Michał Kaczmarczyk

Michał Kaczmarczyk serves as a Professor and Director of the Institute of Sociology within the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Gdańsk. His academic journey began with studies in law and sociology at the University of Gdańsk, followed by a Ph.D. in Sociology from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun (2004). After habilitation at Jagiellonian University in Cracow (2013), he advanced from assistant to associate professor before attaining full professorship.

Education:

• Law and Sociology, University of Gdańsk
• Ph.D. in Sociology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun (2004)
• Habilitation, Jagiellonian University in Cracow (2013)

His research critically interrogates Social Theory through lenses of property, law, and freedom. Key contributions include developing a sociological framework for property rights, analyzing civil disobedience as a legal-political phenomenon, and deconstructing freedom within modern social theory. His work bridges sociology with philosophy and jurisprudence, amplified by translating seminal systems theory texts by Luhmann and Parsons into Polish.

Publications trend toward increasingly complex theoretical syntheses—from property foundations (2006) to law-politics intersections (2010) and culminating in a meta-critique of freedom (2019). This evolution reflects deepening engagement with European social theory and interdisciplinary dialogue between sociology, legal studies, and political philosophy.

Scientific awards:

• Ludwik Krzywicki Award by the Polish Academy of Sciences (2007)
• Polish Sociological Association Translation Award (2010)
• Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study Fellowship (2015-2016)
• Max-Weber-Kolleg Fellowships (2008, 2020)
• Poznań Book Fair Journalists' Award for The Aporia of Freedom

Research fellowships constitute his primary external funding, enabling international collaborations including the University at Buffalo (Kosciuszko Foundation Scholarship, 2011-2012), Albert Ludvig University Freiburg (2014), University of Copenhagen (2018), and recurrent stays at Max-Weber-Kolleg. These grants facilitated cross-national theoretical work without mention of student advising.

As Director of the Institute of Sociology, he leads institutional strategy and academic programs within the Department of Sociological Theory and Social Research Methodology, driving theoretical sociology initiatives while maintaining active consultations (Wednesdays 11:30-12:30).