Polish Sociology and the Post-socialist Transformation

The post-socialist transformation in Poland was a challenge for the whole of society but also a new situation for sociology. It was supposed to provide an understanding and evaluation of the on-going processes. The status of the sociological profession is traditionally quite strong in Poland. It has a long genealogy and strong institutional infrastructure. In communist times, it maintained relative autonomy from the political system and intellectual independence from official ideology. Since the fall of communism, sociological reflection has developed in four subsequent stages: the discourses of transition, post-communism, European integration, and a critical approach. All these issues have been considered essential to society’s development. Nevertheless, over time, the role of sociology diminished similarly to the position of academia in new capitalist and free-market reality, but sociologists have maintained their aspirations as leaders and experts in important issues of public discourse in Poland. In general, the main role of Polish sociologists comes closest to being activators. The transformative aspect of Polish sociology is still connected with the role of public intellectuals engaging with wider audiences.