Pijaństwo i alkoholizm w piśmiennictwie Królestwa Polskiego w XIX i na początku XX wieku. Aspekty społeczne, pedagogiczne i kulturowe
Drunkenness and Alcoholism in the Literature of the Kingdom of Poland in the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries. Social, Pedagogical and Cultural Aspects

Author(s): Aneta Bołdyrew
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Polish Literature, Substance abuse and addiction
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego
Keywords: abstinence in the press;abstinence;social hygiene in the 19th century;alcoholism in Kingdom of Poland literature;drunkenness in literature
Summary/Abstract: Who and how wrote about alcoholism in the Kingdom of Poland in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries? Was it treated as a disease or a moral problem? Which social groups were considered to be at particular risk? How were problems related to alcohol (ab)use depicted in the visual media of the time? The book presents a selection of literature and iconographic materials that promote specific moral ideas and attitudes, and disseminate knowledge about drunkenness and alcoholism in the context of social, educational and cultural problems. The inclusion of a wide range of texts varying in form and content shows the prevalent portrayal of the causes and effects of alcohol consumption, the contexts in which this problem was presented, and the significance it was given both in the individual and the collective dimension. The purpose of this work has been to present – from the perspective of the history of education – a selection of writings that originated in the Kingdom of Poland regarding drunkenness, alcoholism and abstinence, addressed to a wide audience. The volume contains pieces that constituted an important element in shaping the beliefs, ideas and attitudes of the public opinion in Congress Poland towards problems related to drunkenness. They played a vital role in popularizing the knowledge about alcohol addiction. Being aware of the controversy of this approach, I have decided to present a gamut of different literature types: guides, sermons, social journalism as well as popular science journalism intended for non-specialists. In the 19th and at the beginning of the 20th century these were all key contributors to the reader’s self-study and self-education processes. Nowadays, we can learn from them about the patterns of scientific thinking and the common understanding of alcoholism and sobriety.

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