A Sociological Approach to Commodification: The Case of Transforming the Post-Socialist Society in Poland (Routledge Advances in Sociology)

This book analyses the processes of commodification and decommodification which have wrought changes in Polish society since 1945. Examining the case of Poland, this book also explores comparisons to other countries in the Eastern European region. It is the first book to capture long-term social change from the perspective of commodification and decommodification processes. This book will appeal to sociologists, economists, historians, anthropologists and political scientists, especially to students and scholars interested in theoretical economics and economic sociology as well as Central and Eastern Europe. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Contents Introduction PART I: Theoretical framework 1. Commodification and decommodification: A socio-economic perspective PART II: Transformations in Polish society after 1945 from the perspective of commodification processes 2. Commodification processes under real socialism in Poland 3. The early years of the Polish transformation from ‘real-socialism’ to ‘real democracy’ and ‘real capitalism’ 4. Basic commodification and decommodification processes in the Polish economy and Polish society since 1989: Political and social determinants PART III: Commodification of selected areas of social life: universal trends and Polish peculiarities 5. Varieties, conditions, consequences and paradoxes of the commodification of nature 6. The commodification and decommodification of culture 7. The commodification of health care 8. Selected problems concerning the commodification of education and science 9. Whose city is this? The city as an arena of commodification and decommodification processes Conclusions References Index