Polish Anger Banks: Social Divisions in Poland from the Perspective of Peter Sloterdijk’s Theory

Abstract

The author reflects on the social divisions that — as sociologists have long predicted — can presently be observed in Poland. The author sees the source of the phenomenon in the mechanism of relative deprivation, which leads to disappointed expectations, or to people’s assessment of their own social or material situation as being worse in comparison to a reference group such as their contemporaries, neighbors, an elite, or a ruling class. Such a situation creates anger — here the author reaches for Sloterdijk’s concept — which is accumulated in “anger banks,” that is, in organizations or milieus that thrive on that anger. In the author’s opinion, this is the nature of the current Polish political scene. What is involved is the collective defense of individual and group dignity. The broad support accorded PiS (the Law and Justice party) in the 2015 elections should be analyzed in terms of the reacquisition of dignity by those who have been overlooked. However, the operating mode of the anger banks means that what previously occurred by omission and deafness is presently taking on the dangerous form of insulting and stigmatizing those who think differently. The author concludes that what is needed today, by all sides of the conflict, is a lesson in self-respect and respect for one’s opponents, the reconstruction of social relations within the community, and learning how to listen to and respect the opinion of adversaries.