KINCS Memorial Conference paid tribute to the legacy of Professor Mária Kopp MD
On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the birth of Professor Mária Kopp MD and the 10th anniversary of her death, the Mária Kopp Institute for Demography and Families (KINCS) commemorated the heritage of her namesake. The results of the research on the mental health of Hungarians, Hungarostudy 2021, were also presented at the event. Those interested could follow the conference online.
In her opening remarks, Tünde Fűrész, President of KINCS, recalling the name of the institute, said: Mária Kopp, who would be 80 years old on Friday, had been researching the mental state of Hungarians for decades and set up a population roundtable to address demographic challenges. Most of the proposals have now been implemented: there is family-type taxation, the system of family benefits has become more flexible, there are more and more crèche places, and a family home allowance has been launched to deal with young people's housing.
Hungarostudy has been examining the state of mind of Hungarians since 1988, the first five researches being led by Mária Kopp. Hungarostudy 2021 can be read in the professional journal of KINCS, in Kapocs, and can also be found in the e-library under https://konyvtar.koppmariaintezet.hu/?page_id=56& lang =hu - she explained. She also reported that the book Mária Kopp and her husband, Árpád Skrabski, entitled The Ways and Labyrinths of the Search for Happiness, which is a guide to everyday life, was published for the fifth time. President Fűrész announced, that KINCS launches a Fiction and scholarly writings competition related to the and the topics of Hungarostudy. Adding that applications may be submitted until April 30, the best writings are planned to be published in a book.
Fruzsina Skrabski, the daughter of Mária Kopp, shared personal stories about her mother. The president of the Three Princes, Three Princes Movement said: Mária Kopp would be pleased with the professional collaboration between KINCS and the Institute of behavioural Sciences, which she founded at Semmelweis University and led for fourteen years.
Without extensive co-operation, there is no strong, family-friendly Hungary, and the scientific sphere, the civil sector and economic actors also have an important role to play in shaping family policy - the parliamentary secretary of state for families said at the conference. Róbert Zsigó said at the event: the government has been working to strengthen families since 2010 and has created a stable, targeted, flexible family support system that protects the basic unit of society, the family.
The government will spend 6.2 percent of GDP, HUF 3,500 billion, on family support this year, three and a half times as much as in 2010, he said. Among the family policy measures, he mentioned the PIT reimbursement of parents raising a child, the baby- expecting sudsidy that has made it easier for 200,000 young couples to start their adult lives, the PIT exemption for those under 25 and the reintroduction of the 13th month pension. Hungarian families need predictability and security, so it is important that the government can continue the work it has started in the future, emphasized Róbert Zsigó.
Miklós Soltész, Secretary of State for Church and Ethnic Relations of the Prime Minister's Office, spoke in a video message about the large increase in the number of marriages, the increase in the desire to have children and the significant decrease in the number of divorces and abortions. These results prove that the family support system is successful, he said. According to the Secretary of State, in addition to family support, spiritual strengthening, strengthening communities, and upholding traditional values have greatly contributed to the strengthening of families.
Prof. Dr. Béla Merkely, Rector of Semmelweis University, drew attention to the fact that health is the greatest value, therefore the institution is committed to gaining a comprehensive picture of the physical and mental condition of the Hungarian population. This is particularly important so that it can be done actively and effectively to improve it, he stressed. He said that the university started a cooperation agreement with KINCS in 2020, as part of which the Hungarostudy survey was conducted jointly this year. Among other things, the research revealed that married people are more satisfied with themselves and their lives, and that their desire for starting a family is much higher, and that social support, sibling relationships, and work-life balance are important, the rector explained.
Prof. Dr. György Purebl, director of the Institute of Behavioural Sciences, said that according to representative research, the desire to have children has increased, four out of five desired children are already born. Women between the ages of 18 and 40 who are already having a child and had a positive birth experience are most willing to have children, she added.
Dr. Ágnes Engler, the scientific vice-president of KINCS, stated that based on the results of the research, it can be seen that Hungarians opt for a family model with two children. Respondents say the ideal number of children per family is 2.1 children on average, which is the same as in 2013, she said, adding that the proportion of those planning to have three children has increased significantly. More than two-thirds of childless respondents definitely want a child, and more than 60 percent of respondents said they plan to have a child in the family in the next five years, he said. He added that the latter was claimed by 95 percent of married people and 90 per cent of cohabiting people, but a large proportion of single people thought so as well.
Among the most important conditions for having a child, a secure job, income, a family-friendly workplace, and then appropriate health, social, parental and friendly support were indicated. Finding the right pair and the problems in the relationship are seen as a hindrance, he said. He also said that more than 85 percent of the respondents agreed with the statement that "I am much more willing to be a Hungarian citizen than a citizen of any other country."
The event ended with a roundtable discussion on the intellectual heritage of Mária Kopp and Árpád Skrabski and on the history and results of Hungarostudy research. At the beginning of the conversation, András Székely, the senior researcher of KINCS, said that the values showing the happiness and satisfaction of Hungarians have significantly improved since the last survey in 2013. Dr. Éva Susánszky, associate professor at the Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Semmelweis University, has compared previous research. She emphasized that the vast majority of the measurement tools used in the studies were internationally validated, so it would be possible to compare data from different countries later.
Dr. Róbert Zoltán Bódizs, research director of the Institute of Behavioural Sciences of SOTE, spoke about the results related to sleeping habits among the factors influencing physical health. He said that the adult Hungarian population spends an average of 8 hours and 13 minutes a day sleeping, which is an outstanding result.
Dr. András Pári, Head of Research of KINCS presented the findings related to twins. He said the investigation found an extremely strong sibling relationship between twins. It was also found that those with twin siblings are planning to have more children than average, for a total of 2.2 children. Ágnes Kapdebo, policy analyst at KINCS, spoke about the impact of the coronavirus epidemic on relationships. The results showed that 83.2 percent of couples did not experience a change and 15.4 percent reported a strengthening relationship. He emphasized that the family- and child-centered attitude of Hungarians had not weakened despite the pandemic.
Source: MTI
