Reviews 333 Summing up, while the reading of teaching, and re-orient political science individual units presents a more in-depth towards contemporary aff airs and policy- picture of the analyzed country, the mes- oriented analysis. On the other hand, the sage of the book is better understood when overhang of Marxist ideology, has slowed perceived as a whole. e picture of politi- down, or in some cases it even eliminated cal science as a discipline in the region the development of critical theories, which comprised of states transitioning from can have a negative eff ect on both academic a communist system to liberal democracy and public debates. Consequently, the book depicts interesting tendencies. On the one emerges as a critical refl ection on both hand, successful attempts have been made achievements and challenges that charac- to increase the quality of research and terize political science in our region. A review of the book: Syndrome of a Peacock and a Parrot. 20 years of Political Transformation in Poland [Syndrom pawia i papugi. 20 lat transformacji ustrojowej Polski], ed. Marek Sokołowski, Wydawnictwo Adam Marszałek, Toruń 2010, pp. 264 by Małgorzata Kamola-Cieślik In Poland’s most recent history, year events involved exhibitions, conferences 2009 was a time to celebrate a special and scientifi c seminars. Articles were writ- anniversary. Twenty years ago, events that ten and television networks broadcast started a political transformation in interviews and documentaries about the Poland took place. ey were connected recent historical events that happened in with the Round Table Talks, elections to Poland’s history. the so-called Contract Sejm and the fact e 20 th anniversary of the collapse of that Tadeusz Mazowiecki became the communism coincided with publications Prime Minister. In 2009 Poland also cel- trying to assess the political transforma- ebrated 70 th anniversary of II World War, tion in Poland. 1 One of them was the book 10th anniversary of its admission to NATO th and 5 anniversary of joining the Euro- 1 G.W. Kołodko, J. Tomkiewicz (eds.), 20 lat pean Union. e celebrations of these transformacji. Osiągnięcia, problemy, perspektywy , 334 Reviews entitled Syndrome of a Peacock and a Par- province of the privatization that took rot. 20 years of Political Transformation in place between 1990 and 2006. " e author Poland edited by Marek Sokołowski, shows reasons why Poles’ reactions to a professor at the University of Warmia privatization varied so much. " e fact that and Mazury in Olsztyn. It was published the Polish society disapproved of the pri- in a series “Social Life Space” by the pub- vatization was caused by the lack of clear lishing house Wydawnictwo Adam rules of how state-owned companies Marszałek from Toruń. " e book was the should be sold and negative consequences fruit of a seminar organized by the Chair of this. of Sociology of " e University of Warmia " e authors of the next article, Ewa and Mazury in Olsztyn in October 2009. Nowak and Rafał Riedel, analyzed (on the " e publication is a collection of articles basis of opinion pools conducted by CBOS – divided, according to their topics, into Centre for Public Opinion Research) the three chapters, the fi rst of which is entitled attitude of Poles to political institutions in “Cheap staff ”? Hopes and Disappointments Poland and abroad in years 1998 – 2008. of 1989 – 2009 . Its fi rst article is Wojciech According to the conducted surveys, Poles Muszyński’s “Communism, Come Back!” have more trust in European institutions, Nostalgia for communism in the public such as European Parliament, because its opinion after 1989. The article shows activities are undertaken while honoring political, economic and social changes that European values. " e limited trust expressed took place in the past twenty years, as well by the Polish society towards Polish state as the feeling of disappointment and social institutions was due to the way and extend dissatisfaction about the political trans- to which citizens expectations were realized formation in Poland. A feeling of “longing” by organs of governmental administration. for communism lingering in the Polish Adam Grabowski, the author of the next society is presented in the article. article, described attitudes of Poles towards Elżbieta Szul, in her article Social politicians from SLD (Democratic Le% Assessment of Privatization. Fulfilled Alliance), PiS (Law and Justice) and PO Expectations or Great Disappointment? , (Civic Platform) between 2008 and 2009. presented a varied assessment of the Polish According to the author, an increase in society and inhabitants of podkarpackie support for PO (Civic Platform) a% er 2007 went against the rules that previously Warszawa 2009; K. Żukrowska (ed.), Transforma- governed Polish political life. Between 1989 cja systemowa w Polsce , Warszawa 2010; S. Pangsy- and 2007 it took approximately 100 days Kania, G. Szczodrowski (eds.), Gospodarka Polska po 20 latach transformacji. Osiągnięcia, problemy for any Council of Ministers to bring it to i wyzwania , Warszawa 2009. a point where the ruling party had smaller Reviews 335 social support than before it took power. conscientious motherhood. Stanisław e article presents circumstances that led Suchaczaow compared the attitude of to this change. Polish and Ukrainian societies towards Zofi a Chyra – Rolicz’s article is con- work as a criterion of eff ectiveness of the cerned with the activities of government, political transformations in Poland and in parliament, social organizations and trade Ukraine. e author mentions negative unions about changing the structure of developments on the job market which, to Polish cooperatives, which eventually a varying extent, were to be seen in these resulted in marginalization of coopera- two countries. e changes also concerned tives in economic, social and cultural life the economic black market, migration of in Poland in the described period. workers, rising unemployment among e transformation in Poland’s political, young people with high education. economic and social life a er 1989 led to e second part of e Peacock of changes in functioning and management Nations.” Lost Identity? Towards Multicul- of schools and higher education. ese turalism starts with Dorota Utracka’s issues are discussed by Danuta Dzich, who article, in which she shows the process of compared the priorities of Poland’s educa- social changes described as the existential tional system to those in Germany, Belgium revolution triggered by political and eco- and Holland a er 1989. At the same time, nomic changes that happened in the late the author discusses in depth one of the 1980s. e notion of cultural normality goals of Polish educational system concern- was defi ned as the goal towards which the ing training of didactic staff . Polish society strived and which was Changes in social life during the period known in the countries of Western of political transformation in Poland were Europe. the subject of the next two articles. Daria Małgorzata Przybysz-Zaremba, the Irena Zabłocka focused on changes in the author of the next article, explains the structure and functioning of the Polish meaning of globalization and presents its family. According to the author, most Polish many dimensions. e article characterizes families started to live in a relationship economic, medial, informative, cultural and based on partnership where partners enjoy ecological globalization while at the same increasing personal freedom. is ten- time showing its negative consequences for dency was accompanied with many other the society, such as dependence of man on factors, such as disappearance of families the economy, the formulation of rules with many children and extended families, governing the information society only by rising professional aspirations of women, the richest countries, domination of one the rise of the position of a child in family, culture over other cultures. 336 Reviews Samanta Kowalska in her article Cul- ! e last chapter entitled ! e Illusion or tural legacy – is it national or communal? Reality? Sociological portraits of Poles presents the legal status of cultural heritage contains fi ve articles. ! e fi rst of them, protection in the Polish People’s Republic written by Jan Kłos, is a refl ection over the and in the last two decades. According to political changes which began in 1989. the author Poland should have a system of ! e article presents the ideology of the protecting its national heritage that would totalitarian system, the enslavement of the not have to follow suit of systems adopted man having to live in the communist by other countries. ! is solution would system and the directions in which the protect Polish heritage and it would also free society can develop. guarantee its original character in com- ! e results of real socialism in a free parison with other cultures. society were the topic of interest for ! e authors of the next article, Marek Bożena Kuśmierczyk abd Danuta Ciukszo. Ejsmond and Beata Kosmala, presented ! e authors made a list of Polish national four models of how the Polish society could vices in the legal sphere. On the basis of react to cultural diff erences. ! ey analyzed conducted research it was concluded that this phenomenon taking into examination the Polish society is not a civil society and Poland’s most popular television series. that an average Pole abuses the legal sys- According to the authors such shows began tem for its own good. to play an educational and socializing role Magdalena Szpunar attempted to as far as education of multicultural society answer the following question: what fac- is concerned. ! e implementation of this tors infl uence the increase of Internet task turned out to be to a much lesser users in Poland? ! e author showed degree than that presented in the media regional diversity in the Internet access and particularly in television. in Poland. ! e reasons for no Internet Another phenomenon which came to access are not economic.