From the People’s History to the Vitalistic History. The Sociological Perspective

Abstract

The article considers the possibility of using – on the one hand – the achievements of sociology and Polish rural sociology and on the other hand – the modern neo-naturalist inspirations in social sciences and humanities in order to outline a different image of the countryside and peasants than the one shown currently in the same discipline as well as in the works determined as part of the trend of “people’s history.” Their authors usually repeat the already included in the social science anti-rural perspective according to which the peasants do not have agentship or subjectivity, and at best are considered to be able to resist or, alternatively, slow down (moderate) changes. In this situation, it seems reasonable to look for these themes in the works of the classics, which are not taken into account in the current analyses, which are part of the main trend of sociology. Moreover, it would be necessary to include diaries and monographs, which are unused and often unknown by the young generation of researchers, and are an important element of the achievements of the Polish rural sociology. Finally, it would also be crucial to gain inspiration from these concepts in modern sociology, as the importance of the biological and material aspect of social life is increasingly emphasised, which contributes to the formation of a new understanding of subjectivity, individual and group agency of the social actors. The suggested direction of research should allow a new approach to the rural and peasant issues to form as well as to change the assessment of the role of the whole agricultural segment.