The article is dedicated to changes in the cultural atitude of Polish society towards the banking sector under the conditions of progressing fi nancialization and arising consequences for the banking sector. First of all, atiention is focused on the cultural characteristics of Poles, their atitude towards fi nance, especially in the period of transition. The main reference to cultural conditions relates to the tendency to save, incur loans, and the atitude towards banks. It is complemented, among other things, by the model of cultural dimensions by G. Hofstede andS. Schwartz, in line with which atiempts are made to explain the mechanisms shaping the fi nancial (banking) system and the fi nancializa? on tendency. This picture is confronted with the present shape and evolution of the Polish banking sector since 1989, including the role of foreign capital. In particular, atention is focused on the image of banks towards challenges related to the global fi nancial crisis and the main problem of Polish banking institutions, namely household mortgage debt in foreign currencies. The author presents a thesis that signifi cant fi nancialization cannot be indicated in Poland and the historical and cultural aspects do not cause its expansion to the same degree as in a number of other countries. However, certain features, such as preference for loans rather than savings, are favorable for this direction.
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