Co można zrobić z polityka? : co można zrobić z politykiem? : kilka uwag socjologa o wizerunku medialnym (i nie tylko medialnym)

The answer to both questions put forward in the title is basically the same: almost everything. The author underlines the fact that if one tried to find the difference between what can be done with a politician, and, more specifically, his/her media image and what can be done with a politician during a training the aim of which is to build his/her media image or at least improve it, it seems that although one cannot do everything with a politician, that is, there exist some borderlines of shaping his/her media image, a desperate politician could go beyond what can be done with him/her, and move this borderline as far as possible during a training. The essay refers to numerous examples illustrating the possibilities of using the potential of a media image

Literatura – socjologia – humanistyka (o ekonomii politycznej postmodernizmu)

The article proposes to analyze, in the sociological perspective, the collision of the so-called old and new in the literature, but also — more broadly — in the humanities, especially in its literary version. It is also intended, at the same time, to be an introduction to criticism of literary studies and their destructive influence on (academic) interpretations and (to a lesser extent) colloquial reception of literature. The text is an extension of the theoretical concept of the author outlined earlier in the volume Perspektywy socjologii kultury artystycznej (“Perspectives of the sociology of artistic culture”) and detailed in the problem monograph Św. Gombrowicz (“Saint Gombrowicz”). The whole is also referred in this case to the description of the specific character of the broadly understood academic life and scientific creativity of humanists. || Artykuł proponuje analizę, w perspektywie socjologicznej, zderzenia tzw. starego i nowego w literaturze pięknej, ale także – szerzej – w humanistyce, zwłaszcza w jej wersji literaturoznawczej. Jest też w zamierzeniu – jednocześnie i tym samym – wstępem do krytyki mód literaturoznawczych i ich destrukcyjnego wpływu na (akademickie) interpretacje i (w mniejszym stopniu) potoczny odbiór literatury. Szkic jest rozwinięciem koncepcji teoretycznej autora wyłożonej wcześniej w tomie Perspektywy socjologii kultury artystycznej i uszczegółowionej w problemowej monografii Św. Gombrowicz. Całość odniesiona jest w tym przypadku także do opisu specyfiki charakteru szeroko rozumianego życia akademickiego i twórczości naukowej humanistów

Homo sociologicus (literacki wizerunek socjologa)

Trudno w krótkim szkicu skomentować wzajemne relacje i spory socjologii i literatury, próby takie pojawiają się zresztą okazjonalnie w fachowych periodykach socjologicznych (Sułkowski, 1999; Ćwikła, 2006). W kontekście niniejszego eseju ciekawe zdaje się raczej, że w czasach raczkowania socjologii Honoré de Balzac nazywał się doktorem nauk społecznych, zaś to, co znamy jako cykl powieściowy Komedia ludzka, miało pierwotnie nosić tytuł Studia społeczne (Łęcki, 1999c). Współcześnie, choć zdarza się to naprawdę rzadko, jakiś pisarz uważany bywa za socjologa, a i wtedy spotkać może się to z protestami (nie)zainteresowanego. Podam przykład sprzed ponad pół wieku: przypadek Paula Goodmana, powieściopisarza, dramatopisarza, poety i psychoterapeuty, znanego i uznanego krytyka społecznego. Otóż Goodman „pomówieniom”, że jest socjologiem, stanowczo zaprzeczył, a podczas wystąpienia w Experimental College w San Francisco State w 1964 roku powiedział, że nie może czytać publikacji socjologicznych, ponieważ to nauka bez życia (https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Goodman_pisarz). Co do czytania publikacji socjologicznych, to sami socjologowie wiedzą – choć naprawdę wiedzą to pewnie tylko niektórzy – jak wiele w odbiorze prac z zakresu nauk społecznych zależy od słabości „warsztatu pisarskiego” autora czy autorki

Inny zapis : "sekretny dziennik" pisarza jako przedmiot badań socjologicznych : na przykładzie "Dzienników" Stefana Kisielewskiego

The book, construed as an empirical study from the field of sociology of literature, proposes “a socio-literary analysis of a specific personal document” (Z. Bokszański), that is a writer’s “secret diary”. The subject of interest here is a more or less regularly written diary (not a journal or a memoir) kept by a writer (hence the lack of better and more objective criteria, it is assumed that he is a member of the Polish Writers’ Association and an author of fictional texts whose diary was published posthumously in unedited form). The volume, apart form the Preface and Introduction, which contain an attempt to define the nature and scope of problems dealt with in the work, consists of five chapters. The first chapter entitled The sociology of literature – a slightly different sociology, presents and characterizes the eponymous field of study – a specific sub-discipline positioned between sociology and literary studies, whereas the very issue was discussed in a broader context, reflecting on the meaning of untypical (non-standard) sociological data in general, not only the ones directly connected to literature. The second chapter, A secret diary – between a journal and literature (a sociology and a writer’s secret diary), clarifies the meaning of a “secret diary” as an object of sociological studies, as well as characterizes relationship between the secret diary record and records of the similar kind, in particular, that of memoirs (the memories written down after a long period of time). The very chapter also deals with the issue of the honesty of records the author of which does not (for various reasons) decide to publish, be it in the press or as a book. Also, the issue of a timespan of the posthumous publication of a secret diary is important for reception. The third chapter, A methodological note, is devoted to the issue of representativity (in the perspective a writer’s secret diary deserves) and to the rules of interpretation vital while analyzing this peculiar kind of literature or a personal document. The chapter in question discusses the problem of text interpretation in social sciences and philosophy in a much broader manner. The following chapter, Kisiel and his diaries (between a popular and official one), briefly presents a profile, path of life and social position of Stefan Kisielewski and justifies the choice of his diary records as an object of sociological studies, as well as presents the issue of the tempestuous reception of the Diaries. The subsequent chapter, in a much shortened way, is devoted to the characteristics of anti-Semitism as a, to quote Kisiel himself, “unique issue”. It constitutes a kind of introduction to a larger part of the dissertation, which presents and analyses the Jewish and anti-Semitism questions in the context of March 1968 and the following events during which the records of Kisiel were created. Specifically, Kisiel’s attitude to racism, philo- and anti-Semitism, Polish anti-Semitism of 1968, Israel and Zionism, Polish nationalism, and last but not least, the issue of involvement of the Jews and Poles of Jewish origin in Marxism, communism and Marxist revisionism were described

Socjologowie - pomiędzy stereotypem a literaturą

Since the presented essay belongs to the sociology of literature, the form of narrative utilised therein is also a literary one. It is an attempt at reconstruction of fictional fragments composing the stereotype of social scientist. Starting from the broader context of the societal role of the sociologist, it attempts – by referring to Malcolm Bradbury’s novel The History Man – to reconstruct the stereotypical social origin of becoming a sociologist, the mental character of the sociological “small world” (Lodge), as well as some version of the conflict-situation dynamics within it

Śląski "Ruch" - ponowoczesne meandry regionalnej tożsamości : (na przykładzie klubu piłkarskiego i jego społecznego otoczenia)

The social background of „Ruch” Chorzów sports club with its concentric semiinstitutional structure (from ultras via supporters to sympathizers) manifests symbols/signs understood in a very specific way. They emphasize Silesian separateness referring in different ways to the redefined identity of the Silesian club. It happens so in the situation when social and cultural indexes of this identity are gradually disappearing – fewer and fewer players in the team are Silesian homegrown of “Ruch” Chorzów, the football squad being based to a growing extent on “newcomers”. The process of disappearance of Silesian identity indexes – such as place of birth (of players and their parents) or ability to communicate in Silesian dialect – both among the players and the supporters is accompanied by redefinition and instrumentalization of the Silesian identity also as an element of space division/closure in Silesian cities. “Ruch” offers then, in many cases, flexible, symbolic dimension which can be redefined and modified so freely, that it can take the forms distinctly contradictory to tradition. It doesn’t mean that the manifestations of the Silesian identity shown in the article are suspended in the social vacuum. However, using quasi-traditional forms they describe and express new, postmodern reality, stressing particularly (and aggressively) the element of diversity

Więcej niż klub? : piłka nożna pomiędzy rynkiem a wspólnotą

Is football (still) a team sports discipline, or maybe it has become (already and in fact probably unnoticeably, because the process has been going on for decades) actually (at least to some extent) an individual sport? And even if it is not an individual sport (let us assume that such a classification is an intentional exaggeration), it is certainly an individual business of the players, with the outcome not always associated purely with sport achievements of the club. From such a broad perspective, the changes in the organization and in the nature of modern football today are noticeable not only to sports commentators and analysts. They are commonly observed also by football supporters. They are visible and perceptible, but then it is difficult not to get the impression that they are still not quite accurately described/characterized. Football clubs – business companies reap their financial benefits; team players earn money from the game, being bound with the clubs by individual contracts, such as in any other business enterprise. Transfers of players from one club to another has become a source of a considerable income (sometimes handsome sums) for managers, and a football every-day reality. The team (mannschaft) is less frequently (and to a smaller extent) gemeinschaft (community), and more frequently (to a greater extent) gesellschaft (company) – when taking into account the ideal types. The puzzling characteristic of the processes that constitute these changes (with intriguing phenomena that lead to the reactivation of the football community within the club) is the subject of the proposed article

Świat przedstawiony Górnego Śląska od (soc)realizmu do realizmu magicznego : - reprezentacje symboliczne regionu w obrazach

This article is based on research made in the framework of the Seventh European Framework Programme SPHERE funded by the European Union. Polish group of researches is headed by prof. dr hab. Kazimiera Wódz. This work refers to a number of assumptions important for the part of the project devoted mainly to cultural identity expressed and experienced using narrative strategies. Cultural consequences of these transformation processes are also interesting for the artists. There are the plenty of artistic and cultural achievements and works, in which artists express their close relationship with the region. That’s because we decided to focus on just one segment of artistic activity in the present paper: on the way the artists create and reflect the pictures and imagines of the region. Individuality and cultural uniqueness of the region is perceived and promoted by movie directors despite (or perhaps because of) a dynamic change. The political and economic restructuring had an impact on the landscape of Silesian agglomeration and also on the minds of its inhabitants. However, always when the artists want to catch the cultural specificity in their films, they stress the values, habits, principles and beliefs which are used to show the region’s individuality. Here we have films began with the poetic of realism, and even socialist‑realism. The most industrial developed region of the People’s Poland time, which was Upper Silesia, was the best to be shown as the arena of the conflict between the “new” and the “old”. Then the effects of the gradual deindustrialization and slow decay of the socialistic system, led to the evolutionary transition to poetic of so‑ called “magic realism”; from the Silesian series films by Kazimierz Kutz, through comedies (often talking about the past times) until contemporary films. What we can see here is a kind of symbolic escape from the dying word of ironfoudries and mines, to not really recognized yet the world of late modernity

Transformacja ekonomiczna a tożsamość kulturowa : stare regiony przemysłowe Europy w procesie zmian - przypadek badań Górnego Śląska w projekcie SPHERE

The Silesian Voivodship is a typical area of cultural borderland where different patternsof ethnic and industrial culture blend into a specific new quality. The economic transformationsof the early nineties (20th century) undermined the foundations on which the traditional regionalsymbolic order was laid. The pauperization of mining settlements is a particularly important factoraffecting the process of the contemporary regional identity. Our paper is based on partial researchoutcomes from the project “Space, Place and the Historical and contemporary articulationsof regional, national and European identities through work and community in areas undergoingeconomic REstructuring and regeneration” (SPHERE). Briefly, the project seeks to examine therole of different discursive narratives in shaping ideas and experiences of identity, region and place.Discursive and material ‘effects’ of re‑shapingcommunities through an economic change seek toexamine how the past and present hold possibilities for the future. In the text we also intend to introduceinto epistemological perspective received in SPHERE

"One's Countrymen" vs. "Strangers" in Upper Silesia

Analizy, zamieszczone w tym artykule, zawierają dane zebrane w wielu badaniach społeczności górnośląskiej, tak za pomocą metod jakościowych, jak i ilościowych. Koncentrują się one przede wszystkim na dylematach identyfikacyjnych oraz na dynamice obrazu „obcego” w sytuacjach konfliktowych. Przyjęta opcja metodologiczna mieści się w szeroko rozumianym paradygmacie humanistyczno-interpretatywnym. Punktem wyjścia podjętych badań było założenie o istnieniu „świata przeżywanego” (Lebenswelt) tej szczególnej grupy etnicznej, jaką tworzą Ślązacy. Charakterystyka postrzegania „swoich” i „obcych” pokazuje pewien — niezwykle ważny — aspekt sytuacji, charakterystykę czegoś, co można by określić jako społeczną „szarą strefę”, najbliższą, być może, światu przeżywanemu w czystej formie