Doctoral Dissertation Research in Sociology: Characteristics of Associational Life and the Development of Civic Society

University Of California-Berkeley, Berkeley CA

Investigators

Abstract

SES-1334130 Peter Evans Malgorzata Kurjanska University of California-Berkeley This project is a continuation of dissertation fieldwork on how state policies of political exclusion and cultural repression shaped civic society. The past two decades have seen a resurgence of interest in associational life. Some researchers place civil society at the heart of democratic consolidation. Others cite examples of authoritarian states supported by dense yet uncivil society. Few studies, however, analyze what forces shape the associational landscape?s character. Thus, this research asks: Why do associations arise and what leads them to become civil or uncivil in character? A survey of relevant scholarly literature reveals two types of explanations: state-centered and economic theories. This project tests and builds upon these theories through comparative analysis of associational life in pre-WWI and interwar [1918-1939] Poland. The project employs cross-regional and cross-time historical comparisons. It utilizes historical narratives and descriptive statistics to examine the development of associational life in pre-WWI and interwar Poland. In addition to theoretical contributions, this research will contribute to knowledge on civic society in Eastern Europe. Polish civic society has been researched extensively in the post-communist context. Yet there are few studies of pre-WWII associational life in the ethnically diverse societies of early twentieth century Eastern Europe. This dissertation addresses this gap in existing research. Broader Impacts The study incorporates research that is often overlooked as it is not readily available to non-Polish speakers. Thus, it will bring to an English-speaking audience studies that have been marginalized due to language barriers. A historical analysis of factors that shaped the associational landscape in interwar Poland will shed light on the implications of social and economic policies pursued by modern, multi-ethnic states with growing civic societies and uncertain paths to democratization. This project contributes to modern debates by helping to identify the types of policies, social or economic, which support the development of civil society.