23 results
Contents
- Edited by Krzysztof Gorlach , Zbigniew Drag, Anna Jastrzebiec-Witowska, David Ritter
-
- Book:
- Think Locally, Act Globally
- Published by:
- Jagiellonian University Press
- Published online:
- 16 July 2022
- Print publication:
- 18 March 2021, pp 5-8
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
Biograms
- Edited by Krzysztof Gorlach , Zbigniew Drag, Anna Jastrzebiec-Witowska, David Ritter
-
- Book:
- Think Locally, Act Globally
- Published by:
- Jagiellonian University Press
- Published online:
- 16 July 2022
- Print publication:
- 18 March 2021, pp 705-711
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
Think Locally, Act Globally
- Polish farmers in the global era of sustainability and resilience
- Edited by Krzysztof Gorlach , Zbigniew Drag, Anna Jastrzebiec-Witowska, David Ritter
-
- Published by:
- Jagiellonian University Press
- Published online:
- 16 July 2022
- Print publication:
- 18 March 2021
-
The monograph should be seen as an attempt to present changes affecting the category of family farm owners in Poland over the last 70 years, since the end of World War II. These changes brought significant social transformations, including the dismantling of the landowner class (who had large agricultural farms in their possession), moving the state border westward and changing the multiethnic Polish society into one close to ethnic homogeneity.
The main goal of this reflection is to recount ways in which family farms coped with various unfavorable forces and factors in order to remain in operation. One could say that the entire study can be viewed as a manifestation of the well-known phrase that served as the title of the James C. Scott book (1990): Domination and the Arts of Resistance. The monograph presented here refers to these analyses stemming from another edition of sociological research, completed within the framework of the MAESTRO project financed by the National Science Center of Poland.
The main goal of the project was to depict the functioning of agricultural family farms as the traditional sector of agriculture in Poland in the contemporary context of globalization processes. The farms were examined in terms of the principles of sustainable development as well as flexibility and resilience in reaction to various crises.
The monograph is divided into four essential parts. The first part is devoted to the theoretical issues and methodological groundwork for the entire publication. The second part of the book aims to capture the changes that took place from 1994 to 2017, which was an adequate period to encompass the changes and metamorphoses that mostly happened as a result of two things: the regime transformation which began in 1990, and Poland’s accession to the European Union on May 1, 2004. The third part deals with the crucial issues of regional variations, mostly in regard to life strategies and strategies of operating agricultural farms. Finally, there is a fourth part which places the focus on select themes, such as rural lifestyles, food safety and security, farmers’ utilization of new computer and IT resources, and the potential for socio-political mobilization.
Some Introductory Remarks by the First Editor to Part Four
- Edited by Krzysztof Gorlach , Zbigniew Drag, Anna Jastrzebiec-Witowska, David Ritter
-
- Book:
- Think Locally, Act Globally
- Published by:
- Jagiellonian University Press
- Published online:
- 16 July 2022
- Print publication:
- 18 March 2021, pp 521-522
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
The last part of this work, containing chapters 12 through 15, has a rather specific character. It consists of relatively independent studies, conducted at the proverbial outskirts of the mainstream research, by authors that include some members of the project team, employed as post-doctoral researchers or as scholarship recipients. This part of the publication also contains writings by authors who are loosely connected with the research team, as either volunteers or informal collaborators.
The first chapter of the discussed part comprises Chapter 12 of the entire publication. Its author, Adam Mielczarek, PhD, focuses on qualitative analysis of the functioning of a small group of dairy farms located in central Poland. The main goal of Mielczarek's analysis is to elucidate the various lifestyles of several generations of farmers engaged in the dairy sector.
The second chapter of this part, Chapter 13, addresses various aspects of food safety and food security. Its three authors are: Zbigniew Drąg, PhD (second editor); Professor Piotr Nowak, PhD (informal collaborator in the project); and Martyna Wierzba-Kubat (PhD candidate and a scholarship recipient in this project). This particular chapter presents opinions and attitudes of the surveyed farmers on matters pertinent to food safety and food security.
The third chapter of this part, comprising Chapter 14 of the entire publication, concentrates on the role, and increasing importance, of information technologies in regard to various aspects of farm management. The content of this chapter is provided by Adam Dąbrowski (PhD candidate and a volunteer in the project), Maria Kotkiewicz (PhD candidate and a scholarship recipient), and Professor Piotr Nowak (informal collaborator on the project). The authors examine and interpret the results of the study done specifically for this project, as well as earlier studies that they conducted.
Finally, Chapter 15, which is the last chapter of this part, and written by Professor Grzegorz Foryś (informal collaborator on the project), deals with problems of farmers’ political mobilization. The reflection's focus for this chapter is based on the results of the study customized for this project and other sources considered by the author.
Chapter Nine - Class Diversification among Polish Farmers in 2017
- Edited by Krzysztof Gorlach , Zbigniew Drag, Anna Jastrzebiec-Witowska, David Ritter
-
- Book:
- Think Locally, Act Globally
- Published by:
- Jagiellonian University Press
- Published online:
- 16 July 2022
- Print publication:
- 18 March 2021, pp 373-410
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
Some Theoretical Considerations
General Considerations about the Issues of Classes
The thesis about the death of classes appeared in sociological literature some twenty years ago (see Pakulski & Waters, 1996), and its authors made numerous arguments to support it. The most important arguments were related to the socioeconomic role of the state in interfering with market processes which, according to the traditional sociological view, previously served the purpose of creating the effect of structure. The taming of these processes weakened the class structure. Other arguments stressed the increasing social role of various organizational structures and the authority of these bodies. At the same time, educational qualifications, as well as professional knowledge and skills, also gained importance while other, more complex socio-professional, ethnic, nationality, and race-related divisions became more noticeable. Authors such as Pakulski and Waters (1996, p. 280) pointed to the weakening of patriarchal relations and strengthening of the role of cultural dimensions in lifestyles and personal tastes.
In our view, this thesis stretches much too far. Admittedly, the factors mentioned above diminish the visibility of economic factors and dependencies, such as the availability of production means or ownership of economic capital, and consequently obscure the importance of class structure; still, they do not make classes irrelevant. Quite to the contrary, references to economic and class interests, as well as various social and economic factors, may well lead to a more comprehensive approach to class issues, especially in conceptualization of class positions. Such a strategy of analytical construct is highly preferred in this chapter, mainly in the conceptualization of class positions. The analytical construct strategy will be applied to the reflection of this chapter.
On the surface, it would seem that the subject of class position in farmers’ circles has been addressed quite extensively in the fifth chapter devoted to “big” farmers. As presented in that chapter, farm area was the main factor distinguishing between the large and the remaining (smaller) farms that constituted the only two categories in our analysis. In our view, leaving the analysis at that would be insufficient. Obviously, the social position of farm users depended on farm size, but this was not the only variable playing a significant role here.
Some Introductory Remarks by the First Editor to Part One
- Edited by Krzysztof Gorlach , Zbigniew Drag, Anna Jastrzebiec-Witowska, David Ritter
-
- Book:
- Think Locally, Act Globally
- Published by:
- Jagiellonian University Press
- Published online:
- 16 July 2022
- Print publication:
- 18 March 2021, pp 29-30
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
The first part of this publication contains two, rather extensive, chapters. The first provides a justification for the perspective of the entire research project, which is based on the inversion of the popular slogan originally coined as “think globally, act locally.” Our concept is: “Think locally, act globally.” The inversion aims to transpose the entire tradition of conducting analyses on farmers’ place in the contemporary world within the social sciences. In our view, the activities of individual farmers, small groups of farmers, and families stem from local experience and family tradition or a tradition of local community. For that reason, this chapter covers a variety of issues and examines the related statements that are quite commonly used by sociologists.
To start, this chapter confronts the thesis that the world becomes “flat” as a result of globalization. Quite to the contrary, we, the authors Krzysztof Gorlach, Marta Kle- kotko, Anna Jastrzębiec-Witowska, Grzegorz Foryś, Daria Łucka, and Piotr Nowak, assert that globalization is conducive to highlighting various “non-global” matters, such as local, regional, or even “national” differences. As a result, globalization processes are treated as sequences of intense local-global relations. To conceptualize these relations, in Chapter 1 there are numerous references to neo-endogenous and sustainable development concepts. Specific aspects of these concepts are stressed in the context of changes occurring in rural areas, and particularly in agriculture. The changes affecting agriculture are viewed through the lens of sustainable development, which leads directly to certain aspects of the functioning of family farms and farmers’ decision-making.
Chapter 2, which finalizes this part of the publication, is devoted to the research methodology, presenting two important matters. Firstly, the reader's attention is directed to the multitude of methods applied in this publication. There are both quantitative and qualitative methods, creating a certain mix, with the goal of providing a multifaceted work on the studied reality of family farms in Poland. Secondly, such a methodological blend leads to the type of examination that has been called sustainable analysis.
Chapter Three - From Repressive Tolerance to Oppressive Freedom: The end of Polish peasantry?
- Edited by Krzysztof Gorlach , Zbigniew Drag, Anna Jastrzebiec-Witowska, David Ritter
-
- Book:
- Think Locally, Act Globally
- Published by:
- Jagiellonian University Press
- Published online:
- 16 July 2022
- Print publication:
- 18 March 2021, pp 153-224
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
Introduction
The following monograph aims to present various phenomena, tendencies, and processes occurring among the group of owners (main operators) of farms in Poland that participated in the 2017 research study. It has now been over 30 years since the fundamental political and economic shift that occurred in Poland (and other countries in Central Europe) in 1989–1990. There is a sociological justification for the notion that phenomena and processes of today are well-rooted in past events and developments. What is occurring today may be their immediate continuation or, in some way, their opposition. Such a perspective is very much in tune with historically-oriented sociology, with its principles of continuity and change in social life. There is no question that the historical perspective should accompany the following reflection.
There is a question of how far back one should go when applying an historical perspective to analyze contemporary matters. In other words, what period of time should be taken into consideration in order to discuss what is happening at present? However, this is not the only thing of significant importance. The decision on the role and meaning of certain moments in time that could be treated as starting points for historical background is always a challenge, as these chosen moments may be treated as crucial in terms of shaping social phenomena and processes to be analyzed in the subsequent work. Although it would be tempting to follow in the footsteps of famous historian Norman Davies (2001), who presented one of the best synthetic histories of Poland, going against chronology, in a backward order, would be too much of an imitation. He started his scholarly reflection from contemporary times and finished by recollecting the initial stages of the formation of the Polish state. The purpose of this technique was to show how particular phenomena and processes that were characteristic of certain epochs developed on the basis of what was happening prior.
From the perspective of economic, social, and cultural transformations experienced by farmers, the most important caesura of recent times was the already mentioned collapse of the Communist regime during 1989–1990. At that time, Poland went from being a statist system, a centrally planned economy, and an oppressive political system, legitimized by both communist ideology and some elements of national ethos, to a market economic system, concurrent with the privatization of state companies and the introduction of liberal democracy.
Part One - Theoretical and Methodological Considerations
- Edited by Krzysztof Gorlach , Zbigniew Drag, Anna Jastrzebiec-Witowska, David Ritter
-
- Book:
- Think Locally, Act Globally
- Published by:
- Jagiellonian University Press
- Published online:
- 16 July 2022
- Print publication:
- 18 March 2021, pp 27-28
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
Chapter Six - In Search of a Balance: Some aspects of sustainable farming
- Edited by Krzysztof Gorlach , Zbigniew Drag, Anna Jastrzebiec-Witowska, David Ritter
-
- Book:
- Think Locally, Act Globally
- Published by:
- Jagiellonian University Press
- Published online:
- 16 July 2022
- Print publication:
- 18 March 2021, pp 295-326
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
Introductory Remarks
This chapter reviews the issues of sustainable development, which are crucial to the content of the entire publication, and vital to the analysis of the selected results of the study to which the entire project refers. The concept of sustainable development has already been described in detail in the first chapter, which contains theoretical and analytical remarks and research findings. In this chapter, only references directly pertaining to the analyses of sustainability will be made. It should be noted, however, that this chapter will also attempt to approach the problems of sustainable development from the subjective perspective of individuals who are farmers and, because of that, have to make certain decisions and be engaged in ongoing social processes. This is in line with some of the messages that this work aspires to, such as “bringing farmers back in,” which follow the concepts of the famous author George Homans (1964)—concepts well known in the history of sociology—who went against the macro-system perspective that dominated in sociology in the 1950s and early 1960s. Unlike his contemporaries, Homans called for more emphasis on the actions of individual people. Considering this, various aspects of sustainable development will be analyzed that relate to the various contexts and factors influencing the decisions taken by people operating farms in Poland.
When studying the actions of individuals it is always helpful to have some context variables or structural variables which, in one way or another, can influence the context, meaning, or character of decisions taken by individuals. Generally, in the tradition of sociological analyses of agriculture, such variables include farm area and production volume. They are usually, but not always (as is the case with animal breeding), connected with farm area. It is the production that maps out the direction of development and influences the way of thinking about the farm and its management. And even though the contrasts drawn to distinguish between farm types are described somewhat differently in the American sociological tradition (family versus capitalist/corporate farms; see, e.g., Strange, 1988), than in the European tradition (peasant-type versus entrepreneurial farms; see, e.g., Ploeg, 2020), it can be stated, judging by the years of these two publications, that categorical dichotomy of farms has been present in the sociological debate for decades, and is still present now.
Some Introductory Remarks by the First Editor to Part Two
- Edited by Krzysztof Gorlach , Zbigniew Drag, Anna Jastrzebiec-Witowska, David Ritter
-
- Book:
- Think Locally, Act Globally
- Published by:
- Jagiellonian University Press
- Published online:
- 16 July 2022
- Print publication:
- 18 March 2021, pp 151-152
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
The second part of the monograph is quite extensive and diverse in what it covers. It consists of seven chapters that address a variety of issues but share one common idea. All chapters emphasize the changes experienced by farm users, who are understood here as a social category, through the years 1994–2017, and describe them in some detail. Equally important are the various characteristics of family farms in Poland that were observed during the 2017 study and are analyzed in this section of the monograph.
The role of the introductory chapter of this part of the publication, which constitutes Chapter 3 of the monograph and describes and summarizes changes affecting family farms from 1994 through 2007, and also refers to my earlier research, is twofold. First, it serves as a testimony to changes occurring in Polish rural areas during the last decade of the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century. Second, following the principles of historical sociology, the chapter presents a certain foundation and starting point for the analyses of social processes that can be observed in the studies conducted in 2017 as part of the most recent edition of the research on family farms in Poland.
The next six chapters (4 through 9) consist of analyses of research data collected during the 2017 research project, which is vital for this publication, and presents its results. Thus, Chapter 4 contains a general picture of family farms in Poland, which creates a quite useful background for all subsequent analyses, not just in this chapter but throughout the entire publication.
Chapter 5 compares two different categories of farms, namely large and small farms. This chapter addresses ideas regarding the differentiation of farms (quite common in the sociological literature) as well as the rationale and criteria for dividing the farms by size into two groups, small and large. It illustrates how small and large farms function differently within nation-state societies. Such a reflection typically leads to more observations and remarks on the concentration of agricultural production, farm stratification (i.e., the concept of the disappearing middle), or various patterns of thought and behavior, representing different farm categories.
Chapter Two - Mixed Methodologies, Sustainable Analyses
- Edited by Krzysztof Gorlach , Zbigniew Drag, Anna Jastrzebiec-Witowska, David Ritter
-
- Book:
- Think Locally, Act Globally
- Published by:
- Jagiellonian University Press
- Published online:
- 16 July 2022
- Print publication:
- 18 March 2021, pp 95-148
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
Introductory Remarks
The second chapter of this monograph is devoted to methodological issues. Considering the context, readers should be reminded that sustainable farm development is at the center of this publication's academic reflection. It should also be recalled that sustainable development is not limited to the effects of economic changes but also involves environmental (mostly related to resources) and social (equality and inequality issues) dimensions. This might lead to the statement that the development process has a rather multifaceted character. Therefore, its analysis must be more complex, and take into consideration various factors, including psychological references to the actors taking part in these processes. A similar way of thinking may be applied to the methodology used in sociological studies. The use of various methods and research techniques can provide a more multidimensional picture of the studied reality. Thus, mixed methodologies can provide a better means to observe analyzed phenomena and social processes from various angles and this, in our view, might be more conducive to sustainability analyses. Such analyses are the main goal of our project and this monograph.
Chapter 1 essentially contains the draft of the theoretical concept to which the entire publication is devoted to. This chapter mostly deals with the methodological consequences of theoretical resolutions described in the previous chapter, which are important for the methods of academic research. The crucial point of reflection referred to the methodological work of Andrew Abbot with its central premise of advocating the reversal of the approach to the relation between the global and local dimensions of social life, an approach widespread in academic literature. As emphasized by Abbott (2004, p. 7): “Switching questions is a powerful heuristic move.” Such a move was taken when the main slogan of the entire publication was formulated by changing the order—and thus, the meaning—of the popular statement “think globally, act locally” to “think locally, act globally.” This allowed for several important issues to be addressed, which became the basis for various analyses presented in this volume.
Chapter Four - Family Farms in 2017: Drawing of the sociological portrait
- Edited by Krzysztof Gorlach , Zbigniew Drag, Anna Jastrzebiec-Witowska, David Ritter
-
- Book:
- Think Locally, Act Globally
- Published by:
- Jagiellonian University Press
- Published online:
- 16 July 2022
- Print publication:
- 18 March 2021, pp 225-250
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
Introductory Remarks
The following chapter aims to present the characteristics of, and processes taking place in, the family farm owners and operators category in 2017 Poland, and starts the second part of this entire publication. As was already indicated in Chapter 2 describing the study's methodology, the research conducted in 2017 had a larger population sample and somewhat different selection criteria than that of previous editions. Therefore, direct, in-depth analyses and comparisons between the research editions might not be adequate or even possible. Nevertheless, on a more general level, the attempts to compare the findings from the 1994 and 2017 studies seem legitimate. In 1994 (see Gorlach, 1995) the research concept and presentation of family farms was elaborated in Poland for the first time after the political breakthrough of 1989. For research purposes, a stratified sample was randomly selected to represent a large poll of farms. Later analyses in 1999 and 2007 used the panel study methodology with the population sample chosen in advance in 1994. The trends, regularities and changes described in Chapter 3, which closes the first part of this publication, did not fully represent the entire population of family farms in Poland but only a specific category of farms selected in 1994, which were then studied consecutively, in 1999 and 2007.
It could be said that having the new population sample in the 2017 research has allowed for a different perspective. It is not a detailed analysis of the processes taking place in the selected category of farmers, as more research at various times should have been conducted to achieve such a goal. This new look could, however, be helpful in illustrating the change that occurred within the perspective of almost a quarter of a decade. Juxtaposing some research results from 1994 and 2017 could provide a valuable contribution to the reflection on family farms in Poland.
The main idea of this chapter is to offer an approach to the category of farm owners and operators that would help to identify the change that occurred in the time frame indicated above. To use the painting metaphor, it could be said that the second part of this publication, beginning with this chapter, is about presenting a family portrait of farms in Poland.
Chapter Seven - Polish Farm Women as Managers
- Edited by Krzysztof Gorlach , Zbigniew Drag, Anna Jastrzebiec-Witowska, David Ritter
-
- Book:
- Think Locally, Act Globally
- Published by:
- Jagiellonian University Press
- Published online:
- 16 July 2022
- Print publication:
- 18 March 2021, pp 327-354
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
Introductory Remarks
Sex- and gender-related social inequalities in the job market were of interest to numerous sociologists for nearly the last half of the 20th century but in the last two decades analyses of these issues have become more intense and more substantive. Undoubtedly, this is strongly connected with the growing popularity of feminist theories and the increased social activity of women, especially in the form of feminist movements. Analyzing gender inequalities in the job market—and they are reflected upon in this publication—some researchers (see Domański, 1999, pp. 29–37) refer to such mechanisms and processes as segregation of professions (relating to divisions made between male and female professions), ghettoization (division of female and male tasks within a given profession) or professional re-segregation (feminization of professions previously dominated by men), all of which impede professional integration aimed at achieving gender balance in a particular profession. Although direct workplace and profession-related discrimination of women mostly happens on a micro- -scale at the level of companies, business enterprises, and offices, these structural mechanisms indirectly enhance the discrimination. It is a fact that women, despite abilities and qualifications similar to those of men, have lower income and lower professional positions, usually reaching “the glass ceiling” at some point in their career. It is also a fact that in the more holistic approach to economics professions traditionally recognized as female, women are considered less prestigious and have fewer power resources (see Domański, 1992, 1999).
Without a doubt, agriculture is one of the economic sectors where gender-related inequalities are externalized and a traditional Polish farm is a special type of enterprise that petrifies these inequalities. As Polish researcher Barbara Tryfan notes, for many years the traditional type of peasant economy has determined the order of prestige in the family group according to economic usefulness. As the man performed works recognized as important and had decision-making powers, his position in the family was privileged. Without permission from her husband, a wife could not sell any livestock or equipment, even though it came from her dowry.
Part Two - Changes in the Post-Communist Transformation
- Edited by Krzysztof Gorlach , Zbigniew Drag, Anna Jastrzebiec-Witowska, David Ritter
-
- Book:
- Think Locally, Act Globally
- Published by:
- Jagiellonian University Press
- Published online:
- 16 July 2022
- Print publication:
- 18 March 2021, pp 149-150
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
Chapter Eight - Farm Women as Participants in Social Life
- Edited by Krzysztof Gorlach , Zbigniew Drag, Anna Jastrzebiec-Witowska, David Ritter
-
- Book:
- Think Locally, Act Globally
- Published by:
- Jagiellonian University Press
- Published online:
- 16 July 2022
- Print publication:
- 18 March 2021, pp 355-372
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
Women's Issues in the Post-modern Countryside
Currently, women's issues in rural areas are, from our perspective, determined by two sets of factors which take the form of multi-layered and overlapping social processes. They are the processes of rural development, which can be seen as transformations happening simultaneously on many levels (economic, social, political, cultural, and personal). Various entities participate in these processes and the direction of these changes indicates attempts to have a multifunctional countryside. As indicated in the concluding remarks of the extensive work by Henri Goverde, Henk de Haan, and Mireya Baylina, which included extensive research in various European countries and regions, the new contract between agriculture and society in rural areas was being created with a multifaceted and innovative approach to rural development problems (2004, p. 176). Such an approach, however, creates a certain problem, as the presented vision of rural development is mostly a vision shared by social elites, the representatives of authority and administration, as well as economic and academic institutions. However, the people actually residing in rural areas, who are directly caught in the rhythm of rural functioning, still see changes as an interplay of market forces and requirements. This discrepancy in points of view regarding the surrounding reality and various factors responsible for that were noted by the authors, but it might be a symptom of a phenomenon much stronger than indicated in the analyzed literature. This chapter supports the notion of the second combination of factors as a social and cultural legacy, in the form of a specific tradition functioning in rural communities, mapping out the ways their members act when confronted with new phenomena, processes, and new initiatives taken towards rural development. This is not just a direct and open protest against the new programs, or an effort to change the countryside's image. This is more a case of some well-established habits, or schemes of thoughts and actions, which make it difficult for rural residents to establish themselves in the new reality. Among such existing habits, patterns, and schemes are: patriarchy of agricultural communities, as manifested by the treatment of women's activities as “hidden” or “unpaid” despite the obvious changes in women's position in European agricultural and rural communities of the second half of the 20th century.
Part Three - Diversification of Farmers’ Strategies
- Edited by Krzysztof Gorlach , Zbigniew Drag, Anna Jastrzebiec-Witowska, David Ritter
-
- Book:
- Think Locally, Act Globally
- Published by:
- Jagiellonian University Press
- Published online:
- 16 July 2022
- Print publication:
- 18 March 2021, pp 411-412
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
Some Introductory Remarks by the Editors to Part Three
- Edited by Krzysztof Gorlach , Zbigniew Drag, Anna Jastrzebiec-Witowska, David Ritter
-
- Book:
- Think Locally, Act Globally
- Published by:
- Jagiellonian University Press
- Published online:
- 16 July 2022
- Print publication:
- 18 March 2021, pp 413-416
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
What is a contemporary Polish farmer like? What specific characteristics can be found in Polish farmers? Previous chapters presented attempts to answer these questions while treating surveyed farmers as one category and concentrating analyses primarily on determining the extent of similarities and differences between them. The analyses were conducted at the level of farm units and involved simple, one-level modeling. No less interesting was the issue of differentiation of farmers’ characteristics according to place of residence, as presented in this part of the book. Such characteristics can be perceived as local specifics of farms and their users. This matter is also essential in the context of the leading thought of this work: think locally, act globally
Considering the above, single-level modeling appeared to be insufficient to learn about the impact of territorial differentiation on matters such as: the functioning of farms, decision-making strategies, and the course of farm users’ everyday lives. Multilevel analysis seems more appropriate here. It is applied in the form of a two-level model and presented in two consecutive chapters of the monograph; these chapters are then distinguished as a separate part to emphasize the specifics of their content. Chapter 10 discusses the impact of territorial differentiation on the choice of farm management strategy and Chapter 11 addresses the relationship between the place of residence and life strategies of surveyed farm users/operators.
Application of multilevel analysis is determined by the structure of collected data. The data are only to be used if they qualify as hierarchically nested data, meaning that the observations from the lower level are included in the higher level. In the case of two-level analysis, territorial units such as counties might constitute a higher (second) level of analysis and this is reflected in the described study. Level one consists of farmers and their farm units nested within these counties. What also might be discouraging researchers from applying the multilevel model is the number of observations necessary on particular levels. To fully utilize the potential of the two- -level model, one should accumulate data from at least 100 units of level two, and in each of the level two units there should be a minimum of 30 nested units from level one.
Chapter One - Thinking and Acting in the Age of Local–Global Relations: Think locally and act globally
- Edited by Krzysztof Gorlach , Zbigniew Drag, Anna Jastrzebiec-Witowska, David Ritter
-
- Book:
- Think Locally, Act Globally
- Published by:
- Jagiellonian University Press
- Published online:
- 16 July 2022
- Print publication:
- 18 March 2021, pp 31-94
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
Introductory Remarks
The expression “think globally, act locally” has been widely considered a kind of symbolic statement encapsulating a behavioral strategy in the contemporary globalized world. It means that each individual, as well as social collective, should take into consideration some broader and larger spectrum of factors, ideas, and values reflecting much more than the immediate issues of their community or place in order to enact particular strategies for activities performed in their close environment. The basic idea underlying such reasoning is the assumption that every community and every place in the contemporary social space presents a specific permutation and/or particular implementation of more general events, processes, structures, institutions, and solutions relating to social problems.
This perspective draws significantly from the concept of globalization which might be understood, by at least some contemporary authors, as a process of uniformization, or even standardization, of human society, despite some observable social—and especially cultural—differences. The global economy has been noted as a leading force in such an approach.
The phrase “think globally and act locally” has been used frequently in reference to environmental issues. Certain efforts resulting, for example, in the global lowering of carbon dioxide emissions should not necessarily be grounded in some local activities and solutions, but such local initiatives, undertaken in many places and communities, might have an aggregate effect on the global (trans-local) scale. Such reasoning has overemphasized that the cumulative effect of some local activities might result in some global (trans-local) changes. But this problem might be considered in an entirely opposite way. The global-local problem also requires, for example, the analysis of behavior patterns performed by global corporations within some local milieus. As Amey (2013) stresses:
The local action plans of these companies are nothing short of selling their “global” products in “packaging” that may appeal to the preferences of local consumers or fulfill their needs which have been shaped by local context and local traditions (Klekotko et al., 2018, p. 113).
From this perspective, the “global” does not seem to be a kind of “sum of locals.” Quite to the contrary, the local seems to be a consequence of the global impact in a particular context.
An Introductory Letter from the First Editor: Where the horses, cows, and even cats had their own names
- Edited by Krzysztof Gorlach , Zbigniew Drag, Anna Jastrzebiec-Witowska, David Ritter
-
- Book:
- Think Locally, Act Globally
- Published by:
- Jagiellonian University Press
- Published online:
- 16 July 2022
- Print publication:
- 18 March 2021, pp 23-26
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
The following monograph should be seen as an attempt to present changes affecting the category of family farm owners in Poland over the last 70 years, since the end of World War II. These changes brought significant social transformations, including the dismantling of the landowner class (who had large farms in their possession), moving the state border westward and changing the multiethnic Polish society into one close to ethnic homogeneity. The main goal of this reflection is to recount ways in which family farms coped with various unfavorable forces and factors in order to remain in operation. One could say that the entire study can be viewed as a manifestation of the well-known phrase that served as the title of the James C. Scott (1990) book: Domination and the Arts of Resistance. It should not be surprising that the following work gives a great deal of attention to the functioning of family (peasant) farms during Communism. From 1944 to 1989, the primary goal of family farms facing the not-so-friendly, and sometimes even openly hostile, policies of the state was to simply maintain their existence. This was described in detail in my early article published in Sociologia Ruralis (see Gorlach, 1989). After 1989, the year which brought political breakthrough not just in Poland but also in other countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the situation did not appear to be more comfortable. Family farms were forced to fight for survival in the reality of the market economy. Their situation was presented in my other works that were based on empirical research (see Gorlach, 1995, 2001, 2009).
The monograph presented here refers to these analyses stemming from another edition of sociological research, completed within the framework of the MAESTRO project financed by the National Science Center of Poland. The main goal of the project was to depict the functioning of family farms as the traditional sector of agriculture in Poland in the contemporary context of globalization processes. The farms were examined in terms of the principles of sustainable development as well as flexibility and resilience in reaction to various crises.
Conclusion: Some Final Remarks from the First Editor
- Edited by Krzysztof Gorlach , Zbigniew Drag, Anna Jastrzebiec-Witowska, David Ritter
-
- Book:
- Think Locally, Act Globally
- Published by:
- Jagiellonian University Press
- Published online:
- 16 July 2022
- Print publication:
- 18 March 2021, pp 679-690
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
The reflection of this final part of the monograph should not be seen as its summary or set of consistent conclusions. Neither is it an attempt to draw a portrait of Polish farmers in 2017 at the time, when the empirical survey was conducted, which served as groundwork for the entire project. This final part contains the set of remarks related to the surveyed population, as well as covers other issues connected foremost with methodology of conducted studies.
The monograph does not have a homogenous character. It is not the monograph of a single author, prepared by the head of the project. Quite to the contrary, it is an attempt to write in several different voices and present a contemporary, albeit still incomplete, depiction of Polish farmers. Such a character for the monograph was announced in the first chapter, which is a thorough presentation of a theoretically analytical concept that was the result of a group debate. Quite wide frames for the analysis of farmers’ situation in Poland, presented in this concept, concentrated on global development matters and ideas of sustainability and resilience. These very issues are also widely discussed in the international subject literature and mark their presence in numerous studies conducted in various places of the world.
The processes and phenomena described in this monograph are quite complex and multidimensional. This goes well with having a diversity of approaches due to the individual and joint work of members of the research team, whether directly employed in the project or having loose ties to it and collaborating in it in a more flexible way. Thanks to their engagement, the analyses of selected topics, resulting in a rather discerning picture of the world of Polish farmers, elaborated from their own vantage points, can be found in this monograph. As this complex picture was created with the use of various research methods it could be metaphorically compared to a painting created simultaneously by various artists using various techniques of applying paints and having different methods for depicting the lights and shadows of sketched objects, as well as different color preferences.
Due to the characteristics of the research matter presented above, as well as the specifics of the study, the structure of this volume also has a diverse character. The first part contains reflections on the analytical, theoretical, and methodological characteristics of the matter.