Papers by Andrzej Turkowski
Intersections. East European Journal of Society and Politics, 2023
This article returns to sociological investigation of the intriguing phenomenon of the Solidarity... more This article returns to sociological investigation of the intriguing phenomenon of the Solidarity social movement. Contrary to a popular position which sees Solidarity as important but closed chapter in Polish history, we argue that its legacy, in contrast to other historic events such as Prague's spring and Hungarian uprising, should be seen as an ongoing social process in Poland and in the broader region of Eastern and Central Europe. In order to lay out our argument we describe Polish intelligentsia members' practices aimed at the reproduction and strengthening of the legacy of Solidarity-an important tool which legitimizes intelligentsia's dominant position in the post-communist Poland. In the empirical part we are particularly interested in analysis of efforts aimed at strengthening the legacy of Solidarity by universalizing it at the transnational level, which we analyzed on the case study of interaction between members of the Polish and Ukrainian elites.
Journal of World-Systems Research, 2023
This article investigates a neglected issue of the influence of systemic transformation in Centra... more This article investigates a neglected issue of the influence of systemic transformation in Central and Eastern Europe on the (sub)field of social sciences and more broadly on local fields of power. Our case study concerns a vibrant and internationally connected network of scholars from various disciplines and generations who were involved in developing and popularizing a dependency paradigm in communist Poland. As we show that the fall of communism and related transformation in the Polish field of power brought about dramatic shift in terms of their career trajectories as well as their ideological orientation and in consequence a sudden disappearance of this academic ecosystem. On this basis we argue about wider changes-encompassing marginalization of the "critical," autonomous tradition and strengthening of heteronomic trends in social sciences in the region but also at the global level.
Europe-Asia Studies, Apr 21, 2022
This article provides an in-depth analysis of the system of production of expertise on Polish–Rus... more This article provides an in-depth analysis of the system of production of expertise on Polish–Russian relations in post-1989 Poland. For this purpose, the author develops the concept of the ‘space of opinion’ on Polish–Russian relations, focusing on the reconstruction of its origins and main structures. The present analysis challenges the idea of a radical rupture in the theoretical and ideological background of Poland’s Eastern policy after 1989—promoted by dominant interpretations in the literature—and highlights historical continuity in a long-term perspective.
Kultura i Społeczeństwo, 2021
Turkowski refers to Michał Przeperski’s much-read biography of Mieczysław F. Rakowski, which cons... more Turkowski refers to Michał Przeperski’s much-read biography of Mieczysław F. Rakowski, which constitutes interesting literature not only for those interested in the political history of the Polish People’s Republic, but also for those researching social processes in post-war Poland. In particular, Turkowski ascertains that one can discover numerous valuable observations concerning the issue of social advancement in this biography, observations that question the durability of the heritage of the system of real socialism in this respect.
Elite studies, which would be both critical (in a sense that they do not reproduce self-images cr... more Elite studies, which would be both critical (in a sense that they do not reproduce self-images created by actors under study) and at the same time rely on substantial empirical material “from within”, are perhaps the hardest job to do for a sociologist . It seems (at least to a Pole) that this is even more so in the case of Poland, where the relations within the intelligentsia élite milieu are even more informal (thus prone to being hidden from the wider public) than in many other European countries – as one can learn it from other works of one of the authors of the reviewed book, Tomasz Zarycki. Despite numerous obstacles, Smoczyński and Zarycki made a successful attempt at analyzing an important part of the Polish field of power (Bourdieu 1993: 161–175, 1996: 261–339) of the aristocracy, nobility, and landed gentry . Although at the empirical core of the book there lies an analysis of social structure and mechanisms of reproduction of a small group (“several dozen post-aristocrati...
Kultura i Społeczeństwo, 2021
The aim of the article is to show the evolution of structural divisions within
Polish elites from... more The aim of the article is to show the evolution of structural divisions within
Polish elites from the perspective of changes in Polish-Russian relations after 1989.
In order to describe the formation of the Polish space of opinion on the topic, the
author interprets the unexpected marginalization of the famous Russian expert
Andrzej Drawicz (1939–1997) in the Third Polish Republic. The article contributes
to an understanding of the dynamics shaping Polish debates about Russia, and also
—by tracing Drawicz’s career trajectory—presents a model of biographical analysis
that allows the social dimension to be taken into account.
UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL: THE KREMLIN’S LEVERAGE IN THE VISEGRAD COUNTRIES, 2017
In terms of Russian influence and vulnerability to the Kremlin’s soft power tools, Poland represe... more In terms of Russian influence and vulnerability to the Kremlin’s soft power tools, Poland represents a distinctive case among
Central and Eastern European states. Despite the fact that it shares the experience of being Moscow’s satellite during the
communist times, just like the other V4 states, Poland’s specifically traumatising and negative historical experience with
Russia has united the Polish political class around a consensus to reduce, rather than foster, new dependencies on Russia.
Jerzy Giedroyc—the founder and editor of the journal Kultura—has played an important symbolic rol... more Jerzy Giedroyc—the founder and editor of the journal Kultura—has played an important symbolic role in Polish public debates, especially as an architect of post-communist Poland’s policy toward its Eastern neighbors. At the same time, scholars and experts differ substantially in their assessments as to both the shape and influence of “Giedroyc’s line.” This article argues that in order to solve this puzzle, Giedroyc should be seen as an “intelligentsia totem”—an instrument for the reproduction of Polish intelligentsia hegemony, and a source of legitimization for which various factions within the elite compete.
Taking into account this distinctive role allows for a new assessment of the influence of Giedroyc’s line on Poland’s eastern policy. By integrating the totemic interpretation with an analysis of the changing shape of the Polish field of power and changing interpretations of what Giedroyc’s line entailed, I argue that only some postulates of Giedroyc were implemented after 1989. Despite this, because of Giedroyc’s legitimizing function as Kultura’s editor, his role as an “architect” of the eastern policy was seldom questioned. Only when the reconfiguration of the Polish field of power brought an end to consensus in the foreign policy realm did new diverging interpretations of Giedroyc’s line emerge, legitimizing competing visions for Polish foreign policy. This article delivers a more nuanced view of the role Giedroyc played in post-communist Poland, thus explaining his criticism toward its foreign policy. It also sheds light on the legitimization mechanisms at work within the Polish elite.
In 2008, Russia ranked fourth on the list of the biggest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters, with a 5.... more In 2008, Russia ranked fourth on the list of the biggest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters, with a 5.67% share of global emissions. 1 This alone shows its importance to the international climate change regime. However, Russia also holds the biggest surplus of emission allowances granted by the Kyoto Protocol, which if sold over a short time could seriously destabilise the integrity of the global carbon market and the regime itself. In addition, Russia's forests cover a large area and hold more carbon than the forests of any other nation and thus have the potential to play a major role in affecting climate change. 2
The Polish Quarterly of International Affairs, Jul 1, 2012
The Polish Quarterly of International Affairs, Oct 1, 2013
This article is an attempt to interpret the dominant discourses on Polish foreign policy from the... more This article is an attempt to interpret the dominant discourses on Polish foreign policy from the position of the world-system approach. It draws inspiration from works by Immanuel Wallerstein and other researchers that follows his perspective. Following Tomasz Zarycki’s suggestion, the author views the Polish political scene as divided primarily along an axis defined by attitude towards Western Europe. The author draws inspiration from the works of researchers who describe the impact of the semi-peripheral position of Russia on the main directions in its foreign policy. The author also describes and interprets a debate on the impact of EU membership on the peripheral position of Poland and the role and signifi cance of the so-called Eastern policy. This analysis provides a picture of the fundamental dispute regarding the importance of and the relationship between the two directions in Polish foreign policy. For the supporters of Western Europe, integration within the EU is a priority and Eastern policy is meant to support this process; for its opponents, however, membership in the EU is the basis for building the position of Poland in the eastern neighbourhood.
Books by Andrzej Turkowski
Iluminacja na Pałacu Kultury z okazji odbywającego się w mieście szczytu NATO. Fot. Jacek Łagowsk... more Iluminacja na Pałacu Kultury z okazji odbywającego się w mieście szczytu NATO. Fot. Jacek Łagowski / Forum Za zainspirowanie przedsięwzięcia i pomoc w jego realizacji dziękujemy Ambasadorowi Jerzemu Koźmińskiemu. Za udostępnienie i wybór fragmentów z niedrukowanego dziennika Kazimierza Dziewanowskiego dziękujemy dr. Bartoszowi Dziewanowskiemu-Stefańczykowi.
Obraz badanego wycinka polskich elit, który wyłania się z przeprowadzonych badań opartych na pogł... more Obraz badanego wycinka polskich elit, który wyłania się z przeprowadzonych badań opartych na pogłębionych wywiadach badawczych, analizie litera tury
i prasy oraz dokumentach instytucji eksperckich, jest wielowątkowy. Składają się
na niego obserwacje różnej wagi i o różnej precyzji. Opierając się na zgromadzonym materiale badawczym, zaryzykować można wydestylowanie kluczowej
„opowieści”. Jej głównymi bohaterami są przedstawiciele młodego pokolenia
opozycyjnie nastawionej inteligencji, którzy po 1989 r., ciesząc się wsparciem
niektórych szczególnie istotnych postaci inteligenckiej elity oraz ważnych figur
środowisk emigracji, stworzyli trzon medialno-ekspercko-biurokratycznej infrastruktury związanej z relacjami Polski ze Wschodem.
Polska jako peryferie, red. nauk. Tomasz Zarycki, 2016
Celem artykułu jest próba zastosowania kategorii centrum – peryferie do analizy polskiej polityki... more Celem artykułu jest próba zastosowania kategorii centrum – peryferie do analizy polskiej polityki wobec Rosji, a w szczególności dyskursu prasowego na ten temat. W artykule zaprezentuję model badawczy oparty na perspektywie centrum – peryferie oraz koncepcji pola władzy Pierre’a Bourdieu. Pozwala on w analizie dyskursu polskiej polityki wobec Rosji po 1989 r. wziąć pod uwagę zależności ukazywane m.in. przez Immanuela Wallersteina oraz sposób, w jaki wpływają one na kształt sceny politycznej państw peryferyjnych – co opisuje Tomasz Zarycki.
Proponowane podejście stara się uwzględnić kluczowy wpływ szerszego kontekstu geopolitycznego, a zwłaszcza pozycji obu krajów względem Zachodu, interpretowanej w kategoriach zależności, a tym samym wychodzi poza perspektywę bilateralną. Wpływ środowiska międzynarodowego – w tym zróżnicowanych skutków integracji Polski ze strukturami Zachodu czy też innych kształtowanych na poziomie międzynarodowym uwarunkowań wewnętrznych polityki zagranicznej – ma bowiem często decydujące znaczenie dla kwestii będących przedmiotem stosunków polsko-rosyjskich oraz debaty prowadzonej na ich temat. Dodatkowo, przy przyjęciu założenia na temat ograniczonej adekwatności eksplanacyjnej kategorii kulturowo-politycznych (takich jak „uprzedzenia i stereotypy”, „trudna przeszłość” czy też „imperialna mentalność”), pozwala włączyć do analizy inne czynniki (np. ekonomiczne, geopolityczne czy też socjologiczne).
Book Reviews by Andrzej Turkowski
Wolność i Solidarność, 2022
Nowa Konfederacja. thinkzine., Jun 2021
Nadreprezentacja historyków wśród ekspertów od tematyki wschodniej sprawia, że kwestie historyczn... more Nadreprezentacja historyków wśród ekspertów od tematyki wschodniej sprawia, że kwestie historyczne są papierkiem lakmusowym dla stanu ogólnych relacji dwustronnych między Polską a Rosją. Z Andrzejem Turkowskim rozmawia Anton Saifullayeu
Acta Universitatis Sapientiae, Social Analysis, 2019
Elite studies, which would be both critical (in a sense that they do not reproduce self-images cr... more Elite studies, which would be both critical (in a sense that they do not reproduce self-images created by actors under study) and at the same time rely on substantial empirical material "from within", are perhaps the hardest job to do for a sociologist. It seems (at least to a Pole) that this is even more so in the case of Poland, where the relations within the intelligentsia élite milieu are even more informal (thus prone to being hidden from the wider public) than in many other European countries-as one can learn it from other works of one of the authors of the reviewed book, Tomasz Zarycki. Despite numerous obstacles, Smoczyński and Zarycki made a successful attempt at analyzing an important part of the Polish field of power (Bourdieu 1993: 161-175, 1996: 261-339) of the aristocracy, nobility, and landed gentry. Although at the empirical core of the book there lies an analysis of social structure and mechanisms of reproduction of a small group ("several dozen post-aristocratic families"), the perspective of Pierre Bourdieu's field analysis, which the authors adopted among other theoretical inspirations, required them to broaden the scope of the study. Thus, the book includes both a historical and "spatial" (relations with other social groups) context. As a result, the volume presents a valuable insight not only into the functioning of a small but relatively influential aristocratic sub-élite but also-by analyzing its relationship with the intelligentsia-into this hegemonic social class in Poland. As has been already mentioned, the main focus of the book is on the aristocratic/ post-gentry milieu in contemporary Poland. The first chapter though is dedicated
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Papers by Andrzej Turkowski
Polish elites from the perspective of changes in Polish-Russian relations after 1989.
In order to describe the formation of the Polish space of opinion on the topic, the
author interprets the unexpected marginalization of the famous Russian expert
Andrzej Drawicz (1939–1997) in the Third Polish Republic. The article contributes
to an understanding of the dynamics shaping Polish debates about Russia, and also
—by tracing Drawicz’s career trajectory—presents a model of biographical analysis
that allows the social dimension to be taken into account.
Central and Eastern European states. Despite the fact that it shares the experience of being Moscow’s satellite during the
communist times, just like the other V4 states, Poland’s specifically traumatising and negative historical experience with
Russia has united the Polish political class around a consensus to reduce, rather than foster, new dependencies on Russia.
Taking into account this distinctive role allows for a new assessment of the influence of Giedroyc’s line on Poland’s eastern policy. By integrating the totemic interpretation with an analysis of the changing shape of the Polish field of power and changing interpretations of what Giedroyc’s line entailed, I argue that only some postulates of Giedroyc were implemented after 1989. Despite this, because of Giedroyc’s legitimizing function as Kultura’s editor, his role as an “architect” of the eastern policy was seldom questioned. Only when the reconfiguration of the Polish field of power brought an end to consensus in the foreign policy realm did new diverging interpretations of Giedroyc’s line emerge, legitimizing competing visions for Polish foreign policy. This article delivers a more nuanced view of the role Giedroyc played in post-communist Poland, thus explaining his criticism toward its foreign policy. It also sheds light on the legitimization mechanisms at work within the Polish elite.
Books by Andrzej Turkowski
i prasy oraz dokumentach instytucji eksperckich, jest wielowątkowy. Składają się
na niego obserwacje różnej wagi i o różnej precyzji. Opierając się na zgromadzonym materiale badawczym, zaryzykować można wydestylowanie kluczowej
„opowieści”. Jej głównymi bohaterami są przedstawiciele młodego pokolenia
opozycyjnie nastawionej inteligencji, którzy po 1989 r., ciesząc się wsparciem
niektórych szczególnie istotnych postaci inteligenckiej elity oraz ważnych figur
środowisk emigracji, stworzyli trzon medialno-ekspercko-biurokratycznej infrastruktury związanej z relacjami Polski ze Wschodem.
Proponowane podejście stara się uwzględnić kluczowy wpływ szerszego kontekstu geopolitycznego, a zwłaszcza pozycji obu krajów względem Zachodu, interpretowanej w kategoriach zależności, a tym samym wychodzi poza perspektywę bilateralną. Wpływ środowiska międzynarodowego – w tym zróżnicowanych skutków integracji Polski ze strukturami Zachodu czy też innych kształtowanych na poziomie międzynarodowym uwarunkowań wewnętrznych polityki zagranicznej – ma bowiem często decydujące znaczenie dla kwestii będących przedmiotem stosunków polsko-rosyjskich oraz debaty prowadzonej na ich temat. Dodatkowo, przy przyjęciu założenia na temat ograniczonej adekwatności eksplanacyjnej kategorii kulturowo-politycznych (takich jak „uprzedzenia i stereotypy”, „trudna przeszłość” czy też „imperialna mentalność”), pozwala włączyć do analizy inne czynniki (np. ekonomiczne, geopolityczne czy też socjologiczne).
Book Reviews by Andrzej Turkowski
Polish elites from the perspective of changes in Polish-Russian relations after 1989.
In order to describe the formation of the Polish space of opinion on the topic, the
author interprets the unexpected marginalization of the famous Russian expert
Andrzej Drawicz (1939–1997) in the Third Polish Republic. The article contributes
to an understanding of the dynamics shaping Polish debates about Russia, and also
—by tracing Drawicz’s career trajectory—presents a model of biographical analysis
that allows the social dimension to be taken into account.
Central and Eastern European states. Despite the fact that it shares the experience of being Moscow’s satellite during the
communist times, just like the other V4 states, Poland’s specifically traumatising and negative historical experience with
Russia has united the Polish political class around a consensus to reduce, rather than foster, new dependencies on Russia.
Taking into account this distinctive role allows for a new assessment of the influence of Giedroyc’s line on Poland’s eastern policy. By integrating the totemic interpretation with an analysis of the changing shape of the Polish field of power and changing interpretations of what Giedroyc’s line entailed, I argue that only some postulates of Giedroyc were implemented after 1989. Despite this, because of Giedroyc’s legitimizing function as Kultura’s editor, his role as an “architect” of the eastern policy was seldom questioned. Only when the reconfiguration of the Polish field of power brought an end to consensus in the foreign policy realm did new diverging interpretations of Giedroyc’s line emerge, legitimizing competing visions for Polish foreign policy. This article delivers a more nuanced view of the role Giedroyc played in post-communist Poland, thus explaining his criticism toward its foreign policy. It also sheds light on the legitimization mechanisms at work within the Polish elite.
i prasy oraz dokumentach instytucji eksperckich, jest wielowątkowy. Składają się
na niego obserwacje różnej wagi i o różnej precyzji. Opierając się na zgromadzonym materiale badawczym, zaryzykować można wydestylowanie kluczowej
„opowieści”. Jej głównymi bohaterami są przedstawiciele młodego pokolenia
opozycyjnie nastawionej inteligencji, którzy po 1989 r., ciesząc się wsparciem
niektórych szczególnie istotnych postaci inteligenckiej elity oraz ważnych figur
środowisk emigracji, stworzyli trzon medialno-ekspercko-biurokratycznej infrastruktury związanej z relacjami Polski ze Wschodem.
Proponowane podejście stara się uwzględnić kluczowy wpływ szerszego kontekstu geopolitycznego, a zwłaszcza pozycji obu krajów względem Zachodu, interpretowanej w kategoriach zależności, a tym samym wychodzi poza perspektywę bilateralną. Wpływ środowiska międzynarodowego – w tym zróżnicowanych skutków integracji Polski ze strukturami Zachodu czy też innych kształtowanych na poziomie międzynarodowym uwarunkowań wewnętrznych polityki zagranicznej – ma bowiem często decydujące znaczenie dla kwestii będących przedmiotem stosunków polsko-rosyjskich oraz debaty prowadzonej na ich temat. Dodatkowo, przy przyjęciu założenia na temat ograniczonej adekwatności eksplanacyjnej kategorii kulturowo-politycznych (takich jak „uprzedzenia i stereotypy”, „trudna przeszłość” czy też „imperialna mentalność”), pozwala włączyć do analizy inne czynniki (np. ekonomiczne, geopolityczne czy też socjologiczne).