Poland

Since 1989, Poland has gone through extraordinary social changes. It has made a complex transition from socialism to democracy and capitalism and has joined the European Union (EU). The formerly implemented Marxist ideology of equality for all (including idioms of equal opportunities and rights, equal access to privileges and positions, etc.) is being replaced by the development of a free market, which has introduced intense competition and a disparity between the rich and the poor (Lobodzińska 1995). Unemployment, inflation, layoffs, and the closure of nonprofitable plants all contribute to tensions in the labor force, economic insecurity, and lower family budgets. Poles are very concerned about high interest rates, rising crime, and the expanding underground economy, but their main concern is jobs ( Jobs 2001). These differences influence behavior, attitudes, values, and opinions, and represent social change (Lobodzińska 2000b).