Study Center in Warsaw, Poland Course name: Social Issues in Contemporary Poland Course number: SOCI 3002 WRSW Language of instruction: English Programs offering course: Central European Studies Contact Hours: 45 Credit: 3 Term: Fall 2018 Course Description The lecture covers major social issues related to the transition period in Poland on its way from the centrally managed economy into the market-oriented one and into a parliamentary democracy. The course refers to some historical background, but concentrates on the present situation that requires constant action on the part of the citizens, the state and its institutions that deal with countering or solving the existing social problems. Site visits to institutions dealing with various social issues (mainly unemployment, poverty and social exclusion) are included in the one-day study tour to a local community that will be organized in the course of the semester. The study tour pertains mostly to lectures No. 3, 5, 8, 9 and 13. The four intended site visits in the local area take place at the following institutions: County Labor Office, Local Social Welfare Center, County Family Assistance Center, and County Cultural Center. Students are met by relevant directors/heads, who present the work of their institutions. Knowledge gained in the course of these meetings should be used to prepare for the final presentation and evaluation. Learning Objectives The course aims to present the results of the emergence of a civic society in Poland, as well as the country s collaboration and integration with other EU societies. Assessment and Final Grade 1. Attendance 11% 2. Activity during study tour: 16% 3. Research paper: 25% 4. Final presentation: 24% 5. Class participation: 24%
Schedule Session 1. Introduction to the lecture: Poland on the way of the fundamental political, social and economic transformations. Social issues in the transformation process. The principles and criteria of the lecture course and students progress evaluation (CIEE Statement on Teaching and Learning). Introduction to the lecture Start point 1989/1990 Changes 1991-2017 Contemporary situation. Session 2. Concept of social change. Attitudes and behaviors of the population towards a new political system and market economy. Expectations for state protection. Conflicts, compromises, adaptations to the new situation. Democratization as a social process, tasks ahead before and after the admission to the EU New situations and social issues and the new experience Session 3. Major trends of the demographic changes. Population basic tendencies Family and its structure, marriages and fertility Aging of the society Migration - internal and international Existing differences among various groups, both socio-economic and regional. Demographic forecasts 2030-2050 Policies implemented by the government and territorial self-governments Session 4. Social aspects of privatization and re-privatization. Social approvals and social conflicts. Contemporary situation. New media as a factor of social communication Session 5. Employment and unemployment in contemporary Poland Conclusions drawn from the policy of full employment. Employment tendencies 1990-2017 Changes in professional career patterns of women Unemployment as a new phenomenon in Poland and issues concerning adaptation abilities to the new market economy. Social reaction to unemployment. Social attitudes towards foreign capital Labor market institutions combating unemployment. Labor market monitoring Labor Force Survey Session 6. Social issues of the black market (hidden) economy. Its scale and impact on social life. The CSO surveys on unregistered employment Territorial differences of unregistered employment Session 7. Economic security of the population. Definition and methods of research Changing expectations of the population. Programs/forecasts until 2030.
Contemporary developments Possibilities for satisfaction of the social needs Session 8. Poverty. Definitions and theories. Measurement methods. Scale and dynamics. CSO surveys and other research. Social and regional differentiation. Session 9. Social exclusion. Definition, scale and factors of growth. Result of the surveys at the national and local level. The role of social policy in reduction of the phenomenon. Session 10. Changes in the health protection system public and private healthcare. The reform of 1999 and its effects. New health insurance system. Standard of health protection services. New tasks in health system Health protection costs. Session 11. Changes in the educational system Main changes. Public and private schools. Costs of education. Changes in university teaching programs. Regional differentiation of educational conditions Cooperation between EU member states Student and faculty mobility Session 12. Opportunities for the young generation in Poland Educational opportunities. Development of professional career. Employment and unemployment Participation in the EU labor market. Migration and re-emigration. Session 13. Cultural transformations and contemporary issues of cultural development in Poland. Main changes in cultural policy. The role of national cultural institutions. The role of local cultural institutions. Cultural exchange with the EU member states Session 14. The role of religion in social life in Poland. Changes in the role of religion in the period of transition. The place of religion in contemporary social life. The role of churches in political life Session 15. Issues of national minorities in Poland. New situation. Minorities in Poland before and after transition. Minorities in the light of statistical and research data. New minorities as the effect of globalization.
Session 16. Social infrastructure. Definitions. Main infrastructure institutions. Local differentiation and social consequences. Satisfaction of social needs. Social services. Session 17. Major changes in social and professional structures in contemporary Poland. Changes in educational structure of the population. Changes in employment structures. The growing role of women in employment and occupational structure. Tasks for the social policy in creation of the modern occupational structures. Human capital development. Session 18. Developments of NGOs and their cooperation with governmental institutions and local governments. Definition. NGOs before 1989. Development of NGOs after 1990. The role of NGOs in solving social problems. Non-governmental organizations and social integration. Non-governmental organizations and human capital creation. Session 19. Social issues of environmental protection. Tasks of governmental institutions. Tasks of regional institutions. Tasks of local institutions. Tasks of non-governmental institutions. Session 20. Social pathology as a problem. Definitions of social pathology. The reasons for different kinds of pathologies. Dynamics in the light of statistics and research. Social consequences of the phenomenon. Prevention of social pathology phenomena Session 21. Social policy a new philosophy and development of new concepts. Macro- and micro dimensions of social policies. Implementation options for social policies. Social policy in Poland in the background of the European Union social policy. Session 22. The Polish society after accession to the European Union. Cooperation with societies belonging to the EU. Principles of establishment of compatible data for social analyses. Comparative analysis on social development in the EU Member States. Session 23 - Summary of the lecture, discussion of final papers and evaluation. Required Readings 1. K.Roberts, B.Jung with S. Clark, A.Kurzynowski, T.Szumlicz and C.Wallace, Poland s First Post-Communist Generation, England 1995 2. S.Golinowska, The European Social Model and Open Co-Ordination of the Social Policy, in: Social Policy, December 2002
3. Social Diagnosis 2003, ed. J. Czapiński, T. Panek, The Council for Social Monitoring, University for Finance and Management, Warsaw 2004. 4. A. Kurzynowski, Social Policy as a Factor of Security Issues in: Europe and Complex Security Issues (ed. by K. Żukrowska), SGH Warsaw 2005, p. 229-238. 5. Poland in the European Union 2017, Central Statistical Office, Warsaw 2017