Social Aspects of Urbanization in Poland

Abstract

The author analyses social aspects of urbanization in socialist Poland. The process of urbanization in Poland was characterized by a great tempo and vast range of economic, demographic, ecological and socio-culturel changes.

A characteristic feature of urbanization carried out in a socialist system is a growth of employment in a state economy. The sector of material production (industry, construction) employs the greatest number of working people. At the same time the percentage of those employed in services (education, culture, health services) is increasing more rapidly. Industry was an important factor in urban growth, lack of industrial investments led to the stagnation and even the regression of towns. The simplest indicator of the degree of advancement of urbanization is the proportion between the urban population and the total population of the nation. In 1970 the urban population amounted to 52,3^#/o. The author distinguishes three sources of the growth of the urban population: natural growth, migration from the village and administrative changes. The author foresees that in Poland most macroregional centres will be transformed from aglomerations into metropolises forming a network which covers the whole country. This does not mean that this „megalopolis” will have all the defects known in the capitalist countries because of the planned economy and more rational use of solace. Under the influence of urbanization the village ceased to be a separate and isolated culture, the town became a center of social life influencing the whole regional community. The most important manifestation of urbanization is the change in social stratification which in Poland takes the form of considerable egalitarization.