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This paper records the Polish aspects of P. F. Lazarsfeld's sociointellectual biography and examines his impact on Polish sociology. The analysis is divided into three chronological parts. In the 1930s, Lazarsfeld's empirical work inspired Polish sociologists in their studies on unemployment. In the late 1950s and 1960s, his model of empirical social research shaped the style of sociological practice in Poland. In the 1990s, some of Lazarsfeld's substantive contributions, mainly in the area of election studies, were taken up in Polish sociology. Lazarsfeld's influence on Polish sociology was conditioned by changes in Polish society and sociology, which is emphasized in this analysis. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the currently most interesting sources of rural sociological research in contemporary Poland is the examination of the socio-economic and political consequences arising from the co-existence of a largely privately owned agricultural sector and a state industrial sector. The emergence of the dual-occupational "peasant-worker" is just one very important aspect of this phenomenon, and the aim of this paper is to outline some of the problems it creates for both these sectors. These peasant-workers fall outside of the state's attempts at incorporating the individual peasant into the planned economy whilst at the same time they are not as responsive nor as dependent as might be desired upon the state's demands in industrial production. Their "awkwardness" is all the greater in that the state does not possess the resources to propel them in one direction or the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article comments on the development of the social sciences in Poland. The organization of periodicals is always linked with the structure of scientific institutions. This also holds true in Poland, and it is therefore useful to sketch the organization structure of the social sciences in order to understand the functioning of periodicals in scientific life. Polish scientific institutions are set up in several departments. The divisions among different institutions and organizational sections shape the character and functions of social science periodicals in Poland. The periodicals published by the universities and the Polish Academy of Sciences are of an academic character, i.e., they deal with theoretical studies, information on the advancement of science, methodological problems, etc. Periodicals issued by ministerial institutes which are subordinate to central institutions deal rather with practical problems, applied research in economics, sociology, psychology, social politics and the like. In turn the periodicals of scientific associations deal more with regional problems. This division is not entirely strict, for a number of periodicals devote part of their space to theoretical problems, a part to practical problems and a part to local matters.

The article focuses on a seminar on the use of public opinion surveys, held in Warsaw, Poland from September 1-20, 1958. The seminar was attended by French and Polish professors and research workers. For the first week the seminar dealt with the place which sampling occupies, or could occupy in the methodology of the main social sciences. During the following two weeks, the discussions concerned a number of sampling surveys that had been conducted in France and Poland. The seminar opened with a study of economic behavior patterns. The organization of Poland's economy has been severely criticized and a genuine attempt at reconstructing the economic system has been under way. The necessity of the study of scientific organization of labor was discussed. Studies of electoral sociology may simply attempt to describe an election as completely and objectively as possible, as an historical event and for the purposes of history. The Polish press and radio are playing a very important part in introducing the sampling method into Polish sociological research.