Social policy in crisis in Poland: an intersectional look

The article aims to investigate social policy change from a gendered, intersectional perspective in Poland following the Covid19 pandemic and the influx of refugees after 2022. Because social policy deals with social impacts and as such is a crucial in responding to the socio-economic crises of today, research into intersecting axes of (in)equality in this field is all the more vital. I explore the role of the state in the provision of social policy in response to crises and the comparative mapping of social policy change from an intersectional perspective. The approach consists of outlining and connecting the stages of a particular policy process, enabling the identification of discursive frames, their interlinks, and policy effects. By analyzing public policy documents and the political debates surrounding them, I focus on deconstructing the meaning of policy-relevant elements, allowing for the placing of policy positions in time- and space-relevant contexts, situating them in a matrix of concrete political power hierarchies as well as a temporal framework.