| Sumario: | The article focuses on Agata Zysiak’s book *Limiting Privilege: Upward Mobility within Higher Education in Socialist Poland*, which examines why higher education in post-World War II Poland, particularly at the University of Łódź, remained an elite institution despite socialist reforms aimed at increasing access for marginalized classes. Zysiak analyzes the tension between liberal and socialist educational models, showing how universities functioned as cultural sites that preserved elite privilege and social reproduction even amid efforts to promote egalitarianism. Using interdisciplinary methods, the study highlights that while initial reforms increased working-class student enrollment, structural and cultural barriers led to high attrition rates and limited social mobility. The book underscores the deep-rooted challenges of transforming universities and the necessity of broader educational reforms beyond higher education to achieve lasting change.
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