GŚS SN Tom 11 (2020)

Introduction

The main aim of the article is to establish if and how we can research the impact of automation of work on the labour market. In this paper, I discuss measurement issues of automation of work with theoretical and statistical parts including elements of methodology. The text begins by discussing the dependences between physical and cognitive work and pays attention to the theoretical and historical sources of this division. Then, I point out hybrid forms of cognitive work as a result of the progressing digitalization, which leads me to the indication of big data and algorithms as one of the most important elements of modern work automation. The foregoing prompts the following question: If we take into account the prospective hybridization of machines and humans, should we still measure the cognitive work, especially in its quality dimensions? Finally, I provide examples of some possible methods of measurement of the automation of cognitive work, especially by pointing out selected changes which automation introduces into the labour market.

The article is devoted to the problem of succession in family business in the perspective of class positions’ reproduction. The analysis of succession is carried out with reference to Pierre Bourdieu’s theory, particularly in relation to reconstruction entrepreneurs’ class position within
gradationally-relational model of social structure, description of economic field transformation and role played by entrepreneurs in that process, analysis of modal trajectories of entering the economic field and to strategies and forms of capitals reconversion. Transfer of capitals was entangled within model of transmission of knowledge, power and ownership in family enterprises. Succession next to starting own enterprise must be seen as one of dominant strategies for social position reproduction within a possessing class fraction. Those two ideal-type strategies can be mixed in practice of position reproduction and lead to hybridized forms of family business and new enterprise. Class position  reproduction however, can lead also outside possessing class fraction to those richer in cultural rather than economic capital. Analysis of succession cannot therefore be limited to family business only but must be considered with reference to wider context of reproduction of social structure.

In recent years, with the development of entrepreneurship, a new concept has been coined — a start-up (or a startup). Because of the lack one common definition thereof, some questions emerge: Is any newly established company a start-up, or does this term refer only to companies from
the branch/market sector of new technologies, or maybe there are other decisive requirements? The significance of this issue follows research and analysis of the entities are undertaken and also in the face of work on Prosta Spółka Akcyjna (a new legalform for economic entities of the discussed kind). The aim of the article is to present various ways of defining start-ups present in the subject literature, but also in various initiatives and activities organized in the start-up community. On this basis, an attempt is made to determine the boundary conditions of the concept of start-up and to characterize it

The article describes changes in social awareness concerning social system, in particular the sphere of work. In theoretical dimension, the article refers to concept of social system and the perception of normative models: social, political, and economic. The empirical part presents the results of research into the field of social awareness, especially the awareness of members of a generation functioning in a liberal-democratic social system. The respondents were young residents of Warsaw with higher education. The research was carried out with a few-year time interval. The sphere of work is treated here as a key element of the wider social reality and included empirically through the individual orientation of the respondents in the normative models of society. In the light of research the sphere of work is clearly specific. In particular, the labour market regulations differs significantly from the reception of the remaining components of the social system.

The article discusses the level of professional activity of people with rheumatic diseases and attempts to identify the most important they encounter. The analyses are based on a survey encompassing 338 respondents. The survey was conducted as part of a research project carried out in 2017 dedicated to the socio-professional circumstances of patients dealing with rheumatic diseases. The article shows a point of view of the group of people with illness who experienced health problems and complications firsthand. However, this issue is important not only for them, but has broad social repercussions relating to the labour market and overall functioning of social policies.

The article deals with the issue of developing the entrepreneurial attitude among children placed in foster care. The subject is discussed in the context of the principle of subsidiarity, especially in the social aspect. Initially, the author presents the characteristics of family and institutional
foster care. Then, she describes the essence of the subsidiarity principle in social terms. What follows is an outline of the problem of entrepreneurial attitudes among young people. Next, the author proceeds to her own research within the discussed scope. The process of a foster child’s entry into an adult life is an extremely difficult stage in his or her life, and it is also a challenge for the custodians/foster parents. Therefore, preparing for independence by developing the entrepreneurial attitude among young people is necessarily a longitudinal process.

The article discusses the issues related to the employment of prisoners in Poland and in other countries. The author refers to some legal provisions regulating the question of who can undertake an employment while serving time in prison, what requirements must be met by convincts who work while imprisoned. Then, the article discusses particular professions performed by prisoners. An important element of the article is also apresentation of socio-psychological aspects of rendering work while incarcerated. Since one of the reasons for writing this article was the announcement in 2016 of the “Work for prisoners” programme, a significant part of the article is devoted to discussion of this project. An attempt is made to answer the question: Has the governmental programme in question proved successful? Instrumental in answering this question is a comparison of a number of prisoners before the start of the said programme, and while being a part of its operation. The article also includes some examples of influencing prisoners already successfully implemented in other countries.

The article describes the phenomenon of NEETs (young people not in employment, education or training) in the European labour market. The focus of the article is on the presentation of Eurostat statistical data. It shows the dynamics of change in the population share of young people meeting all of the three conditions: they are not gainfully employed, enrolled at any kind of education institution, and do not gain work experience as trainees or interns. Available quantitative data shows the scale of this unfavourable social phenomenon in the years 2006—2015 within the area of the European Union. The scale of the NEETs phenomenon was visible before, during, and after the recent economic crisis. Due to the lack of unambiguous defining framework — referring to the age limits of persons included in the NEETs category — the scale of this phenomenon, based on Eurostat’s analyses, was presented in reference to broader perspective: 15—34 years, and then among people aged 18—24. Not only does the article indicate a number of adverse consequences of this phenomenon, but also delineates recommendations whose implementation could contribute to curbing it.

The article intends to sketch history of sociology of women’s work, and focuses on transition between the Polish People’s Republic and contemporary Poland. It describes main patterns of development of study on women at work, with its peak in the 1960s and 1970s, than marginalization of this subject, and its revival in transition period. The analysis is supported by the first results of Łódź multidisciplinary research project aiming to describe history of women’s work and research on it conducted by the University of Łódź and the Institute of Occupational Medicine. It also includes new research conducted by historians, and its multidisciplinary character is supported by some non-academic participants of the project, including museums and local herstory movement. Łódź has been chosen for its long tradition of feminization of workforce, and great bulk of research on working women, both in the past and during transition period, including new phenomena of unemployment, then feminization of poverty and precarious character of today’s work affecting also women.

The article shows specificity of qualitative research using interview techniques in an analysis of professional careers of women in Poland. It focuses in particular on the individual indepth interview and narrative interview, their similarities as well as their drawbacks and ways of applying them in analyses of women’s functioning in their professional lives. The article presents specific studies in which these techniques have been applied and shows when and to what extent they contributed to obtaining interesting results. Other issues raised in the article involve: deliberate resignation from anonymity while using these techniques and including gender sensitivity in a result analysis. As for the traps related to analysis of data obtained using these two types of interviews, specific focus was put on the time of conducting such interviews, which results in subjectivity of the analyzed research material.

Mobbing is one of the examples of pathology in organization management. In the article, we presented the problem in the perspective of organizational games using the technique of participant observation. The article is not intended to stigmatize the help facility, but to show mobbing as a significant and difficult problem for the victim. It has destructive effects and is difficult to identify and prevent. The authors believe that the article will help to pay attention to the essence of the problem and to notice negative effect.

The paper concerns a subjective image of the social reality of homeless mothers. The focus is put on the phenomenon of trust. A theoretical perspective adopted in the article refers to the theory proposed by Piotr Sztompka and Anthony Giddens. The analysis of the world of homeless mothers is based on the qualitative and quantitative research conducted among women living in centres for single mothers in the Lower Silesia region. The results of the research point to a low trust level of homeless women. It is shown that the trust is the main factor of the individual activity. It significantly helps in the creation of the social relations network. Additionally, it is shown how to activate homeless women by increasing their trust.

Work and social dialogue in Poland - debate.

Słownik nazw żeńskich polszczyzny - review.

A report on the Institute of Sociology activity in the year 2019

GŚS SN T. 11(2020) - notes on Contributors