History of the Sociology at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences
Władysław Grabski – Rural Sociologist The Beginnings of Sociology at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences
The origins of social studies and research at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences date back to the interwar period. In 1929, through the efforts of Władysław Grabski, the Rural Sociology Section was established within the Department of Economic Policy, which he headed. Its creation was closely connected with Pro fessor Grabski’s scholarly and teaching activities, as he developed and delivered lectures in rural sociology.
From the moment Professor Władysław Grabski be gan teaching rural sociology, he sought to establish an institutional foundation for this new subdiscipline. In his conception, sociological research was intended both to contribute to scientific discovery and to help resolve important social problems, while providing the state with reliable data for determining optimal directions of social development.
Władysław Grabski – Rural Sociologist Research Focus
Professor Władysław Grabski laid the foundations of rural sociology as an empirical science, directing so ciological research toward a comprehensive under standing of concrete social realities. To achieve this objective, he drew on the findings of various social science disciplines concerned with par ticular aspects of social life, as well as on a range of techniques for collecting empirical data. His research was intended to shed light on the pro blems associated with the agricultural crisis and to demonstrate the social significance of rural commu nities. Contemporary scholars classify Professor Władysław Grabski as a representative of humanistic sociology because his approach recognized the agency inherent in social interactions, employed understanding as a cognitive strategy, and regarded self-knowledge as an outcome of sociological inquiry.
Władysław Grabski – Rural Sociologist The Establishment of the Institute of Rural Sociology at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences
In 1936, pursuant to a resolution adopted by the Council of the Faculty of Agriculture on 27 October and at the initia tive of Professor Władysław Grabski, the Institute of Rural Sociology was established. Under the adopted rules, professors, associate professors, and lecturers employed at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences and conducting research in fields related to rural sociology could become full members of the Institute. Scho lars working outside the University could be admitted as associate members. Among those who contributed to the establishment of the Institute of Rural Sociology were Zdzisław Ludkiewicz, Ste fan Moszczeński, Antoni Żabko-Potopowicz, Franciszek Bujak, Witold Staniewicz, and Józef Chałasiński. The Institute’s members were distinguished scholars with outstanding achievements in their respective fields of the social sciences, as well as individuals who had made signi ficant contributions to public life. Its associate members strengthened the Institute’s links with the methodological and theoretical foundations of sociology.
Władysław Grabski – Rural Sociologist The Annals of Rural Sociology
In 1936, the Institute of Rural Sociology began pu blishing Roczniki Socjologii Wsi [The Annals of Rural Sociology].
In the first issue, Grabski began publishing his work System socjologii wsi [System of Rural Sociology]. The journal attracted considerable attention and recognition within the Polish sociological commu nity. Among other things, successive volumes of the Annals of Rural Sociology were reviewed in Prze gląd Socjologiczny [The Sociological Review] be tween 1936 and 1939. Grabski’s journal was the first periodical devoted to rural sociology to be published in Europe and the second of its kind in the world.
