Batory Foundation:
As many as 62.1% of Polish women and men believe that religion classes should be held in parish houses, while only 37.9% support religion classes in schools. 55.9% prefer a traditional coffin, but as many as 44.1% would choose an urn. As many as 54.1% believe that awarding the Nobel Prize to Lech Wałęsa was a misunderstanding, while only 45.9% feel proud of this fact. Only 37.6% of Polish women and men choose tomato soup, while as many as 62.4% prefer broth.
These and many other equally surprising, serious, but also amusing facts about Polish society emerge from the “One Hundred Questions for the Centenary of Independence” poll, conducted as part of the “We Are Different. We Are Poland” social campaign run jointly by the Batory Foundation and Kultura Niepodległa. It is the first study of its kind in Poland devoted entirely to the similarities and differences between us.
Lekcje religii powinny odbywać się:
The poll, conducted in December 2018 by the research agency Difference, examined the views of Polish women and men on a wide range of subjects—from fundamental issues concerning our opinions about the European Union, religion and ourselves, to less serious and amusing matters involving our everyday choices, habits and preferences.
The results collected present an interesting picture of Polish society and challenge stereotypical perceptions of the dividing lines within it. This may be important information, especially in an election year, when the issue of segmenting audiences and positioning the electorate will return repeatedly.
Social psychologist Jacek Santorski:
Poles cannot be simply divided into “two tribes,” as commentators and politicians often simplify things in their narratives. The question I propose we consider is this: are we dealing with a richness of diversity or rather with “neurotic inconsistency”?
What intrigued the experts were certain apparent contradictions emerging from the research. It turns out that in a country where an overwhelming majority of society declares an attachment to Catholic values, as many as 74% of respondents support contraception, and 82% support public funding for in vitro fertilization.
At the same time, 63.6% consider John Paul II a saint, 85.2% believe that God exists, and 63.9% regard the values expressed in the slogan “God, honor, fatherland” as the most important.
There are more examples of such paradoxes. Ideas usually attributed to left-wing parties, such as environmentalism, also enjoy the support of Poles. If they had to choose between wind and coal power, 80.8% would choose the former, and 76.1% believe that global warming is no joke; 58% support feminism, and as many as 58.4% support the legalization of marijuana.
The detailed poll results can be found on jakajestpolska.pl.
Prof. Antoni Dudek from the Institute of Political Science at Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University:
The statement that Poles differ from one another on virtually every issue sounds banal. However, if we examine the detailed results of the poll, it turns out that there are matters on which a decisive majority of us think alike. It is precisely on their basis that we should sustain the Polish community.
Another element of the campaign is an online quiz posted on the website www.jakajestpolska.pl. Internet users who take part answer the same questions as the poll respondents, and their answers are arranged by color to form the Polish flag. Each internet user’s flag looks different because it reflects their individual choices.
Max Cegielski from the Association for Kultura Niepodległa:
Every flag created as part of the “What Is Poland Like?” campaign is different, yet similar. The shimmering map of colors is, after all, a living algorithm, behind whose calculations lies—“this is Poland, after all.”
What do you think? We invite you to join the discussion.