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Poverty and social conditions in Poland during the transformation to a market economy
Author(s) -
WarzywodaKruszynska W.,
GrotowskaLeder J.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of social welfare
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1468-2397
pISSN - 0907-2055
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-2397.1993.tb00028.x
Subject(s) - subsidy , social security , social welfare , poverty , business , consumption (sociology) , welfare , social policy , welfare state , social protection , economics , market economy , economic growth , political science , social science , sociology , politics , law
The social welfare system in Poland was changed during the 1990s. The full employment policy, as a guarantee for social security, was abandoned and the institutions through which social resources were distributed were replaced. State‐owned enterprises previously fulfilled certain social functions; the necessary resources came from state subsidies and from obligatory funds: housing and social funds as well as a proportion of wage costs. Thus, the prices of many types of important consumption goods (such as food and housing) were fixed at a relatively low level. The elimination of subsidies resulted in the bankruptcy of many state‐owned enterprises which, in turn, led to the diminished importance of the social security function of industrial enterprises. Their role in the newly created social welfare system was taken over by social welfare centers, through which assistance was distributed to those in need. Besides the traditional recipients of social assistance, a growing number of unemployed people, who comprise approximately 14% of the productively active citizens, have also begun collecting assistance.