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The paper characterizes four Polish and Italian Catholic organizations that operate within the ecological field. The study of these organizations zooms in on the process of "greening of Catholicism" in Poland and Italy taking place. Studied Catholic organizations in Poland and Italy operate within different social and religious contexts. They face challenges, including resistance from traditionalists who view ecology as a leftist notion. To overcome this, the organizations studied frame ecological issues as religious duties, drawing on diverse traditions within Catholicism and emphasizing figures like John Paul II. They use religious resources such as Catholic identities, values, and symbols to appeal to a broader audience beyond traditional activists. Yet, their emphasis on Catholicism hinders cooperation with secular environmental groups and limits engagement with left-wing environmental politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumption in modern, capitalist countries is studied through the lens of fashion. We claim that it is fruitful to apply the concept of fashion to an analysis of consumption in a modern socialist country. By using the example of the wall unit, we discuss the emergence of fashion through the mechanism of state policy in Poland under the Communist regime. The socialist state was responsible for the propagation and implementation of modernity. The idea of progress was internalized by citizens and enacted by social emulation. Additionally, our study reveals that social class was a means of determining different attitudes toward fashion: members of the working class saw value in imitation and exact copying (revealing a monocentric approach to fashion) while the middle class engaged in a polycentric approach, that is, they valued individual creativity, mixed various styles, and were inspired by trends from western countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Studia Socjologiczne is the property of Studia Socjologiczne and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article aims to think through the changing position of religion in the public sphere within the Polish context, taking as a reference point not attitudes or church attendance, but the meanings and functions of monasteries today. Monasteries in Poland are specific religious institutions, because most of them had been resolved in the 19th century and just some of them were re-established in the 19th and 20th centuries. In order to introduce and interpret one case (a Cistercian monastery in Jędrzejów, Poland), I outline contemporary discussions on the place of religion in the public sphere, referring mostly to Jurgen Habermas' opinion shift and the socalled post-secular approaches. Then, I sketch characteristics of the Polish public sphere and discuss the reasons and consequences of monasteries' dissolution in Poland. In the final part of the text, I zoom on a selected Cistercian monastery. Therefore, I do state that a monastery may be addressed as a post-secular institution having a double nature: it is both a sacred place, devoted to pastoral and contemplation activities, and a source of meanings (for local identity) and cultural activities. As a historic building embedded in the local community, it may be the focus of a tourism project. This connection characterizes its post-secular presence in the local public sphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an analysis of six websites of Polish Cistercian abbeys. Basing on content and visual analysis I seek to formulate more general theses on the role and functions of monasteries (religious institutions) today, and religion in general. The research shows that websites under scrutiny play two functions: autopresentation of an abbey and communication with parishioners. Autopresentation bases on two strategies: historical narratives and unveiling the life of community. Both strategies connect monasteries to the local culture. Monasteries are being presented as beauty and mysterious objects and monks as people performing daily activities. These meanings ascribed to the monasteries and to monks are related with three broader frames constituting contemporary meaning of a monastery: religious, heritage and tourism. The study shows that these three frames define representations of Cistercians monasteries in the websites under scrutiny. Intertwinement of these frames shows how religion is being represented and function within the local culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]