This book is about long-term changes to class and inequality in Poland. Drawing upon major social surveys, the team of authors from the Polish Academy of Sciences offer the rare comprehensive study of important changes to the social structure from the communist era to the present. The core argument is that, even during extreme societal transformations, key features of social life have long-lasting, stratifying effects. The authors analyse the core issues of inequality research that best explain “who gets what and why:” social mobility, status attainment and their mechanisms, with a focus on education, occupation, and income. The transition from communist political economy to liberal democracy and market capitalism offers a unique opportunity for scholars to understand how people move from one stratifi cation regime to the next. There are valuable lessons to be learned from linking past to present. Classic issues of class, stratification, mobility, and attainment have endured decades of radical social change. These concepts remain valid even when society tries to eradicate them.
Table of Contents:
List of Tables
Preface
Irina Tomescu-Dubrow, Kazimierz M. Słomczyński, Henryk Domański, Joshua Kjerulf Dubrow, Zbigniew Sawiński, and Dariusz Przybysz
Introduction: Dynamics of Class and Stratification in Poland
Irina Tomescu-Dubrow, Kazimierz M. Słomczyński, Henryk Domański, Joshua Kjerulf Dubrow, Zbigniew Sawiński, and Dariusz Przybysz
PART I: Class and Startification
Chapter 1: Polish Sociology and Investigations into Class and Stratification, 1945–2015
Kazimierz M. Słomczyński, Irina Tomescu-Dubrow, and Joshua K. Dubrow
Chapter 2: Class Structure and Social Stratification in Poland from the 1970s to the 2010s
Kazimierz M. Słomczyński and Irina Tomescu-Dubrow
PART II: Mobilty and Attainment
Chapter 3: Social Mobility and Systemic Changes in Class Structure: Analyzing Inflow-Outflow Tables with Different Origin and Destination Categories
Irina Tomescu-Dubrow and Kazimierz M. Słomczyński
Chapter 4: Social Mobility in Education and Occupation, 1982–2006
Henryk Domański, Bogdan W. Mach, and Dariusz Przybysz
Chapter 5: Social Change, Educational Expansion, and Inequality in Access to Education
Zbigniew Sawiński
Chapter 6: Determinants of Educational Inequality before and after the System Change
Irina Tomescu-Dubrow and Henryk Domański
PART III: Occupational Differentiation
Chapter 7: Occupational Classifications and Scales in Poland since the 1970s
Kazimierz M. Słomczyński, Henryk Domański, Zbigniew Sawiński, and Irina Tomescu-Dubrow
Chapter 8: Changes in Occupational Prestige, 1958–2008
Henryk Domański, Kazimierz M. Słomczyński, and Zbigniew Sawiński
PART IV: Class Analyses
Chapter 9: Class, Stratification, and the 2008 Economic Crisis from an Intersectional Perspective
Irina Tomescu-Dubrow and Joshua K. Dubrow
Chapter 10: Class Voting in Poland, 1991–2011
Dariusz Przybysz
Conclusion
Irina Tomescu-Dubrow, Kazimierz M. Słomczyński, Henryk Domański, Joshua Kjerulf Dubrow, Zbigniew Sawiński, and Dariusz Przybysz
Bibliography
Index
About the Author :
Irina Tomescu-Dubrow is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences.
Henryk Domanski is Professor of Sociology in the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology in Polish Academy of Sciences and Head of the Department of Social Structure Research and Department of Studies on Methods and Techniques of Sociological Research.
Zbigniew Sawinski is a Professor at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences.
Joshua K. Dubrow is a Professor at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences.
Kazimierz M. Slomczynski is Professor Dr. Hab. at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN), and Emeritus Professor, Department of Sociology, The Ohio State University (OSU). He directs the Cross-National Studies: Interdisciplinary Research and Training program (CONSIRT) of OSU and PAN.
Review :
"This is a fascinating study of social class and stratification in Poland, from the period before the Second World War, through the years of state socialism, to the transition to capitalist democracy and the present day. Despite the great political, economic and social upheavals that characterize this historical period, what the detailed analyses reveal is the remarkable persistence of class and its effects on social inequalities of both condition and opportunity. The book carries important implications for the understanding of current socio-political change, not only in other post-socialist countries but in the modern world at large, and will be essential reading for a wide range of social scientists."--John H. Goldthorpe
"This book is essential reading not only for those interested in class stratification and social inequalities but also for all students of social change. Poland is the birthplace of Solidarity-led peaceful revolution and systemic transformation from state socialism to highly etatist capitalism. It illustrates very well the fascinating changes in general patterns of social advantage and disadvantage that have accompanied these changes. Understanding these complex patterns--and the dynamic of stratification caused by combined forces of the expanding capitalist market and political allocation--are crucial for understanding social conflicts and change in all post-socialist societies, as well as the emergent divisions in the European Union. The strength of the book lies in both the academic reputation of the authors-contributors who are the leading scholars of stratification in CEE, and in the rich empirical materials mustered by the authors and presented in a clear and accessible way."--Jan Pakulski
