INTRODUCTION.

The studies of class structure and social mobility are among the most highly developed branches of sociology in Poland. This is due to three factors: the national tradition of such studies, the rapid transformation of Polish society after the Second World War, and last, the recent impact of Marxist theory on the social sciences. The rapid transformation of Polish society after the Second World War was brought about by the socialist revolution, characterized by the impact of the Workers' Party, the nationalization of industry, agrarian reform, and central planning. In this context new processes within a given class structure and new patterns of social mobility became an object of special attention for sociologists. Class structure and social mobility were considered not only from the point of view of changes in the political and economic system but also with respect to transformations in cultural institutions and the educational system.