Socio.hu Social Science Review is a double-blind peer-reviewed journal published online by the ELTE CSS Institute for Sociology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences Centre of Excellence. It is ranked in category „A” by the Committee on Sociology of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
ELTE TK Szociológiai Kutatóintézet, Magyar Tudományos Akadémia Kiváló Kutatóhely
The interview, prepared by Theodosia Timea Tibori for the Professional History Collection of the Voice of the 20th Century Archive and published here in edited form, presents the entire career and diverse research projects of Ágnes Losonczi. <pre id="tw-target-text-feminine" class="tw-data-text tw-text-large tw-ta" dir="ltr" tabindex="-1" role="text" data-placeholder="Translation" aria-label="Translated text: The interview, prepared by Tibori Theodosia Timea for the Professional History Collection of the Voice of the 20th Century Archive and Research Workshop and published here in edited form, presents the entire career of Ágnes Losonczi and her diverse research work.">
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Foreword to the Special Issue Imprints of our harmful and protective society: following Ágnes Losonczi's questions
Foreword to the Special Issue: Poverty, Inequalities, and Social Policy – The Legacy and Contemporary Relevance of Zsuzsa Ferge
2024 májusában felhívást tettünk közzé tematikus lapszámba való jelentkezésre. Olyan tanulmányokat vártunk, amelyek a 2024 áprilisában elhunyt, iskolateremtő szociológus Ferge Zsuzsa életművére építve, azt újragondolva foglalkoznak a „fizikai és társadalmi életesélyek” egyenlőtlenségeivel, valamint azok csökkentésének lehetőségeivel és akadályaival. A tematikus lapszámba a széles értelemben vett társadalomtudományok – különösen a szociológia és a társadalomelmélet, a társadalom- és szociálpolitika, a társadalom- és eszmetörténet, az oktatáskutatás, a szociális munka – területéről fogadtunk olyan tanulmányokat, amelyek akár témájukban, akár az alkalmazott elemzési keretekben és fogalmakban kapcsolódnak Ferge Zsuzsa munkáihoz.
Remembering Zsuzsa Ferge: Reflections of international colleagues
My tribute to Zsuzsa Ferge: A reflection on the individualisation of the social
Az egymásra torlódó hátrányok és a társadalmi szakadékok nyomában
Az írás szakmai és személyes emlékeket idéz fel az egymást erősítő társadalmi egyenlőtlenségek kapcsán, középpontjában egy Angelusz Róberttel közös 2010-es akadémiai előadással és az ülésen szintén előadó, s nem egy rokon elképzelést megfogalmazó Ferge Zsuzsa idevágó elgondolásaival. A strukturális szakadékok forrásaihoz három oldalról, az erőforrások, az életkori-generációs különbségek és az ideológiai-politikai törésvonalak felől közelítettünk, s a társadalmi határvonalak egy kapcsolathálózati kiindulású kétdimenziós sémájának körvonalazására is kísérletet tettünk. A cikk a vertikális és a horizontális tagolódás párhuzamos jelenléte, egyes strukturális tényezők egymást erősítő vagy részben gyengítő szerepe felé is kitekint az empirikus eredmények felől, olyan kérdéseket jelenítve meg, ahol a válaszok keresésében Ferge Zsuzsa munkássága maradandó támpontul szolgál.
The biomedical universe and individual suffering
Among care regimens for chronic diseases, diabetes care is special. While modern diabetes care is primarily centred on medical treatment, the factors that contribute to disease emergence and progression are mostly outside its realm. Medical treatment of diabetes can often have the conflicting goals of lowering blood sugar levels or preventing the often-fatal consequences of the disease. In alignment with the broader patterns of "pharmaceuticalization" within medicine, the focus of diabetes therapies is increasingly shifting toward drug prescriptions, which represents a biologically oriented model of diabetes management. Major parts of the patients’ pathways, therefore, consist of searching for the appropriate drug. Given the large probability of complications and other related problems, this task can only be carried out by the cooperation of physicians and patients. Finding and adjusting to the proper medication (be it a pill or insulin) needs attentive, caring medical regimes open to the non-medical aspects of disease management. This study represents the perspective of diabetic patients on their own treatment. We used the narratives provided by 24 interviews: 4 from each of 6 different regions of Hungary. According to the narratives, three different regimens of care could be distinguished: neglective, routine-business-like, and attentive. The best outcome can be expected in attentive regimens. Pathways were examined as moving toward more attentive regimens. The quality of care was originally not necessarily in line with the economic standing of the area, except for the most deprived area, from which nobody reported experiencing attentive care. Inequalities in the probability of finding a more attentive provider in case of need is a main factor shaping inequalities in care. This probability is influenced by the factors of living in larger settlements, having better transport connections to large centres, having more financial resources, or having a large national (general or specialized) treatment centre nearby. Inequalities are, ironically, moderated by the fact that less well-off patients have more serious comorbid conditions and are treated by other specialists who may be able to correct the shortcomings of the specialised diabetes care.
The declaration of dependence and subordination in a hierarchical relationship can be an adequate individual response to today's social challenges. The study seeks to answer the question why someone chooses a less independent situation compared to their current state and within what model framework such choices can be examined. In this context, it is important to distinguish between the concepts of dependence and freedom. According to the study’s proposal Amartya Sen's concept of freedom, which also includes positive freedoms, is a suitable conceptual framework for analysing such decisions. Of the positive freedoms, security is particularly important. The paper will explore this issue on the basis of Zsuzsa Ferge's writings. Three specific examples (freedom and security in postsocialist Hungary, public sector employment, and Southeast Asian peasant farms living on the edge of subsistence) illustrate that, by choosing Sen's extended concept of freedom as a framework for analysis, Kahneman and Tversky's prospect theory can be an adequate tool for the formalised study of the trade-offs between different types of freedom.
Discontinuity and Continuity in Addressing Child Poverty
The study explores the changes in child poverty policy in Hungary from the early 2000s to the present day. It examines the extent to which the strategic vision of the National Programme Against Child Poverty (GYENP), developed under the professional leadership of Zsuzsa Ferge, was implemented, and how much continuity can be identified between the original plans and the measures eventually put into practice. The original concepts are presented through an analysis of the GYENP and the “Make Things Better for Our Children!” National Strategy documents, while the actual policy measures are reconstructed based on government party speeches during a parliamentary session reviewing the implementation of the Strategy. The GYENP aimed to tackle structural poverty, improve children’s opportunities, and break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. Although the National Strategy adopted in 2007 enjoyed strong political consensus, it faced obstacles from the outset due to funding shortages and weak governmental commitment. Following the change of government in 2010, public policy underwent significant transformation: the original approach based on children’s rights and universal benefits was replaced by the ideology of a work-based society and selective pronatalism, which also shaped child poverty interventions. In addition, pragmatic considerations influenced the concrete public policy measures. The focus of policy shifted toward the stable middle class, while support for those living in deep poverty remained project-based and relied mainly on EU funding. Based on the analysis of parliamentary discourse and the Child Opportunity Program, the study concludes that elements of Ferge’s legacy have survived—especially at the local level—but have largely receded from national policy. The study highlights that addressing child poverty remains a major challenge, requiring genuine political commitment and a policy framework that prioritizes equality and children's rights.
The issue of cooperation between social workers in nursery schools and educational institutions
In educational institutions, where children/young people spend a significant part of their time, traumas and problems related to them, or even issues related to their everyday life and lifestyle, are also revealed or precipitated in the secondary socialisation area. In this context, our research aims to explore the everyday activities of social workers in preschools and schools, focusing on their relationships within educational institutions—their cooperation with teachers/educators and other professionals—and the factors that influence these relationships. As of 2018, social assistance in preschools and schools is provided at district level as a special service by the Family and Child Welfare Centres. As a result, social workers appeared in educational institutions. With the presence of a new external specialist, it could be assumed that once they became more integrated into the daily operations of preschools and schools, a large amount of latency would be revealed. As expected, the number of cases has increased, despite the fact that the preventive nature of the activity remains a priority in individual cases. In practice, this means that the social worker, acting as a bridge between the mother and the host institution, first examines the case of the child affected by a problem and, if there is a difficulty or an obstacle that can be resolved without basic care, helps the family and the public education institution in doing so. The issue of cooperation and the need to focus on the factors that influence it are therefore also of unquestionable relevance in terms of effectiveness, which is also theoretically framed by the ecological model, the issue of competence boundaries and teamwork. The legal framework, the methodological guidelines and the protocol on the activity cannot be ignored. The vignette method of data collection, which is a combination of questionnaire surveys and experimental decision-making, covers both preschool and school social workers and the teachers/educators. The aim of our research is to examine the relationships between support staff and teachers/educators within the institution, as well as their relationships with other professionals, and to examine their responses to and interventions in the problem outlined in the vignette, and the possibilities for such interventions.
Approaches to healthcare in the state socialist era caricatures of Ludas Matyi
In my paper, I examine public discourses, everyday attitudes, and stereotypes related to the healthcare system during the state socialist regime, through a specific source group, namely the cartoons of Ludas Matyi. I reviewed 10 entire volumes of the journal between 1949 and 1985 and found 909 cartoons referred to the healthcare system in a broader sense. The seemingly oversized sample represents 3.72% of all cartoons published in the 10 volumes. I classified the cartoons into 12 categories, and then in the second step into four category groups. The examination of the temporal distribution of the category groups shows a characteristic pattern. In the Rákosi era, the intention to control citizens – i.e. propaganda and discipline – dominated the cartoons (also). In the Kádár era, however, the entertainment/therapeutic function came to the fore – unexpectedly from 1957 onwards – and more and more cartoons also expressed implicit or implied social criticism. Although healthcare had become a comprehensive system in that era, which practically every citizen came into contact with at several points in their lives, the cartoons typically depict the interactions of a few characters. The cartoons are typically very empathetic about alcoholism or smoking. The healthcare staff, as expected, typically display a paternalistic attitude towards patients. The depiction of sexist attitudes and behavior was also consistent with the former hypotheses, although its level was regularly lower than was expected.
This article investigates the role of inclusion in kindergarten education through qualitative interviews with kindergarten teachers and parents. Drawing on the sociological work of Zsuzsa Ferge, we examine how kindergarten institutions contribute to the reproduction of social boundaries along ethnic and class lines. Our analysis focuses on how inclusion is understood and enacted in everyday pedagogical practice, and how institutional narratives and routines participate in shaping distinctions between social groups. Complementing Norbert Elias’s theory about the process of civilization, Bourdieu’s concept of symbolic violence provides a central analytical lens to reveal the subtle and often invisible mechanisms through which power operates in early childhood education. As a second interpretive framework, Michael Lipsky’s notion of street-level bureaucracy enables us to distinguish between the formal, colourblind discourse of “integration” and the more personal, often contradictory, voices of kindergarten teachers. Through this dual framework, we demonstrate how institutional practices and professional narratives, while framed as inclusive, often reproduce hierarchical relations and cultural otherings. Our findings suggest that the rhetoric of inclusion, rather than dismantling social inequalities, contributes to the re-ethnicization of Roma children and their families. In this way, the study highlights the ambivalent role of early childhood education as both a site of care and a mechanism for the subtle reproduction of social and ethnic boundaries.
The study examines the socio-historical dynamics of the institutionalization of reproduction, with a particular focus on the transition of childbirth from the private sphere to institutional settings. Through two case studies situated in a rural, Hungarian-speaking community in Transylvania, the paper explores the transformation of birthing ractices. The analysis draws upon the autobiographical writings of Rózsi Kocsis and Anna Diószegi, which serve as a primary source for investigation. These personal narratives offer a unique insight into the experience of home birth and its gradual medicalization during the second half of the twentieth century. Building on Ágnes Losonczi’s research on pregnancy and childbirth, the study addresses these issues from the perspective of a marginalized minority context. The analytical framework is informed by the concepts of biopower and gender, with particular attention to the intersection of women’s social status and healthcare-related vulnerability. The article explores how the relocation of childbirth and the transformation of care work has affected gender relations, family dynamics, and community structures in this micro-context. Methodologically, the analysis combines close reading and critical discourse analysis, supplemented by ethnographic data, demographic statistics, and historical sources. The study contributes to the social history of birth and to the critical interpretation of Losonczi’s intellectual legacy by emphasizing women’s lives, vulnerability, and the impact of broader lifestyle changes.
The international and Hungarian hospice movement—primarily drawing on the popular psychological interpretation of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s work—conceptualizes dying as a process that, ideally, should lead to "expression," "acceptance," and "resignation." In this context, contemporary authors have pointed out that the hospice movement—like any social movement—requires some form of “enemy image” in order to mobilize solidarity, that is, to awaken society’s sense of responsibility and empathy toward the dying. The notions of death taboo, denial, and repression, they argue, have served this purpose by becoming obstacles to be overcome, or stages to be transcended. In the summer of 2021, I conducted participant observation for three months as a volunteer psychologist and ethnographer in the hospice ward of a hospital in Western Hungary. After the ward was closed due to the pandemic and subsequently shut down permanently, I continued fieldwork on a weekly basis between April 2023 and June 2024 in another hospice ward located in Eastern Hungary. Since September 2024, I have been working in a children's hospice as a psychologist with families of children requiring intensive care, as well as with grieving parents who have lost a child. Like other ethnographers who have worked with the dying, I sought to understand how the experience of dying takes shape among seriously ill patients receiving hospital-based care in Hungary, and what culturally specific beliefs, interpretations, and practices can be identified through participant observation. This paper primarily focuses on the phenomenon of "death denial." I examine why, at nearly any point in the system, it is difficult for healthcare professionals to articulate that "nothing more can be done." Drawing on conversations with patients, I explore the possible meanings of avoiding explicit references to death—an avoidance that is often superficially interpreted as mere denial. Based on my field experience, the prolonged process of dying—often lasting several months—rarely follows the clearly delineated stages suggested by stage theories. The recognition of the nearness of death seldom leads to genuine acceptance; rather, it tends to fluctuate, and is less a stable achievement than a temporary and often revisable state of understanding. Acceptance of one's own death is further complicated by the realization that the end of individual existence simultaneously entails the irreversible loss of loved ones and of certain identity-defining roles. Furthermore, analysis of communication with relatives reveals that the anticipation of loss and the verbal acknowledgment of the possibility of death are, for many, equivalent to withdrawing hope, assigning the patient a "dying identity," and ultimately assuming responsibility for managing and defining both the life and death of the patient.
In Hungary, Ágnes Losonczi was the first scholar in the field of social sciences to address the issue of the quality of childbirth, embedding it within her wide-ranging body of work and within a research programme exploring the social determinants of childbirth and the anomalies of the healthcare system. She recognised that both obstetric care and the socially embedded medical approach to childbirth were areas worthy of investigation, therefore, as research leader, she considered it essential to include this area in the analysis. In her volume, The Time of Man (2009), Losonczi offered a comprehensive reflection on the period that had passed since the previous large-scale research (“What has happened since then...”), discussing the transformations in obstetrics, the changing social environment, and their interrelations. Since then, much has changed. Methods once considered alternative have slowly infiltrated the formal care system, but attitudes are still changing only gradually — both within healthcare and in society at large. However, the practical implementation of the theoretical possibilities and the experience of healthcare professionals or mothers are extremely complex and contradictory, with cognitive conflicts lurking in the background. Over the past two decades, as a cultural anthropologist, I have examined the relationship between modern and postmodern birth cultures, the debates surrounding them, the responses of the actors involved, and the broader social embeddedness of change. With the involvement of my university (sociology) students, we explored topics such as attitudes toward childbirth, birth experiences, home birth, doula work, paternal interpretations, the situation of midwives, and the experiences of the 2021 healthcare reform, within several thematic research projects. The work has been, and continues to be, based primarily on qualitative methods—including in-depth interviews with thematic analysis, participant observation, netnography, and continuous interaction with healthcare, social, scientific, and activist actors shaping the field of childbirth. In 2017, we also conducted a survey among doulas (n=95), and together with Erzsébet Földházi, we combined interviews with a questionnaire study (n=1019) to assess maternal experiences related to the 2021 changes. Similarly, our current home birth research employs a mixed-method approach. In my study, following an overview of international efforts to humanize childbirth and of Hungarian obstetric policy, I analyse the transformations in Hungarian childbirth culture along some of the themes identified by Ágnes Losonczi, drawing upon the aforementioned research findings.
Social Approaches to Childlessness and Constrained Parenthood
The study examines the social, cultural, and institutional mechanisms that shape reproductive decision-making in contemporary Hungary. It conceptualises postponed parenthood, childlessness, and constrained pathways to parenthood as socially embedded phenomena influenced by biological, structural, and normative factors. The review — while drawing on selected earlier scholarly contributions — primarily focuses on research published over the past five years (2021–2025) in both Hungarian and English, to highlight the most recent developments in the field. Particular attention is paid to life situations that do not fit into traditional family concepts and in which the possibility of having children becomes limited or uncertain. The study focuses on three main thematic areas: different forms of intentional and unintentional childlessness, the social and biological consequences of postponing childbearing, and the availability and social perception of alternative family formation options, such as assisted reproduction and adoption. The narrative literature review aims to present the complexity and multidimensional nature of the topic, with a particular focus on the tensions between normative expectations and real-life trajectories. A deeper understanding of the interplay of the diverse factors underlying reproductive decisions may provide an opportunity to reconsider different scientific approaches and contribute to the development of well-founded decisions and programs for those involved in care.
The transformation of rural areas in Hungary has long been a focus of social science research. Our thematic issue deals with amenity and lifestyle migration to villages and with the nature and consequences of rural gentrification in Hungary, providing a specific perspective for understanding the processes of the recent past.
Amenity migration in rural areas of Hungary (eds. Kyra Tomay - Tamás Ragadics - Boldizsár Megyesi)
In Hungary, the economic and social effects of regime change have focused primarily on events at the two extreme poles of society, with less attention paid to other modes of career building and advancement between the two extremes. In my case study, I analyse the story of one such doctor/entrepreneur, a representative of the so-called „regime change generation”, who took advantage of the opportunity of history and was one of the first to leave the state health care system in the first half of the 1990s, when only a few dentists were practising full-time in the private sector, and opened a private practice which has been operating successfully full-time ever since. What and where did he find the resources that helped him to thrive amidst constant institutional change? To describe the resources of the interviewee, I use the concept of capital introduced by Bourdieu and Coleman, as this helps to link institutional change to individual success and mobility. I interpret the concept of success primarily along the dimensions of occupational and labour market, financial and income status. The source of the present work is a (life history) interview conducted by the author in Budapest in the spring of 2023. While recognising its limitations, the case study is a highly suitable method for presenting a complex phenomenon in a multidimensional environment, which can be interpreted in an interdisciplinary way.
This article examines the determinants of advancement and downward mobility in Hungary across four decades and within four socio-economic regimes (loosely corresponding to the early 1980s stagnation period, the turbulent phase of major socio-economic transformation following the political regime change, the settled post-transition society of the late 1990s and 2000s, and the conditions of the “work-based society” established in the 2010s). Using multivariate analyses, I investigate the role of parental background in individual patterns of material advancement during these different periods. As the dependent variable, I construct a material-wellbeing index (primarily based on income, and where necessary, supplemented by imputed proxy variables reflecting access to other material goods and savings). I use OLS regressions to assess the proportion of variance in the outcome variable explained by groups of explanatory variables, and I develop path models with identical structures to illustrate shifts between time periods. Finally, by analyzing the relative importance of factors attributable to parental background and individual demographic and labor market characteristics, I aim to draw conclusions about the prospects of meritocracy in recent Hungarian history. The results suggest that in each mobility regime, achieved material status is increasingly linked to educational attainment, while the effect of parental background is non-linear over time (first decreasing, then increasing again)—indicating that, overall, contradictory processes have taken place from the perspective of meritocracy.
This study examines the intellectual relationship between the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu and Hungarian sociologist Zsuzsa Ferge. It analyzes the patterns of their sociological perspectives and practices, drawing primarily on their writings and interviews. The central question concerns the circumstances under which the professional and personal connection between Ferge and Bourdieu emerged – one that significantly shaped the development of Hungarian sociology during the 1960s and 1970s. The study also explores the specific (pre)conditions of this influential “French connection” from a Hungarian perspective. Uncovering these preconditions requires a multi-layered historical reconstruction capable of revealing the interrelations between social, political, scientific, and research histories, while also taking into account key biographical and even formative familial experiences. The investigation thus applies the historical-sociological method of habitus analysis, developed by Bourdieu and later adopted by Ferge herself, to their own lives, works, and intellectual relationship. The analysis focuses primarily on the reciprocal nature of their closely aligned views regarding social structure, the inequalities of life chances, and the possibilities for their reduction.
People with disabilities in the system of social inequalities
This paper explores the relationship between disability and social exclusion, through the lens of Zsuzsa Ferge's writings on inequalities in physical and social life chances. We explore potential intersectional effects using administrative data, surveys (n=136), expert interviews (n=36), and field experiences. Our results confirm that disability – difficulties in performing certain daily activities – cannot be attributed to people's health status alone and that there can be significant differences in the opportunities for social participation between two villages with different socio-economic backgrounds.
The Economic Elite’s View of The Countryside from the End of the 18th Century to the Middle of the 20th Century
The study aims to interpret the developments of the period through the behaviour of the economic elite in the century and a half preceding collectivisation. During this time, the image of the countryside in the minds of the actors under study changed radically. This was closely linked to the drive towards intensification of land use. The path of development is reconstructed on the basis of the economic elite members’ writings and activities of uncovered during historical research. The change in the image of the countryside and rural areas is perceived as a long-term process that captures the structural transformation of the century and a half under examination, both in terms of the spatial economy and in terms of thinking about human resources and the pursuit of symbolic capital accumulation. Altogether, it is to presume that the Hungarian economic elite was initially unable to reduce the regional inequalities of the period due to a lack of comprehensive, country-wide, detailed knowledge about development and development potential, and from the second half of the period under review, due to its pursuit of rapid industrial development.
Review of Dániel Havrancsik’s book “Az értelem genezise. Alfred Schütz tudományos életművének rekonstrukciója” (The Genesis of Meaning. A Reconstruction of Alfred Schutz’s Scholarly Work)
Navigating constraints and opportunities
This study explores the multiple roles of social workers by connecting the concept of the broker from critical development literature with the notion of the street-level bureaucracy. It examines how social workers navigate the tensions between providing care and enforcing control, seeking to balance often conflicting interests. Beyond their primary duties, they also serve as implementers of social development programmes. Through a case study of a small town’s housing policies and related development initiatives, the paper analyses the extent to which social workers can express their professional opinions within exclusionary poverty governance that emphasises individual responsibility. It looks into the resources they leverage for their clients while meeting the expectations of local decision-makers and the broader community. The study questions whether their discretionary autonomy enables professional resistance and the creation of everyday alternative practices, and whether it can challenge exclusionary policies at both local and national levels.
Rural gentrification - the example of Erdőbénye
The phenomenon of urban-rural migration is embedded in a variety of theoretical frameworks in the international and Hungarian academic literature, the most common of which are suburbanization, deurbanisation, amenity migration and rural gentrification. We adopt the analytical framework of rural gentrification in our study, as it provides the most nuanced understanding of the phenomenon. We examine the case of Erdőbénye using 41 semi-structured interviews that we conducted. The village is located in the Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county and is part of the Tokaj-Hegyalja historical wine region. The settlement first became a tourist destination, then more and more people bought second homes. After that, investors, winemakers, and providers of accommodation arrived, and later, a wine and gastronomy festival was launched. As a result, the village has become more and more popular. Few people have moved here permanently, but the process of gentrification is evident. The different groups of people who moved here (second home owners, entrepreneurs, etc.) had various and complex motivations, but the quiet, the tranquillity, the beautiful scenery, the location (Tokaj is nearby) and the built environment were the most important factors. In our study, we seek to explain what motivated people from outside to buy a house and vineyard in Erdőbénye and why they chose this settlement for this purpose. We also examine how the newcomers perceive Erdőbénye and how the process of gentrification is affecting the village.
private capital flows to the countryside
The role of rural entrepreneurs in shaping local tradition and image
According to constructivist approaches, landscape and its representational elements are socially constructed and constantly reinterpreted. The different representations of rurality reflect the changing functions of rural areas and the parallel transformation of landscape interpretations. Through the analysis of different discourses, media and narratives, the rural representations of different actors, such as indigenous residents or the metropolitan middle class, demonstrate the importance of material and cultural elements of the landscape specific to certain social groups. Among the actors involved in the process of constructing cultural heritage and landscape, our study focuses on local entrepreneurs, key actors with regard to local image. In our study, we present the results of qualitative sociological research conducted in four gentrifying rural areas in Hungary through the analysis of 55 semi-structured interviews with local producers, winemakers, craftsmen, and tourism entrepreneurs. Our analysis sought to answer the questions: what are the differences in attachment to place between local/family entrepreneurs and newcomer/lifestyle entrepreneurs, and how does this affect their entrepreneurial activities? What does each type of entrepreneur consider to be of value in a given rural space? How do incomers fit into the local entrepreneurial community and how do they adapt to local entrepreneurial traditions? What characteristics of the area do they use and how do they enrich the image of the area? As a result of our analysis, three types of entrepreneurs emerged based on their activities and innovativeness in relation to local traditions: (1) image maintainers, (2) image reinterpreters and (3) image creators. Our results show that these types of entrepreneurs reflect the link between entrepreneurship and the rural landscape. In addition to differences in place attachment and embeddedness between in-migrant and indigenous local entrepreneurs, place characteristics have a significant impact on which types of entrepreneurs become the drivers of development in a place and how and to what extent they shape the place in their own image. At the same time, entrepreneurial activity also affects the image of the locality or micro-region, which has an impact on both locals and newcomers.