
Galia Chimiak
I am an Associate Professor in Sociology at the Civil Society Department, Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences. My research interests are in civil society, development cooperation and global education. I am a co-editor-in-chief of VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations
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Chapter One deals with the supranational factors that impacted the growth of internationally-oriented civil society initiatives and organisations. In addition to examining the influence of exogenous factors – like globalisation and the spread of neoliberalism – the chapter discusses the theoretical approaches accounting for the ascendance of non-state actors in international affairs and the theories of motivations accounting for engagement in the civic sector. It also analyses the specific case of post-communist transformation and the justification of external support for indigenous civil societies.
Chapter Two focuses on the historical determinants of grassroots self-organisation in Poland and examines the roots of the idea of internationalisation of solidarity. The role foreign funding played in supporting the development of the civil society sector, especially after the toppling of the previous regime, is critically analysed. The actual impact of this support is then illustrated with an overview of selected aspects of the development of the NGO sector after 1989.
Chapter Three presents the history of the international cooperation of Polish NGOs. The evolution of this cooperation from transborder exchange of experiences to providing humanitarian aid, development assistance, and global education are discussed. The applicability of the development vs. democratising divide in the contemporary NGDO sector is then analysed. This chapter also juxtaposes the various views regarding the comparative advantage of Poland in development cooperation.
Chapter Four deals with the evolution of the Polish development cooperation system. Evidence is presented to the argument that the initially separate paths of engagement in development assistance taken by the state and civil society eventually started to converge in the beginning of the century. This change was facilitated by EU accession, which necessitated the creation of a governmental aid programme. The dynamics of the relationship between these two major stakeholders in development cooperation in Poland is then put forward.
Chapter Five focuses on NGDO activists themselves. It examines the social and cultural capital of aid professionals, their career paths and motivational underpinnings, and concludes with a discussion of the challenges and opportunities they face.
Conclusion: When solidarity is not enough. From solidarity to reflection and action
Galia Chimiak, Katarzyna Iwińska
Wstęp
Krajobraz społecznościowy Polska 2014 ......................................................................7
Dominika V. Polańska
Motywacje osób niezinstytucjonalizowanego
sektora społecznościowego ....................................................................................................27
Aleksandra Bilewicz
Odnowa etosu społecznikowskiego? O inteligenckim charakterze
niezinstytucjonalizowanych inicjatyw społecznych .............................................. 47
Katarzyna Górniak
Nieformalne inicjatywy społeczne w przestrzeni publicznej
– wykluczające czy inkluzywne ...................................................................................... 77
Dorota Jaworska-Matys
Tożsamościowe dyskursy społecznikostwa .............................................................. 93
Aneta Ostaszewska
Zaangażowanie i aktywność społeczna kobiet na przykładzie kół
gospodyń wiejskich oraz grup feministycznych ....................................................113
Filip Pazderski, Bartłomiej Walczak
Społecznicy, profesjonalni działacze czy obywatelscy malkontenci?
Formalna i nieformalna aktywność społeczna Polaków
w świetle badań ogólnopolskich ..................................................................................137
Noty o autorach ...................................................................................................................167
Pragnę podkreślić, że rekomendowany tom, jest kolejnym przygotowanym przez W. Misztala, A. Kościańskiego oraz G. Chimiak. Nie mam wątpliwości, że tom ten stanie się nie tylko przedmiotem studiów dla wielu środowisk, tak akademików, jak i społeczników, ale i źródłem bardzo poważnego namysłu i żywych dyskusji nad miejscem i rolą innowacyjności w sytuacjach, społecznych i politycznych, które da się opisać w kategoriach pasywności, bezpieczeństwa czy tradycji.
prof. dr hab. Joanna Kurczewska
Papers by Galia Chimiak
This virtual issue offers an overview of research generated by this debate on the pages of Voluntas within the past 5 years (2018–2023). It brings together ten single-country studies that capture a variation in state’s “strategies of institutional containment” of CSOs (Schedler, 2013, 69), and CSOs’ response strategies across different contexts.
The aim of this chapter is to discuss the evolution of the studies on civil society using the example of Poland. Following the succinct definition whereby civil society is the “domain of social organization within which voluntary associative relations are dominant” (Warren, 2001, p. 57), it should be pointed out that “an authentic civil society must involve the poor and the weak gaining meaningful rights as citizens” (Pearce, 1993, p. 16). The Council of Europe highlights the “essential contribution” made by civil society to democracy and human rights (Council of Europe, 2007). Civil society does not exclude the promotion of antithetical ideas. However, liberticidal quasi-civil initiatives do not pertain to civil society (Chimiak, 2006, p. 26) as civility and respect for human rights set the normative boundaries of the freedom to associate.
chapter focuses on three broad changes in human resources in Polish civil society that have taken place since that time. First, it casts light on the dynamic development and gradual internationalization, aided by foreign donors, of Polish civil society after 1989. Te second trend is a donor-induced change in norms and practices that contributed to the ousting of communitarian values by individualist ones. Finally, the adverse effect of civil society organizations’ recent practices on their human resources is discussed.
Z LIBERALNĄ WIZJĄ ŚWIATA, PATRIOTYZMU ZAŚ – Z KONSERWATYWNĄ, ODDZIELANIE POSTAW OBYWATELSKICH OD PATRIOTYCZNYCH JEST BOWIEM ZABIEGIEM SZTUCZNYM. PRZYJMUJĘ PRZY TYM, ŻE WZMACNIANIU SYNERGII MIĘDZY POSTAWAMI OBYWATELSKIMI A PATRIOTYCZNYMI SŁUŻY
TRAKTOWANIE WSPÓLNOTY NARODOWEJ JAKO OTWARTEJ, A PRIORYTET DLA ZAANGAŻOWANIA NA RZECZ WSPÓLNEGO DOBRA NIE MOŻE OZNACZAĆ POZBAWIENIA PRAW ŻADNEJ CZĘŚCI TEJ
WSPÓLNOTY W ZAKRESIE DECYDOWANIA O SOBIE.
Key words: solidarity, civil society, development cooperation, Polish aid, Poland
The aim of this paper is to examine motivations of social activists in informal initiatives and to understand why they opt for this more spontaneous and self-organized activism while openly defying the hitherto established way of founding non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Design/methodology/approach
On the basis of a case study of Poland, which had one of the most vibrant civil societies in the then socialist region, it is argued that the characteristics ascribed to the functioning of civil society after the toppling of socialism are not reflected in its more recent state. A broader definition of civil society and social activism is suggested to include new types of informal activism, which tend to be over-looked and under-studied. The analysis is built on qualitative and quantitative data gathered in 2014-2015.
Findings
The argument put forward is that un-institutionalized engagement is qualitatively different from its formal and institutionalized counterpart. The recent growth of informal activism is indicative of a rebirth of communitarian engagement in Polish civil society and a reaction to the underside of its institutionalization.
Originality/value
In spite of the seminal role played by societal self-organization in the overturning of the socialist system in Eastern European countries, the development of civil society in the region after 1989 has been repeatedly described as passive and characterized by distrustful or individualist attitudes. However, these civil societies have been changing since, and these more recent developments have been neglected by scholars.
Chapter One deals with the supranational factors that impacted the growth of internationally-oriented civil society initiatives and organisations. In addition to examining the influence of exogenous factors – like globalisation and the spread of neoliberalism – the chapter discusses the theoretical approaches accounting for the ascendance of non-state actors in international affairs and the theories of motivations accounting for engagement in the civic sector. It also analyses the specific case of post-communist transformation and the justification of external support for indigenous civil societies.
Chapter Two focuses on the historical determinants of grassroots self-organisation in Poland and examines the roots of the idea of internationalisation of solidarity. The role foreign funding played in supporting the development of the civil society sector, especially after the toppling of the previous regime, is critically analysed. The actual impact of this support is then illustrated with an overview of selected aspects of the development of the NGO sector after 1989.
Chapter Three presents the history of the international cooperation of Polish NGOs. The evolution of this cooperation from transborder exchange of experiences to providing humanitarian aid, development assistance, and global education are discussed. The applicability of the development vs. democratising divide in the contemporary NGDO sector is then analysed. This chapter also juxtaposes the various views regarding the comparative advantage of Poland in development cooperation.
Chapter Four deals with the evolution of the Polish development cooperation system. Evidence is presented to the argument that the initially separate paths of engagement in development assistance taken by the state and civil society eventually started to converge in the beginning of the century. This change was facilitated by EU accession, which necessitated the creation of a governmental aid programme. The dynamics of the relationship between these two major stakeholders in development cooperation in Poland is then put forward.
Chapter Five focuses on NGDO activists themselves. It examines the social and cultural capital of aid professionals, their career paths and motivational underpinnings, and concludes with a discussion of the challenges and opportunities they face.
Conclusion: When solidarity is not enough. From solidarity to reflection and action
Galia Chimiak, Katarzyna Iwińska
Wstęp
Krajobraz społecznościowy Polska 2014 ......................................................................7
Dominika V. Polańska
Motywacje osób niezinstytucjonalizowanego
sektora społecznościowego ....................................................................................................27
Aleksandra Bilewicz
Odnowa etosu społecznikowskiego? O inteligenckim charakterze
niezinstytucjonalizowanych inicjatyw społecznych .............................................. 47
Katarzyna Górniak
Nieformalne inicjatywy społeczne w przestrzeni publicznej
– wykluczające czy inkluzywne ...................................................................................... 77
Dorota Jaworska-Matys
Tożsamościowe dyskursy społecznikostwa .............................................................. 93
Aneta Ostaszewska
Zaangażowanie i aktywność społeczna kobiet na przykładzie kół
gospodyń wiejskich oraz grup feministycznych ....................................................113
Filip Pazderski, Bartłomiej Walczak
Społecznicy, profesjonalni działacze czy obywatelscy malkontenci?
Formalna i nieformalna aktywność społeczna Polaków
w świetle badań ogólnopolskich ..................................................................................137
Noty o autorach ...................................................................................................................167
Pragnę podkreślić, że rekomendowany tom, jest kolejnym przygotowanym przez W. Misztala, A. Kościańskiego oraz G. Chimiak. Nie mam wątpliwości, że tom ten stanie się nie tylko przedmiotem studiów dla wielu środowisk, tak akademików, jak i społeczników, ale i źródłem bardzo poważnego namysłu i żywych dyskusji nad miejscem i rolą innowacyjności w sytuacjach, społecznych i politycznych, które da się opisać w kategoriach pasywności, bezpieczeństwa czy tradycji.
prof. dr hab. Joanna Kurczewska
This virtual issue offers an overview of research generated by this debate on the pages of Voluntas within the past 5 years (2018–2023). It brings together ten single-country studies that capture a variation in state’s “strategies of institutional containment” of CSOs (Schedler, 2013, 69), and CSOs’ response strategies across different contexts.
The aim of this chapter is to discuss the evolution of the studies on civil society using the example of Poland. Following the succinct definition whereby civil society is the “domain of social organization within which voluntary associative relations are dominant” (Warren, 2001, p. 57), it should be pointed out that “an authentic civil society must involve the poor and the weak gaining meaningful rights as citizens” (Pearce, 1993, p. 16). The Council of Europe highlights the “essential contribution” made by civil society to democracy and human rights (Council of Europe, 2007). Civil society does not exclude the promotion of antithetical ideas. However, liberticidal quasi-civil initiatives do not pertain to civil society (Chimiak, 2006, p. 26) as civility and respect for human rights set the normative boundaries of the freedom to associate.
chapter focuses on three broad changes in human resources in Polish civil society that have taken place since that time. First, it casts light on the dynamic development and gradual internationalization, aided by foreign donors, of Polish civil society after 1989. Te second trend is a donor-induced change in norms and practices that contributed to the ousting of communitarian values by individualist ones. Finally, the adverse effect of civil society organizations’ recent practices on their human resources is discussed.
Z LIBERALNĄ WIZJĄ ŚWIATA, PATRIOTYZMU ZAŚ – Z KONSERWATYWNĄ, ODDZIELANIE POSTAW OBYWATELSKICH OD PATRIOTYCZNYCH JEST BOWIEM ZABIEGIEM SZTUCZNYM. PRZYJMUJĘ PRZY TYM, ŻE WZMACNIANIU SYNERGII MIĘDZY POSTAWAMI OBYWATELSKIMI A PATRIOTYCZNYMI SŁUŻY
TRAKTOWANIE WSPÓLNOTY NARODOWEJ JAKO OTWARTEJ, A PRIORYTET DLA ZAANGAŻOWANIA NA RZECZ WSPÓLNEGO DOBRA NIE MOŻE OZNACZAĆ POZBAWIENIA PRAW ŻADNEJ CZĘŚCI TEJ
WSPÓLNOTY W ZAKRESIE DECYDOWANIA O SOBIE.
Key words: solidarity, civil society, development cooperation, Polish aid, Poland
The aim of this paper is to examine motivations of social activists in informal initiatives and to understand why they opt for this more spontaneous and self-organized activism while openly defying the hitherto established way of founding non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Design/methodology/approach
On the basis of a case study of Poland, which had one of the most vibrant civil societies in the then socialist region, it is argued that the characteristics ascribed to the functioning of civil society after the toppling of socialism are not reflected in its more recent state. A broader definition of civil society and social activism is suggested to include new types of informal activism, which tend to be over-looked and under-studied. The analysis is built on qualitative and quantitative data gathered in 2014-2015.
Findings
The argument put forward is that un-institutionalized engagement is qualitatively different from its formal and institutionalized counterpart. The recent growth of informal activism is indicative of a rebirth of communitarian engagement in Polish civil society and a reaction to the underside of its institutionalization.
Originality/value
In spite of the seminal role played by societal self-organization in the overturning of the socialist system in Eastern European countries, the development of civil society in the region after 1989 has been repeatedly described as passive and characterized by distrustful or individualist attitudes. However, these civil societies have been changing since, and these more recent developments have been neglected by scholars.
Po drugie, ataki terrorystyczne z 11 września 2001 roku wpłynęły także na działalność organizacji obywatelskich. Uznano, że istnieje potrzeba ich „zdyscyplinowania”
(United Nations, 2004, s. 28), co w rezultacie doprowadziło
między innymi do ich autocenzury (Bloodgood, Tremblay-Boire, 2011, s. 167). Mimo zaistnienia pewnych ograniczeń spowodowanych przyznawaniem priorytetu sprawom bezpieczeństwa wobec kwestii rozwojowych, (międzynarodowe)
organizacje pozarządowe wciąż są istotnymi uczestnikami polityk krajowych i międzynarodowej współpracy rozwojowej. Aby sprostać wyzwaniom wynikającym z kryzysu finansowego oraz ograniczonego zaufania do organizacji pozarządowych, potrzebne są nowe modele współpracy z tymi podmiotami,
w tym promowanie partnerstwa między instytucjami z różnych sektorów.
w Europie Środkowowschodniej, przede wszystkim za sprawą ruchu i związku zawodowego „Solidarność” na początku lat 80. w Polsce (Pełczyński 1988: 363). Zarówno społecznikostwo, jak i społeczeństwo obywatelskie stanowią obszerny, wciąż wzbogacany obszar dociekań badaczy z całego świata. Odzwierciedleniem prowadzonych badań jest równie bogata literatura. Niniejszy tekst nie stanowi jednak przeglądu literatury przedmiotu dotyczącego obydwu koncepcji. Obejmuje
on teorie i badania związane z jednym segmentem społeczeństwa obywatelskiego, a mianowicie najbardziej istotne charakterystyki stanowiącego jego niezbędny budulec
niezinstytucjonalizowanego społecznikostwa.