Dynamics of Class and Stratification in Poland: 1945–2015

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