and, consequently, they are the primary causative agents of demographic imbalances. As an important element of this process, women’s “fertility behavior” and “childbearing willingness” have become indicators of demographic research. This limited perspective contributes to the maintenance of a particular gender regime and implicitly implies that women’s emancipation is the cause of the Western phenomenon of low reproductive rates. The gender regime (Walby 2001, 2004, 2011; Connell 1987) is a pattern of social relations that is linked to reproduction and gender-based division of work, though in different forms, in every society. The “National Consultation 2018: Protecting Families” text is one of the typical examples of today’s Hungarian gender regime. The current study is the first part of that analys...
The study is the second part of the paper published in TNTeF, December 2018. It examines and anal... more The study is the second part of the paper published in TNTeF, December 2018. It examines and analyzes the questions included in the government’s document, “National Consultation 2018, Protecting Families”. It draws on the tools of discourse analysis within the theoretical framework of Michelle Foucault’s (1991, 2007) bio-power and biopolitics. Moreover, it deconstructs the government’s strategy of consultation as a form of “democratic participation”. The study sees the consultation itself and the formulation of the issues that the document contains as a technology of power for shaping citizens. These power technologies, which Foucault called truth regimes (Foucault 1991; 2007), are nowadays often described as “post-truth politics” (Mair 2017; Kalpokas 2018) or “the art of lying” (Rabin-Havt & Media Matters for America 2016) or truth wars (Lee 2015). Concerning the purposes of ideological manipulation, the document manufactures a process of social homogenization, transforming the cit...
International Journal of Lifelong Education, 2020
What role can the university play in the broader community or society in which it is embedded? Mu... more What role can the university play in the broader community or society in which it is embedded? Must it remain segregated in the halls of science and knowledge, which tower above the community? This book examines the growing number of questions and concerns around university-community relations by exploring widely accepted theories and practices and placing them under new light. From a shared point of agreement that the university is an institution which should move beyond the production of higher knowledge for power elites, the contributors provide critical reflections and reports on efforts to bring about change in the canonic discourse or power-biased attitudes in universities throughout the Northern Hemisphere and Australia. The central message is that the strengthening of direct relations between universities and communities is vital to the construction of social capital and to the opening of universities to society. These are processes to be advanced on both local and international levels, as they involve democratizing rather than corporatizing, extending the reach of our educational process, sharing knowledge, resources, and expertise and reinforcing community decision-making and problem-solving capacity. How these processes of change develop and unfold within a number of universities in a wide range of countries is the story told in this book. This book will appeal to a wide readership, from students and community activists looking to make education meaningful and cooperative, to educational policy makers, members of the professoriate, and academic administrators, seeking to sustain withering institutions and provide vision for new program developments.
University and Society, 2019
We have to 'review and reconsider the interchange of value between university and society; that i... more We have to 'review and reconsider the interchange of value between university and society; that is to say, we need to rethink the social relevance of universities'.
Nonprofit Policy Forum, 2015
This paper conceptualizes challenges and dangers that have impacted Hungary’s civil society (thir... more This paper conceptualizes challenges and dangers that have impacted Hungary’s civil society (third sector, nonprofit sector, voluntary sector) over the past decade. The cases presented illustrate the fragility of both the civil sector and its underlying democracy in Hungary. The boundaries between state and nonprofits reveal pervasive paternalistic/cliental processes stemming from the period between the two world wars and pre-1989 experience of public–private relations and issue management. On the one hand, old regime strategies have survived and been maintained by the overt and unreflected dependency of the civil sector on the state. Secondly, the boundaries between church organizations and civil nonprofits present a politically mis(non)managed process that has resulted in a fading role of non-church NGOs in the field of social service. This process can be traced back to an unequal and biased treatment of service provider organizations in an allegedly sector-neutral environment. Bo...
Társadalmi Nemek Tudománya Interdiszciplináris eFolyóirat
The Risk of Education, 2019
This volume examines questions about the relations between university and society increasingly fa... more This volume examines questions about the relations between university and society increasingly familiar in many central academic locations, and sets them in scenes and places in which new sets of participants are actively engaged. In this way, its authors take widely accepted theories and practices, placing them under new light. What role can the university play in the broader community or society in which it is embedded? Is it embedded at all? Or must it remain segregated into the halls of science and knowledge which tower above the community? This book explores multifarious relations, connections, and mutual influences and exchanges between university and society from different perspectives, giving different understandings to the role of universities, and the variety of approaches undertaken with its support. Distinct perspectives typify the expectations and claims that confront the university from the viewpoint of the wider society, and from that of the narrower community, which ...
University and Society, 2019
Nonprofit Policy Forum
COVID-19 created an extraordinary social situation in which governments struggle to mitigate the ... more COVID-19 created an extraordinary social situation in which governments struggle to mitigate the harmful consequences of the pandemic. Challenging times show a society’s resilience and capacity for solidarity and cohesion, the government’s ability to deal with emergencies effectively, the stability and inclusiveness of political systems, and their aptitude to respect democratic values. It is particularly important to examine this period from the point of view of civil society and civil society organizations (CSOs), since civil society plays a pivotal role in the alleviation and dissipation of societal troubles associated with the epidemic, indeed a vital role in curbing the virus. The civil sector’s strength and resilience too is tested. As the studies in this Special Issue show, exploiting the potential of civil society was an option that only some countries have been able to seize - as a result of which they have effectively reduced the consequences of the calamity while increasin...
Nonprofit Policy Forum
The paper examines the CSOs – government relations during the COVID-19 pandemic, first introducin... more The paper examines the CSOs – government relations during the COVID-19 pandemic, first introducing how the pandemic affected the already authoritarian regime in Hungary and how this regime utilized the epidemic to extend and fortify its power. Then the paper presents the antecedents of the relationship between civil society and government in the frame of the National System of Cooperation (NSC). This relationship is unilaterally dominated by the government, and it may appear as a “4C strategy”: Cooptation, Coercion, Crowding out, Creation (the creation of a new, loyal civil society). Exploring the civil society and government relations during the pandemic, the study will conclude that there was no government attempt to coordinate the activities of CSOs or to try to harmonize sectoral cooperation from a broader perspective. The occurrences demonstrated the explosion of solidarity and the carnival of solidarity. These forms of solidarity, however, remain informal and leave deepening s...
Nonprofit Policy Forum
The paper examines the CSOs – government relations during the COVID-19 pandemic, first introducin... more The paper examines the CSOs – government relations during the COVID-19 pandemic, first introducing how the pandemic affected the already authoritarian regime in Hungary and how this regime utilized the epidemic to extend and fortify its power. Then the paper presents the antecedents of the relationship between civil society and government in the frame of the National System of Cooperation (NSC). This relationship is unilaterally dominated by the government, and it may appear as a “4C strategy”: Cooptation, Coercion, Crowding out, Creation (the creation of a new, loyal civil society). Exploring the civil society and government relations during the pandemic, the study will conclude that there was no government attempt to coordinate the activities of CSOs or to try to harmonize sectoral cooperation from a broader perspective. The occurrences demonstrated the explosion of solidarity and the carnival of solidarity. These forms of solidarity, however, remain informal and leave deepening s...
Nonprofit Policy Forum, 2021
COVID-19 created an extraordinary social situation inwhich governments
struggle to mitigate the h... more COVID-19 created an extraordinary social situation inwhich governments
struggle to mitigate the harmful consequences of the pandemic. Challenging times
show a society’s resilience and capacity for solidarity and cohesion, the government’s
ability to deal with emergencies effectively, the stability and inclusiveness of
political systems, and their aptitude to respect democratic values. It is particularly
important to examine this period from the point of view of civil society and civil
society organizations (CSOs), since civil society plays a pivotal role in the alleviation
and dissipation of societal troubles associated with the epidemic, indeed a vital role
in curbing the virus. The civil sector’s strength and resilience too is tested. As the
studies in this Special Issue show, exploiting the potential of civil society was an
option that only some countries have been able to seize - as a result of which they
have effectively reduced the consequences of the calamity while increasing a sense
of solidarity and belonging in their societies.Others, however, failed to recognize the
importance of civil society and interpreted the situation as a “single-actor play on
stage”. Neither solidarity nor cohesion play out as values in these latter cases;
instead the single actor – government – grabs the opportunity to play the role of the
heroic savior and the exclusive problem solver, grabbing for itself both symbolic
gains and increasing concentration of power. Citizens are expected to trust no one or
no organization except the charismatic leader (or party). Thereby is forged a vertical
and hierarchical chain of control, rather than a horizontally linked network of trust
and cooperation. The studies and commentaries in this issue cover nine countries
located on an imaginary line beginning in the United Kingdom, and extending
through Germany, Austria, Hungary, Turkey, Israel, India, China and South Korea,
representing various socio-political and economic systems. Embedded in elaborated
theoretical understandings, this introductory essay examines the research articles of
this Special Issue in which authors unfold the dynamics of CSO-government
relations in the context of the world pandemic. These accounts sharpen our understanding of the preexisting shape of government–CSO relations. The introduction places the countries on a scale which classifies them according to the characteristics of civil society–government relations unfolding during the pandemic. One of the endpoints is represented by those countries where the CSO’s creative and constructive responses to the social challenges were prevented or blocked by the government. In this setup, CSOs were ignored at best, and restrictions undercut their abilities to contribute to the process of mitigating the pandemic and its consequences. Meanwhile, at the opposite end of this scale, are countries where the government, both central and local, invited civil society partners in the response to COVID-19, orchestrated high-quality and multilevel cross-sectoral cooperation, and provided partners with the necessary (financial) resources. In those cases, CSOs were empowered effectively to participate in a process designed to address the epidemic and its consequences in accordance with principles of participatory democracy.
Civil Society and COVID-19 in Hungary: The Complete Annexation of Civil Space, 2021
The paper examines the CSOs-government relations during the COVID-19 pandemic, first introducing ... more The paper examines the CSOs-government relations during the COVID-19 pandemic, first introducing how the pandemic affected the already authoritarian regime in Hungary and how this regime utilized the epidemic to extend and fortify its power. Then the paper presents the antecedents of the relationship between civil society and government in the frame of the National System of Cooperation (NSC). This relationship is unilaterally dominated by the government, and it may appear as a "4C strategy": Cooptation, Coercion, Crowding out, Creation (the creation of a new, loyal civil society). Exploring the civil society and government relations during the pandemic, the study will conclude that there was no government attempt to coordinate the activities of CSOs or to try to harmonize sectoral cooperation from a broader perspective. The occurrences demonstrated the explosion of solidarity and the carnival of solidarity. These forms of solidarity, however, remain informal and leave deepening structural problems untouched. The paper presents the results of an empirical research which was conducted between March and September of 2020. The nodal points of the research include the resilience and flexibility of the organizations, their efforts to assist during the emergency and lockdown, as well as the issues of networking and the nature of their relations with the national and local authorities.
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Papers by Ágnes Van Til Kövér
The paper explores the constituent components of symbolic systems, including perception, linguistic const ructs, and the representation of gender, which contribute to the establishment and normalization of symbo lic authority and the structural framework predicated upon gender hierarchies. Moreover, the text elucida tes the pivotal role of scientific discourse in the generation and legitimization of gender-based hierarchical arrangements across epochs. Drawing upon the philosophical and sociological movements prevalent in the latter half of the 20th century, notably post-structuralism, phenomenology, and postmodernism, the text delineates the profound influence of these, particularly within Western discourse, in shaping conceptions of gender and gender relations. Furthermore, the study directs attention toward attempts to subvert hie rarchical paradigms through deconstruction methodologies. Finally, the study explores those efforts which, from the beginning of the 20th century to the present, have applied the metaphor of ,,femininity as a mask" to protect women's autonomy and independence. The paper seeks to discern the mechanisms by which variouscomponents of symbolic systems predispose us to acquiesce to traditional gender roles and expecta tions and the ways in which symbolic systems are utilized by authoritarian illiberalism to restore patriarchal rule.
struggle to mitigate the harmful consequences of the pandemic. Challenging times
show a society’s resilience and capacity for solidarity and cohesion, the government’s
ability to deal with emergencies effectively, the stability and inclusiveness of
political systems, and their aptitude to respect democratic values. It is particularly
important to examine this period from the point of view of civil society and civil
society organizations (CSOs), since civil society plays a pivotal role in the alleviation
and dissipation of societal troubles associated with the epidemic, indeed a vital role
in curbing the virus. The civil sector’s strength and resilience too is tested. As the
studies in this Special Issue show, exploiting the potential of civil society was an
option that only some countries have been able to seize - as a result of which they
have effectively reduced the consequences of the calamity while increasing a sense
of solidarity and belonging in their societies.Others, however, failed to recognize the
importance of civil society and interpreted the situation as a “single-actor play on
stage”. Neither solidarity nor cohesion play out as values in these latter cases;
instead the single actor – government – grabs the opportunity to play the role of the
heroic savior and the exclusive problem solver, grabbing for itself both symbolic
gains and increasing concentration of power. Citizens are expected to trust no one or
no organization except the charismatic leader (or party). Thereby is forged a vertical
and hierarchical chain of control, rather than a horizontally linked network of trust
and cooperation. The studies and commentaries in this issue cover nine countries
located on an imaginary line beginning in the United Kingdom, and extending
through Germany, Austria, Hungary, Turkey, Israel, India, China and South Korea,
representing various socio-political and economic systems. Embedded in elaborated
theoretical understandings, this introductory essay examines the research articles of
this Special Issue in which authors unfold the dynamics of CSO-government
relations in the context of the world pandemic. These accounts sharpen our understanding of the preexisting shape of government–CSO relations. The introduction places the countries on a scale which classifies them according to the characteristics of civil society–government relations unfolding during the pandemic. One of the endpoints is represented by those countries where the CSO’s creative and constructive responses to the social challenges were prevented or blocked by the government. In this setup, CSOs were ignored at best, and restrictions undercut their abilities to contribute to the process of mitigating the pandemic and its consequences. Meanwhile, at the opposite end of this scale, are countries where the government, both central and local, invited civil society partners in the response to COVID-19, orchestrated high-quality and multilevel cross-sectoral cooperation, and provided partners with the necessary (financial) resources. In those cases, CSOs were empowered effectively to participate in a process designed to address the epidemic and its consequences in accordance with principles of participatory democracy.
The paper explores the constituent components of symbolic systems, including perception, linguistic const ructs, and the representation of gender, which contribute to the establishment and normalization of symbo lic authority and the structural framework predicated upon gender hierarchies. Moreover, the text elucida tes the pivotal role of scientific discourse in the generation and legitimization of gender-based hierarchical arrangements across epochs. Drawing upon the philosophical and sociological movements prevalent in the latter half of the 20th century, notably post-structuralism, phenomenology, and postmodernism, the text delineates the profound influence of these, particularly within Western discourse, in shaping conceptions of gender and gender relations. Furthermore, the study directs attention toward attempts to subvert hie rarchical paradigms through deconstruction methodologies. Finally, the study explores those efforts which, from the beginning of the 20th century to the present, have applied the metaphor of ,,femininity as a mask" to protect women's autonomy and independence. The paper seeks to discern the mechanisms by which variouscomponents of symbolic systems predispose us to acquiesce to traditional gender roles and expecta tions and the ways in which symbolic systems are utilized by authoritarian illiberalism to restore patriarchal rule.
struggle to mitigate the harmful consequences of the pandemic. Challenging times
show a society’s resilience and capacity for solidarity and cohesion, the government’s
ability to deal with emergencies effectively, the stability and inclusiveness of
political systems, and their aptitude to respect democratic values. It is particularly
important to examine this period from the point of view of civil society and civil
society organizations (CSOs), since civil society plays a pivotal role in the alleviation
and dissipation of societal troubles associated with the epidemic, indeed a vital role
in curbing the virus. The civil sector’s strength and resilience too is tested. As the
studies in this Special Issue show, exploiting the potential of civil society was an
option that only some countries have been able to seize - as a result of which they
have effectively reduced the consequences of the calamity while increasing a sense
of solidarity and belonging in their societies.Others, however, failed to recognize the
importance of civil society and interpreted the situation as a “single-actor play on
stage”. Neither solidarity nor cohesion play out as values in these latter cases;
instead the single actor – government – grabs the opportunity to play the role of the
heroic savior and the exclusive problem solver, grabbing for itself both symbolic
gains and increasing concentration of power. Citizens are expected to trust no one or
no organization except the charismatic leader (or party). Thereby is forged a vertical
and hierarchical chain of control, rather than a horizontally linked network of trust
and cooperation. The studies and commentaries in this issue cover nine countries
located on an imaginary line beginning in the United Kingdom, and extending
through Germany, Austria, Hungary, Turkey, Israel, India, China and South Korea,
representing various socio-political and economic systems. Embedded in elaborated
theoretical understandings, this introductory essay examines the research articles of
this Special Issue in which authors unfold the dynamics of CSO-government
relations in the context of the world pandemic. These accounts sharpen our understanding of the preexisting shape of government–CSO relations. The introduction places the countries on a scale which classifies them according to the characteristics of civil society–government relations unfolding during the pandemic. One of the endpoints is represented by those countries where the CSO’s creative and constructive responses to the social challenges were prevented or blocked by the government. In this setup, CSOs were ignored at best, and restrictions undercut their abilities to contribute to the process of mitigating the pandemic and its consequences. Meanwhile, at the opposite end of this scale, are countries where the government, both central and local, invited civil society partners in the response to COVID-19, orchestrated high-quality and multilevel cross-sectoral cooperation, and provided partners with the necessary (financial) resources. In those cases, CSOs were empowered effectively to participate in a process designed to address the epidemic and its consequences in accordance with principles of participatory democracy.
This book examines the growing number of questions and concerns around university-community relations by exploring widely accepted theories and practices and placing them under new light. From a shared point of agreement that the university is an institution which should move beyond the production of higher knowledge for power elites, the contributors provide critical reflections and reports on efforts to bring about change in the canonic discourse or power-biased attitudes in universities throughout the Northern Hemisphere and Australia. The central message is that the strengthening of direct relations between universities and communities is vital to the construction of social capital and to the opening of universities to society. These are processes to be advanced on both local and international levels, as they involve democratizing rather than corporatizing, extending the reach of
our educational process, sharing knowledge, resources, and expertise and reinforcing community decision-making and problem-solving capacity. How these processes of change develop and unfold within a number of universities in a wide range of countries is the story told in this book. This book will appeal to a wide readership, from students and community activists looking to make education meaningful and cooperative, to educational policy makers, members of the professoriate, and academic administrators, seeking to sustain withering institutions and provide vision for new program developments.