Privatising Capital

This book examines Poland's public sector and welfare state. These are historically rooted in economic and social structures and amount to a form of public capital. There is an ongoing attempt to financialise and commodify this public capital. This includes areas such as health, education and pensions. Social opinions and contemporary politics are analysed.

Privatising Capital examines the historical development of Poland's public sector and its welfare state. Their infrastructure, services and employees add up to a form of public capital, upon which the vast majority of society is dependent. The book describes the ongoing attempts to financialise and commodify this public capital and examines how this occurs in the areas of health, education and pensions. It also analyses the impact of public capital on the ideas and opinions of the population and how it affects contemporary ideologies and politics in Poland.

Autorentext

Gavin Rae is associate professor of Sociology at Kozminski University in Warsaw. His main interest is the post-communist transition and European Union expansion in Central and Eastern Europe with a particular focus upon Poland.

Klappentext

Privatising Capital examines the historical development of Poland s public sector and its welfare state. Their infrastructure, services and employees add up to a form of public capital, upon which the vast majority of society is dependent. The book describes the ongoing attempts to financialise and commodify this public capital and examines how this occurs in the areas of health, education and pensions. It also analyses the impact of public capital on the ideas and opinions of the population and how it affects contemporary ideologies and politics in Poland.

Inhalt
Contents: Transformation of public into private capital The commodification of Poland's public sector and welfare state The health, education and pension systems Impact of European Union membership on economic and social structures Labour deactivation Opinions of Polish society Political parties and ideologies.