Apathy and the Birth of Democracy: The Polish Struggle
Apathy and the Birth of Democracy: The Polish Struggle
Author(s): David S. Mason, Daniel N. Nelson, Bohdan M. SzklarskiSubject(s): Civil Society, Political history, Government/Political systems, Political behavior, Politics and society, Crowd Psychology: Mass phenomena and political interactions, Post-War period (1950 - 1989), Sociology of Politics
Published by: SAGE Publications Ltd
Keywords: Poland; birth of democracy; political apathy; political behaviour; civic obligation; abstention from political activity; civil society;
Summary/Abstract: Apathy, from the Greek words meaning "without feeling, " is at once a term denoting an individual's impassivity or indifference and a form of collective political behavior. Our concern is the latter form of apathy in Poland from the Solidarity period of 1980-81 to the present. Political apathy is the lack of psychological involvement in public affairs, emotional detachment from civic obligation, and abstention from political activity. But it is not any of these things alone, and these may be regarded as necessary, but not sufficient, components of political apathy. Political apathy is evidenced in mass, collective behavior but has its origins at the level of the individual psyche. [...]
Journal: East European Politics and Societies
- Issue Year: 05/1991
- Issue No: 02
- Page Range: 205-233
- Page Count: 29
- Language: English
- Content File-PDF