Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book considers the technological-economic and the historical-cultural contexts as determinants of social classes and socioeconomic groups. It provides basic data about the size and internal composition of these groups and thus constitutes a useful background for the other papers. The book is also is devoted to social mobility. It presents an explanation of some specific features of the revolutionary changes in Poland. The book also provides the process of industrialization in Poland during the years 1945-1970. It also considers the qualitative and quantitative changes in class structure in different phases of development of the political and economic system. Taking as a point of departure the Marxist theory of social change, Polish sociologists attempt to show that in this theory classes are defined primarily through economic dominance, which in turn implies their specific political and ideological functions in society.