Europeanization - Fashionable Notion or Inspiring Conceptual Frames?

Europeanization is not a new term, but only throughout the recent two decades it has turned into a notion very frequently used in social science. It seems there are two reasons for its success: (1) the intensification of European integration in the late 1980's and (2) the development of the conceptual studies on Europeanization. Numerous theoretical approaches elaborated under the term have stimulated its popularity, yet they have also raised a critical question on the empirical usefulness of the broadly and vaguely defined concept. In the article the concept of Europeanization is taken under scrutiny. Recently developed multiple attitudes to Europeanization are critically discussed and presented with reference to the broader body of the literature on European integration. The considerations end with a short revision of possible empirical usages of the popular term in Polish context. This aim has been triggered by a shortage of references to the widely discussed concept in Polish literature. Polish debate on repercussions of the membership in the European Union may be significantly enriched by a thoughtful reference to the popular, even though controversial concept. Being aware of its shortcomings we can make a better use of its advantages.