A gyermekvállalás morálökonómiája felé - Hat magzatelhajtási per a két világháború közötti Magyarországon
Towards a Moral Economy of Childbearing. Six Abortion Trials in Hungary between the Two World Wars

Summary/Abstract: This study examines childbearing practices in rural Hungarian society during the interwar period, drawing on E. P. Thompson’s concept of the moral economy and Tamás Hofer’s theories of the peasant family. It analyses six abortion trials to understand how both formal and informal power structures influenced reproductive choices. Based on criminal court records, it identifies patterns of shame, female networks, secrecy, and testimony distortion that aligned with community norms. The paper argues that childbearing was not solely individual or marital, but was shaped by a collective moral order. This order influenced how unwanted pregnancies were managed, how access to illegal procedures was viewed, and how their criminalisation was understood – always within a framework prioritising respectability, which was essential for livelihood and marriage opportunities. The case studies highlight that women – and sometimes men – wielded informal influence in these decisions, often balancing between offering assistance, aiding concealment, and protecting themselves from repercussions.

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