Csaba Jelinek
The 2008-2009 global financial crisis intensified social inequalities globally, particularly through the deepening housing crisis. While various scholars have analyzed these trends, the role of the construction sector remains unexplored from a critical social science perspective. This research project seeks to address this gap using a mixed-methods and multi-scalar approach, with a specific focus on Hungary. The main hypothesis is that the current construction sector not only hinders progressive housing policy reforms but also functions as a tool for different political regimes to reinforce local power structures through multiple channels. The project will follow two interconnected paths: first, it will develop a novel conceptual framework informed by political economic research on global value chains as well as infrastructure studies; second, it will conduct a multidisciplinary analysis of Hungary, a unique case within the EU due to skyrocketing building costs, protectionist policies and high risks of clientelism and corruption.
Website: https://www.periferiacenter.com