Solidarity: The Unfulfilled Project of Polish Democracy

ISBN-13: 9783631672709 / Angielski / Twarda / 2019 / 352 str.

Patrycja Poniatowska;Ireneusz Krzeminski

Opis

This book is a collection of essays which span three decades, capping research into the Polish Solidarity movement and its impact on social change. The major one reports on the author's 1981 study on the formation of the Solidarity movement and trade union, one of two research projects on Solidarity carried out at the time. The idea of debating (deliberative) democracy fostered by Solidarity proved an unfulfilled utopia. It was abandoned by the new political elite and by Poles, who used freedom to develop individual, ambitious and aggressive career paths in order to attain West-European living standards. While Polish religiosity and the Catholic Church, led by Pope John Paul II, vitally promoted peaceable resistance to communism, now the Church has morphed into an anti-democratic political and cultural actor.

Spis treści

Solidarity social movement and trade union - Generational social bonds - Church's personalistic and prodemocratic slogans - Non-violence - Democratic opposition - Intelligentsia - Polish Pope - Debating democracy - Freedom as a dream and reality - Church: from democracy to national-religious authoritarianism - Individual interests instead of solidarity

O autorze

Ireneusz Krzeminski is Professor of Sociology at the Institute of Sociology, University of Warsaw. His research focuses on anti-Semitism, national stereotypes, Solidarity and new social movements. He taught at universities in Poland and abroad (Rochester University, USA; Hebrew University, Jerusalem). He is engaged in public and political life as a commentator and publicist.