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The Everyday Politics of Migration Crisis in Poland pp 55–75Cite as

Understanding Polishness

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Abstract

This chapter analyses the significance interviewees attached to national identification, i.e., how they understood the Polish nation and its boundaries. It demonstrates the central importance of national identity, which was perceived as natural and obvious. The chapter shows that the interviewees defined the Polish nation primarily in historical and cultural terms. The Polish state was understood as an emanation of a culturally defined nation. The chapter argues that this type of understanding of Poland’s belonging criteria makes the Polish nation rather closed to newcomers. It claims that the dominant vernacular concept of Polishness has substantial exclusionary potential and can be easily mobilised against migrants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland

    Krzysztof Jaskułowski

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  1. Krzysztof Jaskułowski
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Correspondence to Krzysztof Jaskułowski .

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Jaskułowski, K. (2019). Understanding Polishness. In: The Everyday Politics of Migration Crisis in Poland. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-10457-3_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-10457-3_4

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Pivot, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-10456-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-10457-3

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