Economic Development and Social Development. Socio‑cultural Aspects of Fertility Changes and their Consequences

Thesis: Present‑day radical fertility changes are determined by socio‑cultural factors and will have consequences for the economy and its development potential. Current changes in the fertility rate in Poland are the subject of many discussions and arguments. It means that, among the challenges for researchers, firstly, they have to understand the background to this issue and identify the factors influencing procreative decisions. Secondly, they should demonstrate how population growth changes and will change society, and the economy in particular. Our paper analyzes the mentioned research problem by engaging tools from sociology and cultural studies to examine the influence of norms, values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviours on the changing level of birth rate and its economic consequences for the current and future functioning of the social order. The purpose of the analyses is to deepen and compare the results of findings from such disciplines as demography, statistics and economics, and present them against a background of socio‑cultural transformations, which seem to be very important in the context of Polish females and males making procreative decisions. Additionally, the paper presents links between fertility and economic development, which often seem to be ignored or underestimated.The “Annales. Ethics in Economic Life” is affiliated and co-financed by the Faculty of Economics and Sociology of the University of Lodz

SOCIAL RECEPTION AND INCLUSION OF REFUGEES FROM UKRAINE

Our research aimed to study the ongoing phenomena of cross-border displacement of the Ukrainian population resulting from the Russian aggression that started on the 24th of February 2022. In the first stage of this research, we managed to get the opinions of over 500 refugees with a focus on their needs, concerns, plans, and expectations. Collected data also allowed a reconstruction of social-demographic profiles of fleeing Ukrainian refugees. The preliminary outcomes are presented in the report

Migration in shaping the social landscape of Polish cities

Probably never before in history have Poles had so many possibilities of social mobility as today. The destinations of most of those who decide to start their migration within the country are confined to the largest urban areas usually. Their motivation is usually a desire to improve the quality of their life, and that means to try to find a better place to live and work. Urban areas attract people with the promise of finding a job, or better lifestyle, as well as educational opportunities. In carrying out their intentions, migrants contribute to the growth of the urban population (de facto preventing them from depopulation), economic development and cultural heritage. This text is an attempt to look at the phenomenon of migration in recent years and its impact on the transformation of the social land-scape of Polish cities

Book Review: Christof Roos (2013), The EU and Immigration Policies. Cracks in the Walls of Fortress Europe?

This book describes the legislative background of European integration since the 1970s, with particular attention paid to the first decade of the twenty-first century. The reader will learn about the process of European integration and its milestones. The content also concerns some important issues related to the future of the European Union’s migration policy

PRZEGLĄD PIŚMIENNICTWA

Edmund Wnuk-Lipiński, Świat międzyepoki. Globalizacja. Demokracja. Państwo narodowe, Wydawnictwo Znak, Instytut Studiów Politycznych PAN, Kraków 2004, ss. 336

Social Life in an Emigrant Context. Parish as a Center of Socio-religious Life Outside of Poland

W tekście zawarte są informacje na temat społeczno-religijnej roli parafii działającej w środowisku migracyjnym. Na przykładzie zaangażowania parafian w różne formy parafialnej aktywności przedstawiony jest potencjał parafii jako ośrodka życia nie tylko religijnego, ale także społecznego, kulturalnego czy ekonomicznego związanego ze wspólnym pochodzeniem etnicznym. Podane informacje zilustrowane są danymi z ogólnodostępnych badań socjologicznych dotyczących religijności, aktywności społecznej w parafii oraz prognoz dotyczących przyszłego kierunku przemian w tym zakresie.The text contains information on the socio-religious role of a parish working in a migrant comunity. On the example of parishioners’ involvement in various forms of parish activities, the potential of the parish is presented as a center of life not only in a religious terms, but also in social, cultural or economic issues connected based on ethnic background. The mentioned information are illustrated with data from publicly available sociological research on religiosity, social activities in parishes and forecasts for the future direction of changes in these areas

Zbrodnie, bezprawie i przemoc seksualna wobec ludności cywilnej w czasach II wojny światowej

Crimes, lawlessness and sexual violence against civilians during the period of the Second World WarThe text talks about the violence experienced by civilians who lived in the Polish lands during the Second World War and in the first years after its end. The victims of this violence were almost always people who did not take part in any military actions, and various forms of plundering, pacification and rapes were often a part of their everyday fate. In many cases, people were also forced to assist in various forms of violence against other victims. The text is based on a body of diaries written after the war by people taking part in diary competitions organized by the Western Institute in Poznań. A huge resource of over a thousand texts provides an opportunity to get to know not only individual fates but also the wider social context of those experiences. Crimes, lawlessness and sexual violence against civilians during the period of the Second World WarThe text talks about the violence experienced by civilians who lived in the Polish lands during the Second World War and in the first years after its end. The victims of this violence were almost always people who did not take part in any military actions, and various forms of plundering, pacification and rapes were often a part of their everyday fate. In many cases, people were also forced to assist in various forms of violence against other victims. The text is based on a body of diaries written after the war by people taking part in diary competitions organized by the Western Institute in Poznań. A huge resource of over a thousand texts provides an opportunity to get to know not only individual fates but also the wider social context of those experiences

PRZEGLĄD PIŚMIENNICTWA

Edmund Wnuk-Lipiński, Świat międzyepoki. Globalizacja. Demokracja. Państwo narodowe, Wydawnictwo Znak, Instytut Studiów Politycznych PAN, Kraków 2004, ss. 336

Migration and the Transfer of Social Capital

This book deals with the processes of contemporary Polish migration and presents changes that occur in social life in relation to these processes. It should be emphasized that these changes occur among migrants themselves and also in the places in which they settle and which they leave. This is facilitated by maintaining contacts and social networks, paying regular visits and sending remittances. The book consists of four chapters. The first chapter presents the history of sociological reflection on migration and its social consequences; particu-lar emphasis is placed on the role of social remittances. The second and third chapters are devoted to selected topics in the theory of social capital and present an attempt at linking this theory to the phenomenon of migration and social remittances. The last, fourth, chapter de-scribes the phenomenon of contemporary migration based on field research that was carried out among Polish migrants both in Poland and abroad in 2011–2013.Książka przedstawia zagadnienie przemian społecznych związanych ze współczesnymi polskimi migracjami zarobkowymi. Koncepcja transferów społecznych lokuje zachodzące zmiany zarówno wśród migrantów, jak i w obszarach ich pochodzenia. Określanie siebie przez odniesienie do innych ludzi i miejsc, w których przebywamy, w epoce migracji zyskuje nowe znaczenia. Przed laty oraz współcześnie, migracjom często przypisuje się prorozwojowy charakter obejmujący nie tylko samych migrantów, ale i inne osoby z ich gospodarstwa domowego, również kraje przyjmujące, a nawet kraje, z których wyjeżdżają. W monografii podjęto próbę omówienia wybranych wątków teoretycznych, dotyczących kapitału społecznego, aktualności i pojemności, ale też kilku poważnych słabości tej teorii. Drugim zasadniczym celem pracy jest przedstawienie współczesnych polskich migracji międzynarodowych i ich wpływu na zmiany życia społecznego ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem nowego podejścia teoretycznego: koncepcji transferów społecznych