The Impact of Social Welfare Policies on Self-Initiative and Family Structure: The Case of Poland.

The article studies the impact of social welfare policies in Poland. It is examined whether such policies adversely affect family structure, cultural norms regarding work and family and people's sense of responsibility for their own well-being. As Poland began the difficult transition from a centrally planned economy with a one-party political system to a market economy and political democracy in 1989, one of the reasons given for the slower-than-hoped-for economic recovery was the "mentality" of many Poles. It was argued that people were still "thinking in the old way," waiting for the central authorities to make decisions that, under the new system, should be made by individuals, by local government, or by the market. President Lech Walesa and other political leaders characterized the Polish people as passive, lethargic, and suffering from learned helplessness. One of the reasons given for this state of affairs was that for years Poland's extensive social welfare policies had shielded people from unemployment and poverty and had thereby undermined their ability to help themselves when lit became necessary for them to do so.