In the framework of the international MOSAIC project the authors have taken a sample for the historic Kingdom of Hungary consisting of more than 30,000 persons and 6,000 households. Sampling was based on territorial differences and denominational distribution in order to assure (to the extent possible) economic and cultural multiplicity. In the course of this analysis the authors tried to reveal the determinants of household structure. They pointed out that a large majority (around 70 per cent) of households was of simple structure, that is to say consisted of one single nuclear family. At the same time, the percentage of multiple-family households (about 14 per cent) was also considerable besides that of extended-family households (ten per cent). The higher frequency of more complex household forms could be linked to the sex and age of the household heads. Female heads’ and older heads’ higher chances of living together with married relatives was proved both by descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis. This result shows that household structure was a dynamic phenomenon which changed considerably over time. Socio-occupational status appears to be a decisive factor. First of all, landowner status was linked to a much higher frequency of more complex household forms, which can be explained by the higher labour force demand of farming compared to other professions. Multivariate analysis confirmed the marked regional variety concerning household structure, but altered the weight of one or another region somewhat, thereby revealing the role of composition effect. Denominational differences remained in the course of the multivariate analysis, but the odds ratios showed weak effects. Considering the results with respect to the Hajnal model further conclusions can be drawn. First and foremost, strong spatial differences do not follow a West–East axis. Second, the decisive role of occupation and social position, the possible role of farming and land use, and subsequent and varied labour force demands of households (besides ethno-cultural features) can be all considered new evidence. This confirms the necessity of searching for alternative approaches to better understand the mechanisms and influencing factors of household formation.

Even though the history of decreasing birth rates in nineteenth- and twentieth century Europe is a relatively well-researched subject, its causes and particulars remain obscure. One of the main reasons for this is that scholarship continues to pay little or no attention to individual and micro-level data. Through the multivariate analysis of individual and longitudinal data, the present study examines the birth rates across several decades in a mixed-denomination (Catholic and Lutheran) settlement in Western Transdanubia in the age of rapid industrialization in the second half of the nineteenth century. One of the main research questions concerns the denominational and social patterns of birth rates before and during the decades of demographic transformation. The analysis suggests that prior to the transformation, the desire to have children was the highest among the upper echelons of local society (intellectuals, office workers) and the lowest among the lower rungs (day labourers, manorial servants). The subsequent decades of demographic transformation fundamentally uprooted the existing social patterns of birth rates and number of children. The transformation is best described as a divergent social process lasting for several decades: switching to a nuclear family pattern was first adopted by the upper social strata, with the local artisans and skilled labourers following suit. It was then adopted by the landed peasants and, finally, the lowest layers of society. Although the desire to have children was seemingly somewhat lower among Lutherans than Catholics, this discrepancy can be explained by the demographic and socioeconomic differences between the two denominations. Besides controlling the number of children, the decrease in birth rates was also a result of consciously increasing the interval between childbirths, a strategy adopted to a previously unprecedented degree during the years of the Great Depression.

Nincs absztrakt.

Nincs absztrakt.

Nincs absztrakt.