Land tenure and population exchange: Intermarginal disintegration in the Ormánság. Social Entrepreneurship Review

Background: The study explores the demographic and social challenges in peripheral rural regions shaped by a self-restrictive “one-child strategy” among the Reformed majority and the long-standing exclusion of Roma communities, leading to cumulative marginalization. Research objectives: The main objective of this study is to introduce the concept of intermarginal disintegration to elucidate how overlapping forms of social, ethnic, and demographic marginality exacerbate crises in peripheral regions. Research design and methods: The research is grounded in a qualitative approach combining content analysis of secondary sources, historical documents, and selected demographic indicators. The Socio-Ethnic Exclusion Index (SEK-index) was developed as a composite measure to integrate five dimensions of socio-ethnic exclusion. Results: The findings indicate that classical core-periphery models are insufficient to capture the complex and interrelated marginalization processes affecting the region. Conclusions: The proposed framework provides novel insights into the process of rural social restructuring. It offers analytical support for the development of more effective social and regional policies that are aimed at promoting long-term recovery in peripheral regions.