Poznań w działaniu. Społeczne inicjatywy dawniej i dziś
Poznań in Action: Social Initiatives, Past and Present

Contributor(s): Małgorzata Praczyk (Editor)
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, History, Social Sciences, Civil Society, Public Administration, Sociology, Social history, Rural and urban sociology, Sociology of Culture, Sociology of Politics
Published by: Stowarzyszenie Czasu Kultury
Keywords: organic work;grassroots actions;social initiatives
Summary/Abstract: The book Poznań in Action: Social Initiatives, Past and Present presents grassroots initiatives and the tradition of “organic work” that arose in Poznań, from the birth of the idea of organic work in the nineteenth century, to contemporary actions taken by Poznanians. The publication is a record of specific actions taken by the residents of Poznań (and Wielkopolska) to promote the values they cherished. It is a testament to belief in the ability to express one’s opinion in the public sphere, and to the agency of various social groups which expressed their disagreement with the status quo or sought to achieve social objectives that were important to them. It reflects the struggles and hardships resulting from social engagement, but also the successes and benefits achieved by means of such activity.The book consists of three main parts. The first – Past Actions – recalls the history of social initiatives in Poznań and Wielkopolska. In three chapters, writers discuss topics related to “organic work” in the nineteenth century and the continuation of grassroots action in the interwar period and in the Polish People's Republic. The articles that comprise this part also reflect critically on efforts to continue the ideas of organic work in the twentieth century.The second part of the book, entitled Actions Today, consists of four articles discussing the grassroots initiatives and self-organization efforts initiated by Poznanians after the political transformations of 1989. These texts concern various spheres of social and cultural life in modern-day Poznań. Some articles consider historical contexts, while others describe events in the recent history of the city that were important for particular initiatives. This section opens with an extensive article about Poznań’s urban movements and civic organizations. There are also articles on ecology, Poznań’s alternative theatres and the crisis in the sphere of cultural activities in Poznań.The third part of the book, The Current Polylogue, contains interviews that complement the map of grassroots actions in Poznań over the last quarter century. It opens with a conversation on Poznań’s anarchist movement. The next piece deals with housing issues, including the tenants’ movement and the problem of evictions. There are also discussions with Poznań feminists, showing the history, contemporary state, and multidimensionality of feminist initiatives in Poznań. Another important issue taken up in this section concerns assistance provided to migrants and their integration into the Poznań community. The final interview presents the ideas behind the Hipolit Cegielski Society and the grassroots actions it has carried out drawing specifically on the tradition of organic work in Poznań.The last part of the book is a Handbook designed as a practical guide meant to encourage action and organising on the part of all those who want to effect changes that are important to them and are ready to do something about it. Those looking for specific information will learn step-by-step how to set up a cooperative and create the social structures needed for self-organization.

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