Choosing and Planning in a Climate of Insecurity: Balancing Professional Work and Family Life in Poland

The article examines the strategies Poles use to reconcile their economic expectations, work and childcare opportunities, and family goals. Based on longitudinal research, it documents a shift in Poles' sense of self as they orient themselves toward personal values associated with neoliberal ideology—in particular choosing and planning among expanded material goods and life options. These changes in personal orientations are viewed against the backdrop of structural changes that have accompanied capitalist reforms and contribute to a climate of insecurity characterized by weakening social supports and the threat of unemployment. The article explains how conflicts between cultural values that prioritize family and the neoliberal values that have reshaped the workplace actually constrain choices and lead Polish citizens to make plans for the future and life choices that contribute to declining birthrates in Poland.