Civil Society Revisited: Lessons from Poland (Studies on Civil Society, 9)

In much social scientific literature, Polish civil society has been portrayed as weak and passive. This volume offers a much-needed corrective, challenging this characterization on both theoretical and empirical grounds and suggesting new ways of conceptualizing civil society to better account for events on the ground as well as global trends such as neoliberalism, migration, and the renewal of nationalist ideologies. Focusing on forms of collective action that researchers have tended to overlook, the studies gathered here show how public discourse legitimizes certain claims and political actions as "true" civil society, while others are too often dismissed. Taken together, they critique a model of civil society that is "made from above". Book jacket Introduction : Rethinking Polish Civil Society / Kerstin Jacobsson And Elżbieta Korolczuk -- Civil Society In Postcommunist Europe : Poland In A Comparative Perspective / Grzegorz Ekiert And Jan Kubik -- (mis)understanding Social Activism In Poland / Anna Giza-poleszczuk -- Rethinking Civic Privatism In A Postsocialist Context : Individualism And Personalization In Polish Civil Society Organizations / Kerstin Jacobsson -- Defining In/defining Out : Civil Society Through The Lens Of Elite Ngos / Katarzyna Jezierska -- When Parents Become Activists : Exploring The Intersection Of Civil Society And Family / Elżbieta Korolczuk -- On The Disappearing Mother : Political Motherhood, Citizenship, And Neoliberalism In Poland / Renata Ewa Hryciuk -- Marginalizing Discourse And Activists' Strategies In Collective Identity Formation : The Case Of The Polish Tenants' Movement / Dominika V. Polanska -- Voice And Insecurity : Political Participation Among Members Of The Precariat / Anna Kiersztyn -- Between Tradition And Modernity : The Case Of Rural Women's Organizations In Poland / Ilona Matysiak -- Ethnic Bonding And Homing Desires : The Polish Diaspora And Civil Society Making / Gabriella Elgenius -- Mobilizing On The Extreme Right In Poland : Marginalization, Institutionalization, And Radicalization / Daniel Platek And Piotr Plucienniczak -- Conclusion : Empirical And Theoretical Lessons From The Volume / Kerstin Jacobsson And Elżbieta Korolczuk. Edited By Kerstin Jacobsson And Elżbieta Korolczuk. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES PREFACE INTRODUCTION. RETHINKING POLISH CIVIL SOCIETY PART I Civil Society in Contemporary Poland: Myths and Realities Chapter 1 CIVIL SOCIETY IN POSTCOMMUNIST EUROPE: POLAND IN A COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE Chapter 2 (MIS)UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL ACTIVISM IN POLAND Chapter 3 Rethinking Civic Privatism in a Postsocialist Context: Individualism and Personalization in Polish Civil Society Organizations Chapter 4 DEFINING IN/DEFINING OUT: CIVIL SOCIETY THROUGH THE LENS OF ELITE NGOS PART II (De)legitimization of Civic Activism: New Actors and Marginalized Groups Chapter 5 WHEN PARENTS BECOME ACTIVISTS EXPLORING THE INTERSECTION OF CIVIL SOCIETY AND FAMILY Chapter 6 ON THE DISAPPEARING MOTHER POLITICAL MOTHERHOOD, CITIZENSHIP, AND NEOLIBERALISM IN POLAND Chapter 7 MARGINALIZING DISCOURSES AND ACTIVISTS’ STRATEGIES IN COLLECTIVE IDENTITY FORMATION: THE CASE OF THE POLISH TENANTS’ MOVEMENT Chapter 8 VOICE AND INSECURITY: POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AMONG MEMBERS OF THE PRECARIAT PART III Civil Society Making: Between the Past and the Present Chapter 9 BETWEEN TRADITION AND MODERNITY: THE CASE OF RURAL WOMEN’S ORGANIZATIONS IN POLAND Chapter 10 ETHNIC BONDING AND HOMING DESIRES: THE POLISH DIASPORA AND CIVIL SOCIETY MAKING Chapter 11 MOBILIZING ON THE EXTREME RIGHT IN POLAND: MARGINALIZATION, INSTITUTIONALIZATION, AND RADICALIZATION CONCLUSION: EMPIRICAL AND THEORETICAL LESSONS FROM THE VOLUME Index In much social scientific literature, Polish civil society is all too often caricatured as weak and passive. This volume offers a much-needed corrective, challenging this characterization on both theoretical and empirical grounds. Focusing on forms of collective action that researchers too often ignore due to their theoretical and methodological blind spots, the studies gathered here show how certain forms of activism and claims are legitimized in public discourse as representing civil society proper, while others are unfairly dismissed. Taken together, they constitute a powerful critique of a model of civil society that is 'made from above' by elites, media, and public institutions In contrast to a social scientific literature that characterizes Polish civil society as weak and passive, this volume focuses on forms of collective action that researchers too often ignore due to their theoretical and methodological blind spots.