“The author is a fine representative of the drive for ‘supra-local excellence and local consequentiality’ that she finds as an abiding tension and source of creativity in Polish sociology. This is a book for every sociologist who puzzles (as all should!) about the dilemmas arising from the demands for relevance to a national public and the intellectual quest for universality. Poland’s turbulent history since 1945 is the backdrop for Bucholc’s account of the development of its sociology and the result is an outstanding contribution to the sociology of knowledge.” (Martin Albrow, Professor Emeritus, Honorary Vice-President, British Sociological Association)
“Marta Bucholc’s short book on the post-war Polish sociology places this discipline in a broad context of transformations in Poland and Central and Eastern Europe after World War II. Sociology in Poland is analyzed as a part of the academic culture being under the pressure of economic, political and ideological changes within the socialist system, and, on the other hand, as a way of analyzing these changes. The last chapter discusses the “normalization of academic culture” in the sense of catching up with the reality of liberal democracy, market economy and postmodern culture.” (Janusz Mucha, AGH University of Science and Technology, Poland)