Beyond the social role: the case of polish female professionals

This paper presents the individual strategies of some professionally active Polish women, against the background of the general situation of women in Poland and of their social role. The problem is both universal and unique. Modern society has been constructed in a way that disfavours women, in both the so-called capitalist and the communist countries. In different countries, however, the historical roots of gender construction are special and different. The authors believe that an understanding of this specificity is particularly important in periods of societal change such as the post-communist societies are currently experiencing.Communist society individual strategies professionally active women professionalism reconciling roles social role societal change "the shield" "the gaze" traditional social role