During Semi-Plenary 2, “Rural Discontent and the New Rural Question: Rethinking Democracy in Europe,” sociologists from various European research institutions will examine the transformations taking place in rural areas. The discussion will focus, among other things, on social inequalities, vulnerability to crises, community resilience, civic participation, and the ways in which rural residents respond to social, economic, and environmental change.
Among the invited speakers is Associate Professor Katarzyna Zajda, Head of the Social Innovation Centre and Head of the Department of Rural, Urban and Social Change Sociology at the University of Lodz. Her presentation, entitled “In the Shadow of Crisis: Everyday Democracy in Rural Poland through the Lens of Formal and Informal Civic Activity,” will explore the everyday dimension of democracy in rural Poland through the lens of formal and informal forms of civic activity.
The event will take place as part of the European Sociological Association Conference 2026, held in Warsaw on 25–28 August 2026.
