OF MARKET SOСIETY

The article examines whether social stratification in Poland follows the conceptual framework developed by theorists of the mar-ket transition in post-communist countries re-garding returns to human capital and merits related to occupational achievements. This analysis extends an earlier study by using na-tional surveys spanning from 1982 to 2008. Data analyses support hypotheses that mar-ket-like reforms changes the mode of allocat-ing rewards in favour of greater incentives to meritocracy and individual attainments. The direct link between education, income and po-sition had been monitored. Key words: meritocracy, social strati-fication, human capital, occupational achievements, individual attainments, educa-tion, income, position. In what follows I analyze trends in mechanisms of income stratification in the course of the Polish market transition. The relationship between incomes, and education and occupational position in market econo-mies is well-known. Functional theory of stra-tification explains that relatively high grada-tion in incomes by level of educational in-vestments and occupational positions is ne-cessary to provide incentives for individual effort (Duncan, 1961; Treiman, 1970). Basing on this assumption, close association between rewards and individual productivity, as re-flected in education and occupational posi-tion, is among indicators of economic effec-tiveness, modernization and meritocracy. By extending this logic to reforming post-communist economy analysts of social stratification attempt to explain and anticipate path taken by the market transition in former state communist countries in Europe, and Asia. Systematic empirical studies on changes in socioeconomic attainment were carried ou