Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-16T19:24:03.612Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Nation, national remembrance, and education — Polish schools as factories of nationalism and prejudice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2019

Piotr Żuk
Piotr Żuk*
Affiliation:
University of Wroclaw, The Centre for Civil Rights and Democracy Research, Wroclaw, Poland
*
*Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This article describes and attempts to explain the reasons for the conservative and nationalist character of Polish schools. The author uses data from surveys, analyzes political programs, postulates concerning education put forward by conservatives, and quotes poems emphasizing national identity from textbooks used at schools to teach reading skills. According to the author, it can be observed that nationalists build an atmosphere of aversion to immigrants, which affects racism in the school hallways. The article also presents the phenomenon of so-called school chambers of national remembrance, which are part of patriotic rituals practiced by Polish society. The author emphasizes that nationalism is the basis for changes in history programs of study, which are part of the educational reform implemented by the Law and Justice (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość — PiS) government. The cultural soft power, which is used to make reality more “national,” complements the administrative and political hard power of the PiS party — both tools are used to create an authoritarian-nationalist vision of social order.

Keywords

right-wing educationnational remembrance in schoolsethnic prejudices“pedagogy of shame”nationalist legitimacynationalism
Type
Articles
Information
Nationalities Papers , Volume 46 , Issue 6: Special Section: The evolution of nationhood in 20th century Europe: Lessons from the Northern Adriatic borderlands , November 2018 , pp. 1046 - 1062
Copyright
Copyright © 2018 Association for the Study of Nationalities 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bauman, Zygmunt. 2013. Modernity and Ambivalence. New York: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Beck, Ulrich, and Grande, Edgar. 2014. Cosmopolitan Europe. Translated by Ciaran Cronin. New York: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Billig, Michael. 2004. Banal Nationalism. London: Sage.Google Scholar
CBOS (Public Opinion Research Centre). 2014. Polska szkoła AD 2014 [Polish School in 2014]. A report on the research conducted by the Public Opinion Research Centre (CBOS), June 2014. Warszawa: CBOS.Google Scholar
CBOS (Public Opinion Research Centre). 2015. Polacy o uchodźcach w Internecie i w “realu” [Poles About Refugees on the Internet and in the “Real World“]. A report on the research conducted by the Public Opinion Research Centre (CBOS), November 2015. Warszawa: CBOS.Google Scholar
Czarnecki, Norman. 2013. “O pedagogice wstydu.” [The Pedagogy of Shame.] Myśl24.pl, October 18. Accessed January 15, 2016. http://mysl24.pl/kultura/948-o-pedagogice-wstydu.html.Google Scholar
Dmowski, Roman. 1996. Myśli nowoczesnego Polaka [Thoughts of a Modern Pole]. Wroclaw: Nortom.Google Scholar
Dudek, Antoni. 2016. “Prawica da nam jeszcze popalić.” Antoni Dudek w rozmowie z Pawłem Wrońskim [Antoni Dudek in an interview with Pawel Wroński]. Gazeta Wyborcza, May 23. Accessed January 15, 2016. http://wyborcza.pl/1,75398,20119953,prawica-da-nam-jeszcze-popalic.html.Google Scholar
Eriksen, Thomas Hylland. 2010. Ethnicity and Nationalism. Anthropological Perspectives. London: Pluto Pres.Google Scholar
Flis, Daniel. 2015. “Minister Gowin: Reforma nauki i szkolnictwa wyższego zaboli środowisko i PiS.” [Minister Gowin: The Reform of Science and Higher Education will Hurt the Environment and PiS.] Gazeta Wyborcza, November 17. Accessed January 15, 2016. http://wyborcza.pl/1,75478,19198390,minister-gowin-reforma-nauki-i-szkolnictwa-wyzszego-zaboli.html.Google Scholar
Foucault, Michel. 2002. Archaeology of Knowledge. Translated by A. M. Sheridan Smith. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Graff, Agnieszka. 2014. “Report from the Gender Trenches: War Against ‘Genderism’ in Poland.” European Journal of Women's Studies 21 (4): 431–435.Google Scholar
GUS (Central Statistical Office). 2012. Report on the Results of the 2011 Population Census. Warszawa: GUS.Google Scholar
Hejwosz-Gromkowska, Daria. 2017. “Reforming the History Curriculum in Poland: The Good Change Strikes Back.” 4liberty.eu Review 6:70–85.Google Scholar
Hobsbawm, Eric. 2012. Nations and Nationalism Since 1780: Programme, Myth, Reality. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Hodun, Miłosz. 2017. “Education in Poland at the Service of the Ruling Party.” 4liberty.eu Review 6:52–68.Google Scholar
“Kaczyński: To zabieg postkolonialny.” [“Kaczynski: These are Postcolonial Methods.“]. 2012. Gość Niedzielny, March 29. Accessed January 15, 2016. http://gosc.pl/doc/1119144.Kaczynski-To-zabieg-postkolonialny.Google Scholar
kg//kdj. 2009. “‘Murzyn, on się nie mył wcale!’ O. Rydzyk wita misjonarza.” [The Negro, He's not Washed Himself at All!' Father Rydzyk Welcomes a Missionary.] tvn24, July 15. Accessed January 15, 2016. http://www.tvn24.pl/wiadomosci-z-kraju,3/murzyn-on-sie-nie-myl-wcale-o-rydzyk-wita-misjonarza,102371.html.Google Scholar
Kluba, Romuald, and Kramarz, Sławomir. 2016. “Izba Pamięci.' Szkoła Podstawowa nr 4 w Krotoszynie.” [‘The Chamber of Remembrance.’ Primary School No. 4 in Krotoszyn.] Accessed January 15, 2016. http://www.sp4.krotoszyn.pl/index.htm.Google Scholar
Lisicki, Paweł. 2014. ““Wstęp.” [Introduction.] In Gender. Kontrrewolucja [Gender. Counterrevolution], edited by Lisicki, Paweł, 5–8. Kraków: Wydawnictwo M.Google Scholar
McLaren, Peter. 2015. Life in Schools: An Introduction to Critical Pedagogy in the Foundations of Education. New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Melosik, Zbyszko. 2007. Teoria i praktyka edukacji wielokulturowej [The Theory and Practice of Multicultural Education]. Kraków: Impuls.Google Scholar
mg. 2015. “Gliński o kontrowersyjnym spektaklu w Teatrze Polskim: Za pieniądze publiczne pornografii w polskich teatrach nie będzie” [Gliński About a Controversial Performance at the Polish Theatre: Public Money will not be Spent on Pornography in Polish Theatres]. Republika, November 20. Accessed January 15, 2016. http://telewizjarepublika.pl/glinski-o-kontrowersyjnym-spektaklu-w-teatrze-polskim-za-pieniadze-publiczne-pornografii-w-polskich-teatrach-nie-bedzie,26382.html.Google Scholar
mw. 2015. “Zadanie o uchodźcach z Syrii. Ilu trzeba zepchnąć z tratwy, żeby dopłynąć do celu? To nie fejk.” [An Exercise on Syrian Refugees. How Many of them Would you Have to Push Off the Raft for them to be Able to Get to their Destination? It is not Fake.] Kurier Poranny. November 10. Accessed January 15, 2016. http://www.poranny.pl/wiadomosci/bialystok/art/9075475,zadanie-o-uchodzcach-z-syrii-ilu-trzeba-zepchnac-z-tratwy-zeby-doplynac-do-celu-to-nie-fejk,id,t.html.Google Scholar
Niedzielska, Katarzyna. 2016. “Akademia z okazji Święta Niepodległości.” Szkoła Podstawowa im. Jana Pawła II [The School Celebration of Independence Day. The Pope John Paul II Primary School]. Accessed January 15, 2016. http://www.spsiemowo.edu.pl/19-sample-data-articles/joomla/184-akademia-z-okazji-swieta-niepodleglosci.Google Scholar
Oko, Dariusz. 2013. “To jest walka o duszę narodu.” [This is a Fight for the Soul of the Nation.] In Dyktatura gender [The Dictatorship of Gender], 79–114. Krakow: Wydawnictwo Biały Kruk.Google Scholar
PiS (Law and Justice). 2014. Program Prawa i Sprawiedliwości 2014 [The Law and Justice Program, 2014]. Warszawa: PiS.Google Scholar
“Prof. Jan Żaryn odwiedził Muzeum II Wojny Światowej. Co zobaczył? Czy placówka wymaga zmian?” [Professor Jan Żaryn Visited the Museum of the Second World War. What did he See? Does the Museum Require Changes?]. 2017. W Sieci, April 5. Accessed January 15, 2016. http://wpolityce.pl/historia/334526-tylko-u-nas-prof-jan-zaryn-odwiedzil-muzeum-ii-wojny-swiatowej-co-zobaczyl-czy-placowka-wymaga-zmian.Google Scholar
Sejm, R. P. 2016. Accessed January 15, 2016. http://www.sejm.gov.pl/Sejm7.nsf/agent.xsp?symbol=ZESPOL&Zesp=270.Google Scholar
Selerowicz, Andrzej. 2015. Kryptonim Hiacynt [Codename Hiacynt]. Kraków: Queermedia.pl.Google Scholar
Selin, Jarosław. 2015. “Systemowa polityka historyczna 2015–2019.” [The Historical Policy of the State 2015–2019.] In Myśląc Polska [Thinking Poland], Law and Justice Program Convention, July 3–5. Katowice: PiS.Google Scholar
Siedlanowski, Paweł. 2014. “Pedagogika wstydu.” [Pedagogy of Shame.] Echo Katolickie, November 26. Accessed January 15, 2016. http://echokatolickie.pl/index.php?str=100&id=8540.Google Scholar
Śleszyński, Wojciech. 2003. Obóz odosobnienia w Berezie Kartuskiej 1934–1939. Białystok: Instytut Historii Uniwersytetu w Białymstoku.Google Scholar
SOD. 2014. “Regulamin III Międzyszkolnego Konkursu ‘Szkolne Izby Pamięci i Tradycji Narodowej.’” [Rules of the III Interschool Competition ‘School Chambers of National Remembrance and Tradition.’] Częstochowa: Samorządowy Ośrodek Doskonalenia w Częstochowie (SOD). Accessed January 15, 2016. http://www.sod.ids.czest.pl/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/izby_pamieci_regulamin_2014.pdf.Google Scholar
Standing, Guy. 2011. The Precariati The New Dangerous Class. London: A&C Black.Google Scholar
Suchecka, Justyna. 2015. “Ty uchodźco' krzyczeli i pobili szóstoklasistę.” [‘You Refugee,’ they Shouted and Beat a Sixth Grader]. Gazeta Wyborcza, October 13. Accessed January 15, 2016. http://wyborcza.pl/1,75478,19013631,ty-uchodzco-krzyczeli-i-pobili-szostoklasiste.html.Google Scholar
Szacki, Jerzy. 2010. “Teoria narodu Znanieckiego — ponad pół wieku później.” [Znaniecki's Theory of the Nation More Than Half a Century Later.]” In Sociologia humanistyczna Floriana Znanieckiego [Florian Znaniecki's Humanistic Sociology], edited by Hałas, Elżbieta and Kojder, Andrzej, 33–58. Warszawa: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego.Google Scholar
Terlikowska, Małgorzata, and Terlikowski, Tomasz. 2014. “Stop homoszkole.” [Stop Homoschool.] In Gender. Kontrrewolucja [Gender. Counterrevolution], edited by Lisicki, Paweł, 75–81. Krakow: Wydawnictwo M.Google Scholar
Tilly, Charles. 1994. “States and Nationalism in Europe 1492–1992.” Theory and Society 23 (1): 131–146.Google Scholar
Walicki, Andrzej. 2011. “Zmagania z problemem narodu w Polsce.” [Struggling with the Problem of a Nation in Poland.] In Polska, Rosja, marksizm, 527–549. Kraków: Universitas.Google Scholar
Zaremba, Marcin. 2001. Komunizm, legitymizacja, nacjonalizm. Nacjonalistyczna legitymizacja władzy komunistycznej w Polsce [Communism, Legitimation and Nationalism. The Nationalistic Legitimization of the Communist Power in Poland]. Warszawa: Trio.Google Scholar
Znaniecki, Florian. 1990. Współczesne narody [Modern Nations]. Warszawa: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe.Google Scholar
Żuk, Piotr. 2017a. “Anti-Semitism in Poland, Yesterday and Today.” Race & Class 58 (3): 81–86.Google Scholar
Żuk, Piotr. 2017b. “Non-alternative Reality? On the Misery of the Left in Eastern Europe: the Case of Poland.” Journal of Contemporary Central and Eastern Europe 25 (1): 63–84.Google Scholar
Żuk, Piotr, and Żuk, Paweł. 2017. “Women's Health as an Ideological and Political Issue: Restricting the Right to Abortion, Access to In Vitro Fertilization Procedures and Prenatal Testing in Poland.” Health Care for Women International 38 (7): 689–704.Google Scholar