Polarization but Not Pillarization Catholicism and Cultural Change in Post-Transformation Poland

The modern Polish cultural system emerges through the interplay between social structure and agency, which represent different properties and powers or, more precisely, ‘independent properties, capable of exerting autonomous influences.’ I argue that Polish Catholicism entered the transformation pro...

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Main Author: Wojciech Sadlon
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-06-01
Series:Religions
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/7/457
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author Wojciech Sadlon
author_facet Wojciech Sadlon
author_sort Wojciech Sadlon
collection DOAJ
description The modern Polish cultural system emerges through the interplay between social structure and agency, which represent different properties and powers or, more precisely, ‘independent properties, capable of exerting autonomous influences.’ I argue that Polish Catholicism entered the transformation process to some extent as an agential force which shaped progressive social change and delivered ‘energy’ for the transformation of Polish society. However, the process of transformation has changed the public position of the Catholic Church as it is no longer an actor within a dominating social movement that thrived in the quest for freedom and human rights. Catholicism that has played a role in shaping social conflicts, still represents to some degree ‘a public good’. That is why, despite strong political polarization in Poland, there is no context for ‘pillarization’ within Polish society. The situation of Catholicism in the modern Polish social configuration should be described using the category of ‘polarization’ rather than ‘pillarization’. My study of Polish Catholicism confirms that social polarization in Poland is not a bottom-up process but rather, is driven from the top down as a cultural process.
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spelling doaj.art-dc4c63236b704bc1a9d051247b3f9a492023-11-22T01:13:07ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442021-06-0112745710.3390/rel12070457Polarization but Not Pillarization Catholicism and Cultural Change in Post-Transformation PolandWojciech Sadlon0Institute for Catholic Church Statistics, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University, 01-815 Warsaw, PolandThe modern Polish cultural system emerges through the interplay between social structure and agency, which represent different properties and powers or, more precisely, ‘independent properties, capable of exerting autonomous influences.’ I argue that Polish Catholicism entered the transformation process to some extent as an agential force which shaped progressive social change and delivered ‘energy’ for the transformation of Polish society. However, the process of transformation has changed the public position of the Catholic Church as it is no longer an actor within a dominating social movement that thrived in the quest for freedom and human rights. Catholicism that has played a role in shaping social conflicts, still represents to some degree ‘a public good’. That is why, despite strong political polarization in Poland, there is no context for ‘pillarization’ within Polish society. The situation of Catholicism in the modern Polish social configuration should be described using the category of ‘polarization’ rather than ‘pillarization’. My study of Polish Catholicism confirms that social polarization in Poland is not a bottom-up process but rather, is driven from the top down as a cultural process.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/7/457Catholicismpolarizationpillarizationtransformation
spellingShingle Wojciech Sadlon
Polarization but Not Pillarization Catholicism and Cultural Change in Post-Transformation Poland
Religions
Catholicism
polarization
pillarization
transformation
title Polarization but Not Pillarization Catholicism and Cultural Change in Post-Transformation Poland
title_full Polarization but Not Pillarization Catholicism and Cultural Change in Post-Transformation Poland
title_fullStr Polarization but Not Pillarization Catholicism and Cultural Change in Post-Transformation Poland
title_full_unstemmed Polarization but Not Pillarization Catholicism and Cultural Change in Post-Transformation Poland
title_short Polarization but Not Pillarization Catholicism and Cultural Change in Post-Transformation Poland
title_sort polarization but not pillarization catholicism and cultural change in post transformation poland
topic Catholicism
polarization
pillarization
transformation
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/7/457
work_keys_str_mv AT wojciechsadlon polarizationbutnotpillarizationcatholicismandculturalchangeinposttransformationpoland