Limiting Privilege: Upward Mobility within Higher Education in Socialist Poland.

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 incr...

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Publicado en:Polish Review Vol. 71; no. 1; pp. 117 - 120
Autor principal: Wroblewski, Kathleen
Formato: Book Review
Publicado: University of Illinois Press 2026
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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        atl: Limiting Privilege: Upward Mobility within Higher Education in Socialist Poland.
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        au: Wroblewski, Kathleen
        affil: University of Michigan
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        Social mobility
        Social reproduction
        Polish people
        Working class
        Upper class
        Higher education
        Educational change
        Universities & colleges
        Poland
        Łódź (Poland)
      sug:
        subj:
          Poland
          Łódź (Poland)
          Social mobility
          Social reproduction
          Polish people
          Working class
          Upper class
          Higher education
          Educational change
          Universities & colleges
      ab: 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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    language: English
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