Psychology of a Culture: Humanism and Social Ineffectiveness Embedded in Polish Ways of Life

Paweł Boski

Abstract

This paper is intended as a learning tool for students wishing to expand their knowledge
on culture – psychology interaction derived from a single culture perspective. The paper
presents a cultural psychology approach to two themes of Polish culture: Humanism and
Social (In)-Effectiveness. The text is divided into three distinct parts: (1) A detailed account of
a foreigner's encounter with Poland, where standards typical for this culture are introduced;
(2) Historical analysis tracing the origins of these two syndromes in Poland; (3) Empirical
comparative studies combined over twenty five years, and their meta-analysis.