The Power of Symbols Against the Symbols of Power: The Rise of Solidarity and the Fall of State Socialism in Poland

by Jan Kubik

The authority of Polish communists in 1944–1945 was usurpatory; it was not given to them by the Polish people. Nor was the power they held the result of their own actions; they were installed as the country's rulers by the Soviet army. Yet Polish Communists set out to produce credible claims to authority and legitimacy for their power by reshaping the nation's culture and traditions. Jan Kubik begins his study by demonstrating how the strategy for remodeling the national culture was implemented through extensive use of public ceremonies and displays of symbols by the Gierek regime (1970–1980). He then reconstructs the emergence of the Catholic Church and the organized opposition as viable counter-hegemonic subcultures. Their growing strength opened the way for counter-hegemonic politics, the delegitimization of the regime, the rise of Solidarity, and the collapse of communism. He is not studying politics per se , but rather culture and the subtle and indirect ways power is realized within it, often outside of traditionally defined politics. Kubik's approach, which draws heavily on modern anthropological theory, helps explain why Solidarity happened in Poland and not elsewhere in the Communist bloc.

Genres: History

Paperback

First published May 1, 1994

Reviews

[liv · Rating 5 out of 5]

It isn’t unreasonable that a 300+ page book centered solely on a specific aspect of a specific movement in a specific country during a specific era would draw concerns of potential boredom, exhausting over-analysis, and excessively academic language to cover up the same point being made over and over. However, none of this was true for this book. It was such a delight and you end the book wondering how you ever overlooked the role of symbols, ceremony, and ritual in the Solidarity/counter-hegemonic Polish movement of the 70s and early 80s. The author keeps such a clear focus on the topic and doesn’t not waste a single word on an irrelevant topic, answering his opening question perfectly. Everything loops back to the original point and you don’t have to wait until the very end for it all to connect, as you will sometimes find in other academic-leaning works. And while he makes it clear that the specific events described could have and did only happen in Poland, he doesn’t place Poland in a vacuum, but rather provides elaborations on each aspect he presents that allow you to use them as analytical tools for different countries at different points in time. Such an amazing read.

[Artur Rosman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book you want to read if you want to understand where solidarity came from.

[Joseph Serwach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on the impact of symbols (think branding) in Solidarity's push to revolutionize the communist world. Lessons apply across disciplines and boundaries.

[Natalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've ever read.