Study shows Hungarian men juggling carefree, breadwinner roles

By: MTI

2011-05-27 07:35

A majority of Hungarian men have no hopes of achieving the financial independence they consider to be an essential part of the masculine role, Thursday's daily Nepszabadsag said, citing a recent study from Pecs University.

Krisztian Steigervald, one of the researchers involved in the study, said Hungarian men find it hard to juggle the image of the carefree playboy with the man who must support his family. According to the study, both qualities are deemed to be part of what it means to be a man in today's Hungary.

Fully 43 percent of respondents said it was enough to have money in order to have a "good life", while only 25 percent considered this was within their own reach.

"Perhaps a frustration over that tension is why every third Hungarian man drinks alcohol every day or several times a week," Steigervald told the paper.

At the same time three out of five men never exercise and only ten percent of respondents said they exercised regularly, which is half of the European Union average, he said.

However, a new generation of Hungarian men appears to be in the making, according to the study. A majority of young Hungarian men polled claim to participate in housework, and a third of them enjoy cooking. They also feel more self-conscious about their appearance than older generations. A quarter of respondents said they would like to lose a few pounds and 84 percent buy cosmetic products regularly, the study said.

Maria Torocsik, an economist and trends researcher also involved in the study, said men find it hard to fulfill women's requirements in the modern age of being a family man at the same time as providing financial stability.

She said men will definitely benefit from being able to show more emotion and not having to repress qualms, but it will be some time before they can deliver on new expectations while still fulfilling traditional male roles.