POLISH SOCIOLOGY AT THE BACKGROUND OF WORLD SOCIOLOGY (DISCUSSION)

The discussion about the position of Polish sociology at the background of world sociology organized by the Sociological Commission of the Polish Academy of Sciences revealed significant differences among the participating scholars. The pessimistic view about the state of Polish sociology and its functioning within world sociology was expressed by Edmund Mokrzycki and Jerzy Szacki, who pointed out at both institutional and political difficulties (e.g. isolation of Polish sociology from world sociology, limitation of contacts) as well as theoretical predicaments of the discipline (e.g. the fact that the change of dominant paradigm in Western sociology had passed virtually unnoticed by Polish sociological theory). Piotr Sztompka expressed the concern that insufficient number of Polish sociological research was being published in renowned international scholarly publishing houses, at the same time he envisaged the concrete measures for the improve of the current situation. The state of Polish sociology was assessed rather differently by Kazimierz Doktór, who concentrated on the relations between Polish sociology and sociologies of socialist countries. First, he emphasized the good positions of Polish sociology in this group, and second he urged to promote this co-operation further while ceasing to mimic Western sociology. Jerzy Wiatr suggested that pessimistic evaluations of Polish sociology were a misperception. Although he was critical of Polish sociology for the particularity of its empirical research and medium standards of daily work, he optimistically placed its achievements in the long-term perspective and saw the development of theory of socialist society as its unique and original contribution to world sociology