Solidarity as a New Social Movement

Abstract

Poland's Solidarity was one of the largest social movements in history. For sixteen months following its birth in the workers' strikes in the summer of 1980, it dramatically altered the face and teinper of Poland. Because of its size and popularity, it threatened the very foundations of communist rule in Poland. This led the government to suspend the union's and declare martial law in December 1981. Since then, Solidarity has continued in a truncated, weakened and illegal form. But a new wave of workers' strikes in the spring and summer of 1988, plus pressure from the Gorbachev leadership in the Soviet Union, led the regime to move toward renewed legalization of the organization. This powerful social movement, dormant for seven years, has reemerged once again to challenge the way Poland is ruled. It is important, therefore, to understand the origins and nature of Solidarity. During its legal existence, Solidarity was formally identified as a trade union, but in fact was then and still is as much a social movement as a trade union. The organization defined itself as a movement, and many of its mermbers, especially its activists, considered it a social movement. But the organization also fit the more objective sociological criteria for a social movement as socially shared and beliefs directed toward the demand for change in some aspect of the social order.' The socially shared activities suggests group action, but does not necessarily imply a formal organization. Solidarity was such a group action, based on widely held dissatisfaction with the status quo in Polish society. It challenged the