Manfred Kohler Reference points of European identity

Sprawy Narodowościowe. Seria nowa, 43 – Abstracts
Manfred Kohler
Reference points of European identity:
Conceptualizing identity beyond the nation-state
This article formulates and introduces a comprehensive conceptual framework
for understanding the nature and characteristics of collective (state) identities, especially European identity here. This conceptual framework shall give impetus to conduct new and comprehensive research on collective (state) identities in and beyond
the nation-state. It has the advantage of being applicable to all kinds of collective
identities – from simple private associations, complex nation-states and supra- or
transnational political systems like that of the European Union.
Keywords: Europe, identity, nation-state, European Union
Punkty odniesienia tożsamości europejskiej:
Konceptualizacja tożsamości poza obrębem państwa narodowego
Niniejszy artykuł formułuje i wprowadza szerokie ramy pojęciowe dla wszechstronnego zrozumienia natury i charakteru tożsamości zbiorowych (państwowych),
szczególnie zaś tożsamości europejskiej. Owe ramy pojęciowe powinny stworzyć
impuls dla podjęcia nowych, kompleksowych studiów nad tożsamościami
zbiorowościowymi (państwowymi) zarówno w obrębie państwa narodowego, jak
i poza nim. Zaletą przedstawionego w artykule ujęcia jest to, że możliwe jest jego
zastosowanie w odniesieniu do jak najbardziej zróżnicowanych tożsamości – od
prostych prywatnych stowarzyszeń przez złożone państwa narodowe do ponadi międzynarodowych systemów politycznych, takich jak Unia Europejska.
Sprawy Narodowościowe. Seria nowa, 43 – Abstracts
Catherine Gibson
The influence of politics and nationalism on the development of written
Latgalian in the long nineteenth century (1772-1918)
Latgale, the southeast region of Latvia, has a distinct ethnoregional identity
largely due to the widespread use of the Latgalian language/dialect. The status of
Latgalian as a language/dialect is highly politicised in Latvia today, yet this is not
only a twenty-first century phenomenon. Since its inception as a written language in
the mid-eighteenth century, the development of written Latgalian has been strongly
influenced by politics and nationalism. This is an exploratory paper, which traces the
impact of politics and nationalism on the development of written Latgalian throughout the long nineteenth century, a period in which the region was administered by
three political regimes (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Russian Empire, First
Republic of Latvia). Transnational perspectives are used to contextualise the development of written Latgalian with the development of other written languages in the
vicinity (Belarusian, Latvian, Lithuanian, and Samogitian), and to open up the field
for further comparative studies on the development of non-national written languages/dialect. Latgale is a borderland region often neglected in mainstream Latvian
scholarship, and by extension, even more so outside Latvia. This paper hopes to go
some way to rectifying this.
Keywords: Latgale, politics of language, regional identity, nationalism, transnational
history
Gramota: wpływ polityki i nacjonalizmu na rozwój łatgalskiego języka
literackiego w długim wieku XIX (1772-1918)
Łatgalię, południowo-wschodni region Łotwy, cechuje odrębna tożsamość etniczno-regionalna, przede wszystkim z racji powszechnego na tym terenie używania języka/dialektu łatgalskiego. Status łatgalskiego jako języka/dialektu stanowi
w dzisiejszej Litwie w dużej mierze kwestię o wymiarze politycznym, aczkolwiek
nie jest to zjawisko, które pojawiło się dopiero w XX stuleciu. Łatgalski już od czasu
swych narodzin jako język literacki w połowie XVIII wieku pozostawał pod silną
presją polityki oraz nacjonalizmów. Niniejszy artykuł ma na celu prześledzenie oddziaływania polityki i nacjonalizmu na kształtowanie się literackiej odmiany języka
łatgalskiego w ciągu „długiego wieku XIX” – okresu, w którym region ten podlegał
administracji rządowej sprawowanej przez trzy systemy polityczne (Rzeczpospolita
Sprawy Narodowościowe. Seria nowa, 43 – Abstracts
Obojga Narodów, Imperium Rosyjskie, Pierwsza Republika Litewska). Spojrzenie na
omawiane zagadnienie z perspektywy ponadnarodowej pozwala stworzyć kontekst
rozwoju łatgalskiego języka literackiego w odniesieniu do innych języków literackich
formujących się w bliskim jego sąsiedztwie (białoruskiego, łotewskiego, litewskiego
i semigalskiego), jak też otworzyć pole dla kolejnych studiów porównawczych nad
kształtowaniem się nienarodowych języków/dialektów literackich. Łatgalia stanowi region pograniczny, zwykle zaniedbywany przez główny nurt nauki łotewskiej,
a tym bardziej w dociekaniach naukowych poza granicami Łotwy. Niniejszy artykuł
ma za zadanie choć w pewnej mierze stan ten naprawić.
Sprawy Narodowościowe. Seria nowa, 43 – Abstracts
Agnieszka Pasieka
How pluralism becomes hierarchical?
Debating pluralism in contemporary Poland
This article discusses the multifaceted nature of religious pluralism. More specifically, it seeks to answer the question why, while advancing the claims of equality
and diversity, the idea of pluralism reproduces inequalities and naturalizes hierarchies. In order to illuminate this problem, the article first presents a theoretical discussion and then refers it to the ethnographic evidence from a year-long fieldwork in
a multireligious locality in southeast Poland. It analyzes the impact of the discourse
on “multiculturalism” on minorities’ plights and it exposes the processes in which
religion, reconfigured as “culture” or “tradition,” is used as a discriminatory tool. By
combining an exploration of a concrete ethnographic setting with an investigation
of the broader implications of locally observed phenomena, it demonstrates the importance of anthropological perspective in the study of pluralism, or rather: the importance of a thorough dialogue between theory and ethnography.
Keywords: religious pluralism, anthropology, ethnography, Poland
Dlaczego pluralizm hierarchizuje? Dyskusja na temat pluralizmu we
współczesnej Polsce
Artykuł podejmuje problem pluralizmu religijnego. Jego celem jest udzielenie odpowiedzi na pytanie dlaczego, mimo iż „pluralizm” promuje różnorodność
i równość, równocześnie prowadzi do reprodukowania nierówności i czyni „naturalnymi” hierarchiczne relacje. W tym celu, artykuł w pierwszej kolejności przedstawia teoretyczną dyskusję, następnie zaś łączy ją z obserwacjami z rocznych badań
terenowych prowadzonych w wieloreligijnej gminie w południowo-wschodniej
Polsce. Poddaje analizie wpływ dyskursu na temat „wielokulturowości” na sytuację
mniejszości oraz wyjaśnia, jak religia – rozumiana jako „kulturowy zasób” lub
„tradycja” – staje się narzędziem dyskryminacji. Łącząc analizę konkretnego przypadku z refleksją na temat szerszych implikacji badanych zjawisk, artykuł dowodzi
znaczenia antropologicznej perspektywy w badaniu pluralizmu, a mówiąc precyzyjniej: znaczenia dialogu między teorią a etnografią.
Sprawy Narodowościowe. Seria nowa, 43 – Abstracts
Piotr Eberhardt
Ethnic and linguistic changes of the Belarusian population at the turn
of the 21th Century
The first part of the article presents historical background of the origin of the
Belarusian nation, located in the area of a confrontation between Russia and Poland. This rivalry was won by Russia, and in effect Belarusian land was incorporated
into the Russian Empire, and later into the Soviet state. The next part presents the
20th century ethnic structure as the consequence of the Bolshevik Revolution and
World Wars I and II, resulting in some border changes, war loses and migration
movements. The main part of the article deals with the ethnic and language changes
which occurred in the last decade of the 20th and in the first decade of the 21st centuries. The statistical analysis and interpretation is based on data from three population censuses (1989, 1999, 2009). An ethnic structure and linguistic situation are presented with the emphasis placed on the status of the two languages commonly used
in Belarus, i.e. Russian and Belarusian, as seen in two categories: of mother language
and of the language used for communication at home. The conclusions prove the
expansion of popularity of the Russian language and gradual decrease of the use of
the Belarusian language, both in public and at home. The processes of Russification,
which had begun in the Soviet period, are intensifying despite the fact that Belarus
regained its political souverianity as a country. On the basis of quantitative data the
author defines specific intensity and territorial distribution of the influence of the
Russian language. The final part of the article shows political and geo-political consequences of these changes in Belarus.
Keywords: Belarus, Belarusians, Russians, Russification processes, ethnicity,
language
Sprawy Narodowościowe. Seria nowa, 43 – Abstracts
Zbigniew Szmyt
The tantric body of the Russian President – Chingisids’ enlightened
mind. Politics and nationalism in Buryat / Mongolian Buddhism
This paper is devoted to the role of Buddhism in the construction of ethnonational identity in Buryatia and Mongolia. On the case of the phenomenon of deification of Russian presidents by Buryat lamas I have analyzed: historically conditioned compounds of Buddhism and politics of the Mongolian groups, the role of
Buddhism in ethnic mobilization in Buryatia and Mongolia after the fall of Communism and features of ethnonational model of Buddhism in two neighboring regions.
In post-socialist period Buddhism was involved in ethnonational political projects.
As a result, an attempt was taken to restore the monastic model of Buddhism, which
had functioned in the pre-revolutionary period. Local peculiarities of Mongolian
Buddhism were reinforced in order to produce the difference between the (national)
Mongolian/Buryat and Tibetan Buddhism. In Buryatia, Buddhism became a distinctive element used for ethnic differentiation of Buryats – in opposition to the Orthodox Russians. In Mongolia, traditionalist position of Buddhism was opposed in
some way to Christianity, the various factions of which are distributed together with
“agendas of modernity” from Western countries.
In tantric union with the president Buryat lamas produce harmony between two
national identities: Russian – civic and Buryat – ethnonational. Deification of the
state power and giving it the attributes of loving femininity is a practice obliging the
authority to generosity, which is attributed to the White Tara. It is a strategy of the
weak, who agree to a game of domination, but they try to define its rules themselves.
Looking more broadly it can be said that the Buryats as a national community appeared just as a result of this fusion with the Russian power. because of this they were
separated from the pre-national family of Mongolian peoples. Mongols, for similar
purposes use Chingis Khan identified with the Buddhist form of Vajrapani. As a result, nationalist narrative is set to famous past, but uses the ‘eternal’ values, achieves
harmony of all its elements.
Keywords: Buddhism, Buryatia, Mongolia, nationalism, tradition, identity
Sprawy Narodowościowe. Seria nowa, 43 – Abstracts
Nicole Dołowy-Rybińska
Kashubian national discourse – an anthropological viewpoint
An animated discussion concerning the status of the Kashubs is at present ongoing in Kashubia. In 2005, the Act on National and Ethnic Minorities and the Regional Language was passed in Poland and Kashubian gained the status of a regional
language within Poland but Kashubs were not recognized as a distinct group. Following the 2011 Census, the Association of People of Kashubian Nationality, Kaszëbskô Jednota, was created. The Association considers Kashubs to be a nation and is
striving to change the Kashub status to that of an ethnic minority. The Kashubian–
Pomeranian Association which until now was the only institutional representative
of Kashubs does not recognize the Kaszëbskô Jednota aspirations and they consider
that Kashubs have a double Polish and Kashubian identity. Both organizations are
trying to convince as many people as possible to support their arguments. Meanwhile in Kashubia there are numerous cultural and political movements which influence the Kashubian identity. This article is an analysis of the Kashubian national
discourse based on socio-scientific texts and Kaszëbskô Jednota information documents, media sources and interviews with young Kashubs engaged in the movement.
This analysis confirms that the Kashubian identity is changing and the discussions
underline different perceptions of the role which Kashubs should have in Poland.
Keywords: Kashubian, national discourse, anthropological viewpoint
Sprawy Narodowościowe. Seria nowa, 43 – Abstracts
Miłosz J. Zieliński
Kaliningrad into Кёнигсберг – a social need or a dream of a few?
Societal initiative for a change of the city’s name
Kaliningrad Oblast of the Russian Federation has been subject to manifold social processes due to is specific history, geographic conditions and other factors.
Some of the former resulted in rejecting numerous elements of the Soviet past by
a part of the local population. This included the very name of Kaliningrad, as a tribute paid to Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin who has been considered one of the state and
party officials responsible for mass purges in the 1930s and 1940s.
The purpose of the article is to analyse the initiative put forward by a group of
social activists to change the name ‘Kaliningrad’ into ‘Кёнигсберг’ (Königsberg), that is
to return to the pre-war name of the city. As authors of the petition refer to previous
attempts of changing the name and use them as an important part of their reasoning, the history of the notion has also been outlined with emphasis on the December
1988 discussion noted by Alexander Nikolaevich Yakovlev, then a Communist Party
official.
In the article, a brief introduction of the petition is followed by main arguments
used by its supporters and the discussion which the document triggered among the
local administration and in the media, in particular the Internet. The discussion
concentrated on two aspects of the petition. First, controversies around procedural
handling of the petition by Kaliningrad Duma. Secondly, fierce debates about phrases used in the document and their political significance in the context of the contemporary identity of Kaliningrad Oblast.
Results of the debate and the impact the petition had on broader public opinion,
both in Kaliningrad Oblast and the whole of Russia, turned out to be meagre. Only 400
signatures were collected across the country to support the idea. No decisive measures
were taken on the administrative level such as moving the initiative toward a referendum. No agreement was reached between those who wish to turn the whole notion
down and those who would like to postpone the final decision to a more distant future.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that despite the obvious failure of the petition the
discussion showed considerable social activity in Kaliningrad Oblast, especially on the
part of the younger generation. This was reflected by a number of threads and posts in
electronic media, many of which served as a basis for a constructive debate with relatively few irrelevant (insulting, aggressive and vulgar) arguments. On the other hand,
the article shows that there is still considerable nostalgia for the Soviet Union and its
artifacts in Kaliningrad Oblast.
Keywords: Kaliningrad, Königsberg, Russian Federation, identity, regionalism,
Kalinin
Sprawy Narodowościowe. Seria nowa, 43 – Abstracts
Wojciech Stankiewicz
Sources of international terrorism vs. the world of islam in europe
The article argues that general views regarding the matters of cultural globalization do not apply as far as Muslim countries are concerned. The dichotomy between
the two worlds does not allow for an inter-cultural dialogue. This blockage could
be stopped by specific modernization of history by Muslim societies and the way of
thinking of the Islamic communities.
The essence of the defensive nature of both the European and Muslim cultural
identities can be applied to war against terrorism. Both cultures are currently undergoing a search phase. The positive attitude of the intercultural community towards
other cultures and the changes brought about by the process of globalization are
extremely important in this process which can lead to the cooperation and development of the comprehensive culture. Due to a deeply rooted unwillingness to collaborate, a multicultural community is impossible to originate.
Terrorism does not result from fanatics’ misinterpretations of the role of religion and in fact is stimulated by global processes. The attempt to build truly civil societies in countries that readily accept immigrants along with all the freedoms that
go along with them, as well as ensuring complete involvement in social and political
life should be regarded as a specific point of reference in the prevention of the formation of Muslim fundamentalist organizations.
ywords: Muslim fundamentalism, terrorism, cultural globalization, Europe