Research

Our main „umbrella” research project: Critical citizenship and citizenship education: anthropological perspectives
Rationale
Several research studies have been indicated that citizenship education is dysfunctional especially in Hungarian schools. Educational institutions often lack reflected educational processes offered for young people to gain more social awareness and a participatory political attitude.
In contemporary globalized, pluralistic and „democratic” societies the citizen as social subject and as fundamental anthropological reality is constructed in several ways. The concept of citizenship has expanded with categories of identity related to gender, class, sexuality, disability, culture, religion, ethnicity etc. And the oppressive systemic problems are more and more reflected regarding these categories. These changes have raised the need for critical awareness and active participation in social transformation.
Aims
The aims of the research project are

• to explore the literature of social sciences and philosophy concerning critical citizenship and to outline some solid theoretical concepts for the anthropology of the social subject;
• to study international models and experiences of citizenship and civic education to discover adaptive practices of citizenship education that can at least partly be characterized as critical;
• to create a research-based conceptual model and recommendations that can be used in educational practice.

Methodology
The methods to be employed:

• literature review for the theoretical part of our research (however the theoretical development will accompany the whole research process, not just its beginning, and it will involve the different participants in a participatory way) and for the inquiry of international models;
• qualitative content analysis method: official regulations and documents will be analysed and interpreted along the main theoretical concepts
• ethnographic research: the exploration of educational practices in the everyday life of a school that works in collaboration with a non-governmental organization (field work methods: participant observations, interviews, document analysis; a three-step collaborative case study; participatory methods such as photo voice, discussion groups).

Citizenship, Identity and School: Comparative School Ethnography supported by the Bolyai János Research Scholarship
Purpose:
The purpose of the study is to inquire the concepts, ideologies and everyday practices of two different schools regarding their education of the students’ subject as citizens, members of the Hungarian society.  The concept of citizen and citizenship education are interpreted in a wide sense in the study including not only the traditional dimension of citizenship education (voting rights, national identity/belonging, active participation), but considering the whole process how social subjectivities are formed and educated by schools: norms, social conduct, identities. Theoretically, the ethnography is based upon a Marxist analysis of social reproduction and education with some integration of Gramscian, Foucauldian and Freirean interpretations, and with a strong focus of performativity (Schechner, Turner).
The aim is to compare two different schools: one is an average upper secondary and high school with middle-class students in a town near Budapest, the other is a primary, lower secondary school in a very disadvantaged, slamish zone of the capital city with Rom/Cigány population.
One of the indirect aims of the research is to contribute to the greater awareness and recognition of the methodology of educational ethnography.
Methodology:
The study is a traditional, long-term ethnography: approximately for two years in the two institutions. The main researcher (György Mészáros) integrate participant observation with interviews and focus groups. He follows different strategies of field work in the schools according to the circumstances and possibilities. In both cases, there is a certain interventional, transformative character of the ethnography.
 
TGSE Towards Gender Sensitive Education supported by the Erasmus + Strategic Partnerships Program
 
Anthropological concepts and perspectives: theoretical, collaborative, participatory research supported by the Bolyai+ Research Scholarship of the New National Excellence Program
The aim of the project is to create a theoretical research process and to a certain extent a theory building process, too, during the 2018-1919 academic year, in which various actors (researchers, teachers, students) participate in a collaborative reflection on pedagogical theories and philosophies, particularly in relation to anthropology, and on how these theories contribute to a more reflective educational practice. The final result of the study will be a summary of commonly constructed theoretical approaches that can be used by teachers, students, and researchers in their daily work. Thus, this project is about expanding the research community of theoretical research. It is based on the conviction that theories are not just abstract thoughts, but they are connected to practice, and we are all theoreticians. The main leader of the research is György Mészáros, with the involvement of other fellows, but each participant can express his/her opinion as an equal partner and address the questions and debates on theories. The process of common theory exploration and creation will be done partly in online space, partly in one or more (voluntary) workshops.