Krystyna Janicka

Social structure and personality under conditions of radical social change : A comparative analysis of Poland and Ukraine

Does the relationship between social structure and personality during times of apparent social stability obtain as well under conditions of radical social change ? There are good reasons to think that it might not. To find out, the authors conducted surveys in Poland and Ukraine during 1992-1993, with dramatic results. In those respects in which the socialist Poland of 1978 had shown a pattern of relationships similar to that of the capitalist United States and Japan (notably, the relationship of social structure to self-directedness of orientation), the pattern remains the same; but where socialist Poland in 1978 had differed from the United States and Japan (notably, in the relationship of social structure to a sense of distress), Poland now fully exemplifies the capitalist pattern. Ukraine seems to be following a similar trajectory, albeit at a slower pace

Deprivation of Basic Needs and Social Inequality

Abstract: In this article, deprivation of basic needs is used as a technical tenn denoting a lack of resources for satisfying not only needs for food and shelter, but also needs to consume cultural goods, or to be active in leisure time. In survey research, conducted in Łódź (N = 1,000) and in urban areas in Poland (N = 1,219), respondents were asked to assess whether they and their family members had enough money to cover expenses related to basic needs. On this basis the measure of subjective deprivation was constructed and the resultant variable examined. The results show that this variable constitutes an important indicator of actual economic hardship and is related to various dimensions of the social structure. Location of individuals in the social structure, their demographic characteristics, and their psychological attributes are important predictors of the likelihood of becoming extremely deprived.

Chapter 5 Position in the Social Structure and Personality Characteristics

(1997). Chapter 5 Position in the Social Structure and Personality Characteristics. International Journal of Sociology: Vol. 27, Mental Adjustment to the Post-Communist System in Poland (II), pp. 3-28.