Class Ruptures and Openings
The Role of Social and Family History in Narratives on Class Mobility and Reproduction
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19213620 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Justyna Kajta (0000-0002-2428-8876, Uniwersytet SWPS, corresponding author), Stefan Bieńkowski (0000-0002-8977-1973, Uniwersytet SWPS) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | British Journal of Sociology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0007-1315 • E-ISSN: 1468-4446 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/1468-4446.70135 |
| PMID | 42231058 |
| OpenAlex | W7163136730 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 27 |
In recent years, sociological interest in the study of social class-particularly its subjective dimensions-has intensified. This article contributes to this growing body of literature by focusing on Poland as a case within the Central and Eastern European region. It emphasizes the role of historical context and family histories in shaping processes of class mobility and class reproduction, and examines these processes from a biographical perspective. Drawing on a comparative analysis of biographical pathways of upward mobility and reproduction, we introduce two analytical concepts naming the historical moments/processes potentially reshaping individuals' class histories: openings, referring to moments that facilitate upward mobility, and ruptures, referring to interruptions in reproduction or obstacles to upward mobility. We also identify three pivotal historical moments that emerge in the collected narratives as shaping class histories and class identities in Poland: the Second World War, the 1989 political and educational transformation, and the integration into EU institutions from 2004 onwards. The analysis is based on 42 biographical interviews with academics. It demonstrates the value of qualitative, biographical methods for examining class identities, which often diverge from patterns captured by purely objective criteria. This approach further allows us to reveal the role of social history and multigenerational family history in making the individuals' class histories and identities complex and ambiguous
Class (philosophy) · Class analysis · Context (archaeology) · Narrative · Politics · Reproduction · Social class · Social mobility · Social reproduction · Intergenerational and Educational Inequality Studies · Social and Cultural Dynamics · Youth Education and Societal Dynamics
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Telling the Great Change
Biographical Life Course Research
The working classes and higher education
The Life Story Approach
Class Analysis in Conditions of a Dual-Stratification Order
Multigenerational approaches to social mobility. A multifaceted research agenda
The Sociological Imagination
Feeling Moved
Managing chronic illness at home
Positioning strategies of Polish entrepreneurs in Germany
Deflecting Privilege
Introduction
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |