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The Fanatic of Meaning-Making: The Psychobiographical Case Study of Loránt Hegedüs

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Psychobiographical Illustrations on Meaning and Identity in Sociocultural Contexts

Part of the book series: Sociocultural Psychology of the Lifecourse ((SPL))

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Abstract

The Hungarian politician, economist, and belletrist Loránt Hegedüs (1872–1943) lived a historically significant life. He was socialized before WWI. In his early 40s, he experienced the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and three political transitions. He suffered from the red terror. Surprisingly, he remained ambitious, and as a minister he attempted to create meaning for the apathetic society. This study aims at understanding Hegedüs’ meaning-making through Levinson’s psychosocial developmental theory and McAdams’ model of generativity in the socio-cultural and historical context. The analysis of unpublished and public sources was guided by a conceptual matrix. Findings show the interconnectedness of Hegedüs’ generativity, his Levinsonian dream and his meaning-making strategies together with their connection to the historical and socio-cultural context.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary

    Virág Rab

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  1. Virág Rab
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Correspondence to Virág Rab .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Industrial Psychology and People Management, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Claude-Hélène Mayer

  2. Department of Psychology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa

    Paul, J.P. Fouché

  3. Department of Industrial and Organisational Psychology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

    Roelf Van Niekerk

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Rab, V. (2021). The Fanatic of Meaning-Making: The Psychobiographical Case Study of Loránt Hegedüs. In: Mayer, CH., Fouché, P.J., Van Niekerk, R. (eds) Psychobiographical Illustrations on Meaning and Identity in Sociocultural Contexts . Sociocultural Psychology of the Lifecourse . Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81238-6_10

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