Abstract

Polish society is divided into “the world of people” and “the world of institutions.” Throughout the 1970s, there was an intense concern with family, friends and small social circles, in contrast to a marked apathy towards public life. The politicization of 1980-81 meant a revitalization of the public sphere and the emergence of politics as an alternative. But with the introduction of martial law in December 1981, private life reemerged supreme. Small groups characterized by informal ties seemed to be the place within which one's influence could be felt. By 1989, a completely “private society” had emerged.

The key group of this “private society” is not, as in the West, the nuclear family.