Sprawy narodowościowe w „Sprawach Narodowościowych”, 1992

Sprawy Narodowościowe. Seria nowa, 40 – Abstracts
Jacek Serwański,
Sprawy narodowościowe w „Sprawach Narodowościowych”, 1992-2012.
Nasi autorzy i ich publikacje
Nationalities affairs In The “Nationalities Affairs”:
Our Authors and their contributions
On the occasion of the 20 years’ anniversary of the academic journal Sprawy
Narodowościowe (Nationalities Affairs) its origin and current situation have been
presented in some detail. This bi-annual international and multidisciplinary journal
was established in 1992 as a continuation of traditions of the prewar bi-monthly of
the same title, which originally appeared in Warsaw in 1927-1939. It focuses on the
study of nation, nationalisms and ethnicity, and is published under the auspices of
the Polish Academy of Sciences, with the Institute for the Slavic Studies in Warsaw
and Poznan as its editor. In the years between 1992 to 2012 a total number of ca. 550
articles, including 60 in English, as well as 170 book reviews was published, while
the total number of printed pages reached 10,000. The contributors, in the number
of 350, come mainly from Poland but also from abroad. Abstracts and pdf versions
are available in the Internet.
The text comprises a separate part including a full list of all the issues published
over the 20 years’ period, as well as a full bibliography of all the contributions. Each
entry contains a name of the author/co-author, title of the article, issue number and
year of publication (a name of translator, if there is one).
Keywords: Nationalities Affairs, authors, contributions, bibliography 1992-2012
Sprawy Narodowościowe. Seria nowa, 40 – Abstracts
Matvey Lomonosov
International status of a territory, nationalism and appropriation of
history: the case of Kosovo
The issue of how legal arrangements pertaining to the international status of a
political or administrative unit can influence the construction of the national identity is rarely addressed in the existing scholarship on ethnicity, nation and nationalism. Classical studies imply that nationalistically-prone political and cultural elites
continuously strive to assemble all members of an alleged “nation” into one political
unit. This, in turn, causes struggle for autonomy, independence, irredentism, secession, or, in the case of pan-nationalism, territorial expansion. It is also presupposed
that real (if it can be the case), conceived, or constructed common ancestry of the
members of a “nation” motivates nationalists to demand elevation of the nation’s status in the international arena, i.e. the recognition of autonomy and independence.
However, the relationship between nation-building by means of constructed history
and existing international personality is more complex. It can be the reverse. As the
Kosovo case reveals, sometimes the existing international status of an administrative unit built upon ethnic principle determines the nation-building process, namely
its historical side. Since 1945, the views of Kosovar elites regarding the ethnic origins of their constituents varied according to the political status of the region. As the
later was evolving, Kosovar intellectuals and politicians differently saw ethnic roots
of Kosovar Albanians. At first they considered this issue unimportant, but later “revealed” all-Albanian Illyrian (independently of tribal groups) roots and finally embraced Dardanian provenance.
Keywords: Kosovo, territory, nationalism, appropriation of history
Międzynarodowy status terytorium, nacjonalizm i zawłaszczanie
historii: przypadek Kosowa
Kwestia wpływu uregulowań prawnych odnoszących się do międzynarodowego
statusu jednostki politycznej lub administracyjnej na budowanie tożsamości narodowej rzadko bywa podejmowana w badaniach naukowych nad etnicznością,
narodem i nacjonalizmem. Klasyczne opracowania implikują, że nacjonalistycznie nastawione elity polityczne i kulturalne niezmiennie dążą do tego, by wszyscy
członkowie rzekomego „narodu” skupili się w jedną strukturę polityczną. To z kolei
powoduje walkę o autonomię, niepodległość, irredentyzm, secesję bądź, jak w przypadku pannacjonalizmu, ekspansję terytorialną. Zakłada się także, iż prawdziwy
Sprawy Narodowościowe. Seria nowa, 40 – Abstracts
(jeśli taki może być) postrzegany bądź konstruowany wspólny rodowód członków
„narodu” skłania nacjonalistów do tego, by domagać się podniesienia statusu tego
narodu na arenie międzynarodowej, czyli uznania autonomii i niepodległości.
Relacje pomiędzy budowaniem narodu za pomocą konstruowanej historii i istniejącej
prawnej osobowości między­narodowej są jednak bardziej złożone. Może być odwrotnie: przypadek Kosowa pokazuje, że funkcjonujący międzynarodowy status jednostki administracyjnej budowany na podstawach etnicznych czasami determinuje proces narodowotwórczy, a mianowicie jego aspekt historyczny. Od roku 1945 poglądy
kosowskich elit co do genezy etnicznej poszczególnych części składowych zmieniały
się w zależności od politycznego statusu regionu. Gdy ten się dopiero kształtował,
kosowscy intelektualiści i politycy odmiennie postrzegali etniczną genezę kosowskich Albańczyków. Najpierw uznawali tę kwestię za nieistotną, później natomiast
„odkryli” ogólnoalbańskie illyryjskie korzenie (niezależnie od przynależności do
grup plemiennych), by ostatecznie uznać ich pochodzenie od greckich Dardanów.
Sprawy Narodowościowe. Seria nowa, 40 – Abstracts
Raisa Barash
The problem of divided ethnonational groups in contemporary
Russia and Poland
Both Russia and Poland – to varying degrees – tend to maintain ties with “compatriots” living abroad, but these two groups are distinct in their essence. Poles living outside Poland can be rather qualified as part/parts of divided people, whereas
Russian-backed compatriots form a divided nation, and moreover, form not a divided nation of the Russian Federation, but a post-Soviet one.
The Government of the Russian Federation used to claim maintaining ties with
“Russian compatriots” living abroad. The theme of rights of Russians living abroad
is among the most popular ones in Russian media. The groups of Russian-speaking,
who live in the former Soviet republics, have often been subjects or objects of conflict
situations in the last 20 years because of their desire to live in accordance with their
identity. But the essence of this group of so-called Russians, living on the post-Soviet
sphere, is very complex. Russian-backed compatriots form not a divided people – in
an ethnic sense – but a divided nation (a cultural or historical, non-ethnic group).
And moreover, such groups form not a divided nation of Russian Federation, but a
post-Soviet divided nation.
Keywords: Russia, Poland, diaspora, national identity
Problem podzielonych grup etniczno-narodowych we współczesnej Rosji
i Polsce
Zarówno Rosja jak i Polska dążą, choć w niejednakowym stopniu, do zachowania więzi z rodakami zamieszkałymi poza granicami kraju, jednakże te dwie
zbiorowości de facto są zupełnie od siebie odmienne. Polaków żyjących za granicą
można zaliczyć do tej części ludności polskiej, którą określamy mianem Polonii,
podczas gdy zamieszkali poza krajem Rosjanie stanowią podzielony naród i, co
więcej, tworzą nie tyle diasporę narodową Federacji Rosyjskiej, ile postsowiecką.
Rząd Federacji Rosyjskiej utrzymuje, że zależy mu na zachowaniu więzi z Rosjanami
mieszkającymi za granicą. Temat praw Rosjan z zagranicy jest jedną z najbardziej popularnych pośród podejmowanych przez rosyjskie media kwestii. Rosyjskojęzyczna
ludność żyjąca w byłych republikach Związku Sowieckiego była często w minionych
20 latach przedmiotem i podmiotem sytuacji konfliktowych spowodowanych tym,
że wykazywała wolę, aby żyć w zgodzie ze swą tożsamością. Jednak z samej swej
Sprawy Narodowościowe. Seria nowa, 40 – Abstracts
istoty charakter tej grupy ludzi, w Rosji nazywanych Russkie, zamieszkujących w
przestrzeni postsowieckiej, jest nad wyraz skomplikowany i złożony. Osoby mające
rosyjskie korzenie tworzą „naród podzielony“ nie w sensie etnicznym, ale w znaczeniu nieetnicznej grupy kulturowej bądź historycznej stanowiącej narodową diasporę,
którą należałoby uznać za postsowiecką.
Sprawy Narodowościowe. Seria nowa, 40 – Abstracts
Piotr Eberhardt
Przemiany narodowościowe w Łatgalii
Population changes in Latgale
Latgale is one of the four provinces of Latvian State. It is located in the east part
of the Latvia that borders with Byelorussia and Russia. The first part of this article
presents Latgale’s history since the 13th century. Latgale was part of Poland (Polish
Inflants, 1561-1772), and later of Russian Empire (1772-1916). The Russian census of
1897 shows that it was inhabited by various nations: Latvians, Russians, Jews, Poles,
Belarusians and Latvians.
The next part of the article deals with the demographic situation in the interwar
period when Latgale was an integral part of the sovereign Latvian state. Later, together
with whole Latvia, it was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1940; next it was occupied by Nazi Germany, and again incorporated to the Stalin’s Soviet Union. As it
became part of Latvian Soviet Republic, it was subjected to planned russification and
sovietization policies to eliminate its national and confessional diversity. There was
then a mass influx of the Russian people, while the local Latvian population was marginalized. These changes are presented in the text on the basis of the Soviet censuses
of 1959 and 1989. The author also discusses relations between Russian and Latvian
populations, as well as the number and distribution of population of the Polish origin,
who traditionally concentrated in Daugavpils and its vicinity.
The last part of the article deals with the period after the collapse of the Soviet
Union and the regaining of independence by Latvia. The nationality evolution is
presented on the basis of statistical data from 2000 and 2009. The present Latvian
authorities aim at strengthening the national character of the state and limiting the
significance of its numerous Russian minority. The information on the current condition of the local Polish population closes the text.
Keywords: Latgale, Polish Inflants, nationality structure, population changes
Sprawy Narodowościowe. Seria nowa, 40 – Abstracts
Kamilla Dolińska, Julita Makaro
Wielokulturowość Europy środkowo-wschodniej.
Kilka metodologicznych uwag o definiowaniu i badaniu zjawiska.
Multiculturalism of central eastern Europe. Some methodological
remarks on the definition and research of the phenomenon
The article is supposed to be an opinion in the discussion over the state and prospects of modern research on multiculturalism. Taking into account the importance
of this phenomenon in the contemporary reality and a variety of approaches both to
the way it is defined as well as to its numerous examples, there was made an attempt
to delineate multiculturalism as a complex social-cultural phenomenon in Central
Eastern European context whose subjects are constituted by all ethnic groups living on this area. This complexity can be seen on four levels of multiculturalism. On
the level of ‘empirical state of issues’ (demographic); social awareness; a political one
and a marketing one. Theoretical bases characterizing the specified levels are being
consistently connected with methodological proposals within which some guidelines allowing for the specifics of a particular level are presented. These are: a given
research/analysis subject and the way of obtaining data — both of a qualitative and
quantitative type. The need to carry out—on various levels—the research on multiculturalism in Central Eastern Europe is at the same time connected with a pursuit
of the reflection of the specifics of multiculturalism in this part of Europe so that this
peculiarity avoids being treated as a ‘copy’ of the Western European version.
Keywords: multiculturalism, Central Eastern Europe, methodology, definition
Sprawy Narodowościowe. Seria nowa, 40 – Abstracts
Joanna Nowak
O pojęciu godności narodowej w polskiej myśli romantycznej
On the notion of national dignity in polish romantic thought
National dignity is one of principal notions that helps define fundamental ideas
and aims of nationalism. The author of the article analyzes the Polish thought of
the first part of the 19th century, presenting the diversity of views. Historically, national dignity was believed to represent group value and being proud of belonging to
one’s own nation, of its character and destiny within humanity. National dignity was
an inalienable right and value closely connected with vital aspirations of a national
community, with the ideal of freedom seen in the context of endangerments both
from the outside (e.g., hostile actions of other states and nations), and from the inside
(e.g., excessive love for one’s own nation, materialistic approaches, selfishness, but
also as threats that arise via injustice, and the absence of social rights and equality).
Dignity, honor, love of one’s motherland are values that we should constantly recall
and at all times care for and propagate within a national community. In the article,
special attention has also been paid to the way the older Polish thinkers presented
the close relationships between collective dignity and individual dignity, as well as to
the fact that the title notion has undergone a specific evolution in time and space.
Keywords: Romantic thought, national dignity, values, belonging
Sprawy Narodowościowe. Seria nowa, 40 – Abstracts
Katarzyna Wrzesińska
O dwóch cywilizacjach w myśli Michała Pawlikowskiego (1887-1970)
On two civilizations in Michał Pawlikowski’s thought
Michał Pawlikowski (1887-1970) was a Polish essayist, poet, publisher, editor,
and bibliophile. Since World War I, he was an activist of the National Democratic
Party (later the National Party). After World War II, he settled in Great Britain, temporarily staying in Zakopane, Poland. Pawlikowski is the author of essays and journalism where he collected his philosophical views on nation and culture, as well as
on civilization and race. He sought cause and effect relationships in the history of
humanity as factors that shaped the contemporary world. In his opinion, the world
is divided between two mutually antagonistic civilizations: Western and Eastern.
Such a perspective of his thought has been inscribed in Polish wider reflection on
the nation. It is close to messianic concepts that were held by Romantic thinkers and
artists, while at the same time it contains tints of national megalomania. His writings can be termed controversial and are often characterized as being full of discrepancies, as well as simplifying a number of complex issues; in particular, in his
opponents’ views Pawlikowski’s thought is too close to conspiracy theory of history.
Alternatively Pawlikowski deserves recognition for his depictions of the man as a
free human being who has a potential to make individual choices in accordance with
ethical ideals and obligations towards the community.
Keywords: Michał Pawlikowski (1887-1970), nation, civilization, humanity
Sprawy Narodowościowe. Seria nowa, 40 – Abstracts
Krzysztof Kasiński
Amerykański nacjonalizm
American nationalism
The phenomenon of American nationalism dates back to the pioneer times of
the Pilgrims and Founding Fathers who established first social and political relations creating origins of a future developed country. Throughout the past centuries
the term “nationalism” from an American perspective was tangled to various definitions and sometimes official politics of the state. American nationalism was first
represented by faithful Protestant settlers who believed strongly in a God’s destined
society. Based on that the first definition was coined by John Winthrop in his poem
“City upon a hill” – idea of a land deprived of evil in all of its emanations, which is
not distant and obeys the will of an Absolute. One of the Founding Fathers – Thomas Paine in his Common Sense developed Winthrop’s idea and presented Americans
as people with unlimited abilities. American writers and first colonists believed in
a Biblical promised land that offered them unlimited abilities of self-growth. This
strength of a self consciousness paved a way to a scientific term of super-patriotism.
Coined by Michael Parenti, this term encompasses both democratic ideas of Alexis
de Tocqueville and vision of a self-made man, who is the organizer of American
statehood. American nationalism is also a derivative of ideology of americacentrism
with its roots in the 19th century concept of Manifest Destiny proclaiming a nation
that is endowed with an eternal right to secure the world for democracy. This idea
has been a long term debate in American political and social life as United States became more and more involved in international affairs since the beginning of 20th
century. In sum, the idea of American nationalism is the result of American meltingpot of religious, cultural and specific historical circumstances that built this nation.
Keywords: nationalism, America, nation, state
Sprawy Narodowościowe. Seria nowa, 40 – Abstracts
Iwona Jakimowicz-Ostrowska,
Mniej greckości w Grecji, czyli kto z kim ma kłopot?
Less Greek identity in Greece or who has problem with whom?
This article is one of many voices in the continuing debate about Greece as a
nation and as a member of the European Union. It emphasises the following facts:
characteristics of Greece’s relationship with the state and the citizen, understanding
of the European Union and Greece’s role in the organisation, difficulties in the dialog between Brussels and Athens. Due to the diversity and complexity of the issues
presented, the troublesome relationship between Greece and its European partners
has not been explored in full here.
The aim of this article is to demonstrate the Greek point of view on current affairs as well as to show the difference in wider public opinion towards Greek politics.
Consequently, this article invites discussion about Greek public affairs and allows
the reader to acknowledge the very different Greek attitude towards political actions
performed by the European Union institutions and politicians.
Keywords: Greek policy, Greek national identity, Greek religious devotion, Greek relationship with European Union
Sprawy Narodowościowe. Seria nowa, 40 – Abstracts
Jacek Kubera, Łukasz Skoczylas
Pamięć o wojnie, wojna o pamięć. Pamięć społeczna o wojnie w Algierii
w relacjach pomiędzy Francją a imigrantami algierskimi
The memory of war, the war of memory. Social memory of the war
in Algeria in relations between France and the Algerian immigrants
The year 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the official end of the Algerian
war. The memory of this conflict and other events in France which accompanied it
is still alive in the French society. After many years of oblivion and lack of interest
from the highest authorities, this conflict once again becomes the subject of great
controversy and heated debate. The disputes focus on the four groups: the French
born in Algeria, the Algerians cooperating with the French troops during the war,
the other Algerian immigrants and, finally, the former military personnel serving in
Algeria. Each group has its own perspective of the events, whereas the politicians try
to exploit the memory of the war in the ongoing disputes concerning the integration
of the immigrants and the riots in the suburbs. All of this means that even after 50
years the issue of the Algerian war is still evoking new conflicts.
Keywords: Algerians, France, social memory, Algerian War, immigrants
Sprawy Narodowościowe. Seria nowa, 40 – Abstracts
Grzegorz Marchwiński
„Wsłuchać się w nieskończoną opowieść o Polsce”.
Dyskurs smoleński „Gazety Polskiej”
“The never-ending polish story”:
the Smolensk discourse of Gazeta Polska
The author analyzes articles published in Gazeta Polska after the plane crash
that caused death of President Lech Kaczynski and other senior Polish officials in
Smolensk in 2010. The Smolensk discourse in Gazeta Polska is structured with specific rhetoric strategies and anthropological categories. It is based on an antinomy
of “every-man” versus “elites.” Furthermore, it brings some light to the importance
and meaning of the rituals and symbolic sphere in public life. In reference to the
traditions of the Polish 19th century approaches, it affects a reader with consistent
interpretations and world-views. The Smolensk discourse is so persuasive also due
to certain literary techniques as well as creating a sense of continuity that replaces
the cultural rupture. Cultural rupture, however, is a fundamental category that organizes the Smolensk narration in Gazeta Polska and, to some extent, a Polish conservative discourse in general.
Keywords: Smolensk catastrophe, public discourse, continuity and cultural rupture,
Gazeta Polska
Sprawy Narodowościowe. Seria nowa, 40 – Abstracts
Jacek Poniedziałek
„Ostatni Mohikanie” rodzimej kultury na „zdemazuryzowanych”
Mazurach
“The last of the Mohicans” of the native culture in “de-masurised”
Masuria
The Masurians as an ethno-regional group have almost disappeared from the
ethnic map of the world: their descendents now live in Germany in great numbers,
while there are just a few thousand in their native Masuria. At the same time, the
Masurians’ original culture spanning between Evangelism, the Polish dialect and
culture, and German identity, is vanishing. Probably the last formally organized
group of representatives of the local native population is the one active in the Masuria Evangelical Association (MEA). Its members’ main aim is to preserve and maintain their native culture, and thus saving it from complete eradication.
The article presents some of the unique measures taken by the activists of MEA
in a concrete response to the marginalization of the Masurians and their vanishing
in the region due to Germanisation policies and, later Polonisation policies in Masuria which were introduced by force when necessary. Many attempts at establishing
the institutional means to rescue the native Masuria identity, which to a large extent
proved unsuccessful, are briefly described in the text. The activities of MEA, as an
institution of a regionalist character, are shown both in the historical and contemporary contexts. The author also presents the tasks, forms and contents of the Association’s work, taking into account the ideological and practical perspectives of its
efforts to support the Masurian population.
Keywords: Masurians, identity, native culture, regionalism, Evangelicalism