Cichocki, PiotrJabkowski, Piotr2013-02-152013-02-152009Ruch Prawniczy, Ekonomiczny i Socjologiczny 71, 2009, z. 3, s. 175-1950035-9629http://hdl.handle.net/10593/4616The paper consists of two relatively autonomous but at the same time complementary parts. The first one comprises a critical and polemical reappraisal of the state of sociological reflection concerned with European attitudes of “Wielkopolska society” , the analysis of which has demonstrated the incidence of three main types of simplification and contradiction within this discourse, i.e. (1) fallacious identification of the boundaries of Wielkopolska as a region with the administrative boundaries of Wielkopolska voivodship, (2) treatment of the voivodship as an internally homogenous entity, and (3) Poznan-centric shape of the analyses which only superficially relates to the entire region of Wielkopolska, and de facto speaks merely of the social characteristics of the community living in the political-administrative centre of the region. The critical analysis of those simplifications and contradictions troubling the sociologists in their research constituted a theoretical and methodological frame for the analysis of our own research results, which have been presented in the second part of the paper. This analysis was based on the results of three waves of quantitative surveys conducted in the years 2003, 2005 and 2009. The focus was put on the aspect of declared life-satisfaction. The main rationale behind this analysis was to describe the changes in terms of their evaluation and the expectations relating to the life-satisfaction of the inhabitants of Wielkopolska in the context of the European integration, as well as to present the region as significantly spatially differentiated on the plane of social consciousness. Our findings demonstrate a fallacy underlying all such attempts at a regional analysis of the public opinion in Wielkopolska, which do not take into account the socio-economic spatial differentiation of the region.plArtykuł