The history and the activities of The Sociology of Work Section

The Sociology of Work Section is one of the oldest sections of the Polish Sociological Association. The functions and activities of the Section were strongly influenced by the changes in its social, political and economical environment. In the 1960s, the Section, firstly led by Aleksander Matejko and then (in 1970-1993) by Wiesław Jędrzycki, was an important site of integration and professionalisation of sociology. Besides academic sociologists, it associated plant sociologists employed in large, state-owned industrial enterprises in the whole country.

After the systemic transformation in 1989, the Section (led in 1993-2006 by Wiesława Kozek), was searching for a new position and a role in the changing reality. Nowadays, its members work in science as well as in the private and public sector companies, non-governmental organizations and trade unions.

The Section organizes meetings, thematic groups and conferences which address the contemporary problems of the sociology of work, in particular the questions of the social meanings of work, changing work organisation and labour market. In 2015 there were over 100 sociologists in the Section.

Nowadays (2016) The Sociology Section of Work is engaged in the two important projects: the series of conferences “Social Boundaries of Work” and the research project which concerns the history of sociology of work in Poland entitled: “The Doyens of the Sociology of Work in Poland in the context of Institutionalization, Deinstitutionalization and Reconstruction of the Subdiscipline.”

The Series of International Conferences “Social Boundaries of Work”

Since 2014, The Sociology of Work Section organizes a series of conferences entitled Social Boundaries of Work. This is an international project aimed at stimulating a broad discussion about the contemporary meanings of work.

The first of the conference series Social boundaries of work. Changes in the sphere of work in the 21st century capitalism took place in Wroclaw on 14-15 November 2014. It was dedicated to the issues of work transformation in the face of the economic, institutional and cultural changes. The conference was honored by the presence of international special guests, including Prof. Guy Standing and Prof. Jane Hardy.

The second conference – Social boundaries of work. The dimensions of informal work in the modern societies, took place on 12-13 November 2015 in Zielona Gora. Its topics were related to work outside the formal employment and atypical forms of employment. Special guests included: Prof. Klaus Dörre, Prof. Katharina Bluhm, Prof. Jane Hardy and Prof. Kazimierz Sowa.

The next conference is planned for 2017 in Katowice.

The project: The Doyens of the Sociology of Work in Poland

The research project: “The Doyens of the Sociology of Work in Poland in the context of Institutionalization, Deinstitutionalization and Reconstruction of the Subdiscipline” is carried out since the end of 2015 by the Board and the members of the Sociology of Work Section. The main objective of the project is to document the experiences of the doyens (nestors) of the sociology of work in Poland connected with the institutionalization of the subdiscipline in the years 1960-1970 in Poland, as well as their careers and research interests after 1989 in the context of the crisis in the academic sociology of work. The methods applied in data gathering are in-depth interviews with doyens which involve some elements of oral history and biographical interviews methodologies. We are planning to carry out over 15 in-depth interviews. The outcome of the project will be a book containing both the authorized fragments of interviews and their analysis by the research team.

The Board of the Section

In 2006 – 2012, replacing Wiesława Kozek, the President of the Section was Maciej Kryszczuk, the Member of the Board Slavia Holc and, shortly, Marcin Marciniszyn. During the Congress of Polish Sociological Association in Szczecin in 2013 the new Board was constituted for the term 2013-2016:

Adam Mrozowicki (The President)

Joanna Róg-Ilnicka (The Vice-President)

Zbigniew Galor (The Board Member)

Elżbieta Kolasińska (The Board member, The Secretary of The Management Board)

Slaviana Holc (The Board Member)

In 2016 Olga Czeranowska joined The Management Board as The Board Member and The Treasurer.

During the XVI  Congress of Polish Sociological Association in Gdańsk in 2016 the new Board was constituted for the term 2016-2019:

• Adam Mrozowicki (The President)
• Joanna Róg – Ilnicka (The Vice-President)
• Elżbieta Kolasińska (The Board member, The Secretary of The Management Board)
• Olga Czeranowska (The Board Member and The Treasurer)
• Zbigniew Galor (The Board Member)
• Ewa Giermanowska (The Board Member)
• Sławomira Kamińska – Berezowska (The Board Member)

During the XVII  Congress of Polish Sociological Association in Wrocław in 2019 the new Board was constituted for the term 2019-2022:

• Julia Kubisa – the President
• Adam Mrozowicki – the Vice-President,
• Olga Czeranowska – the Board Member and The Treasurer,
• Ewa Giermanowska – the Board Member, responsible for protocols of the works of Section and Board, and for the Aleksander Matejko Award,
• Sławomira Kamińska-Berezowska – the Board Member, responsible for Section’s documentation and annual reports,
• Bartosz Mika – the Board Member, responsible for emailing list and website of Social Boundaries of Work conference,
• Dominika Polkowska – the Board Member, responsible for Section’s Facebook fanpage  https://www.facebook.com/SSPPTS/. 

Joanna Róg-Ilnicka and Elżbieta Kolasińska resigned from participation in the Board.

The Publications

In the years 2013-2016 The Sociology of Work Section co-sponsored three special issues of journals devoted to Social boundaries of work

1. Mrozowicki, Adam, Kolasińska, Elżbieta, Róg-Ilnicka, Joanna (red.) (2015) Forum Socjologiczne. Special Issue (Number One): Social boundaries and meanings of work in the 21st century capitalism, Wrocław: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego, 292 pages.
2. Kolasińska, Elżbieta, Mrozowicki, Adam, Róg-Ilnicka, Joanna (red.) (2015) Humanizacja pracy. Społeczne wymiary pracy w późnym kapitalizmie, nr 3, Płock : Szkoła Wyższa im. Pawła Włodkowica w Płocku, 325 pages.

More information:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SSPPTS/?ref=hl

Email: sekcjasocjologiapracypts@gmail.com

Phone number: +48 607061266 (Julia Kubisa)

Contact address:

Dr hab. Julia Kubisa

The Sociology of Work Section PSA The Institute of Sociology – University of Warsaw, Karowa 18 Street, 00-927 Warsaw, Poland