Selected concepts of the region in Polish sociologyThe aim of this article is to present the most important concepts of region in Polish sociology. It is also description of inspirations derived from XIX centuries ethnography and as well as sociology which focused its attention on regions before World War II. Early concepts developed by historiography and ethnology, that underlined such differentiators of region as social awareness and distinct folk culture, were used in sociology which developed in the interwar period in Poland. After World War II the most of sociological studies of regions based on definitions of a phenomenon which described it as a private homeland of regional community that is integrated by regional identity. Such community lives at a territory which is a type of physical container for identity and culture. A region is physical space in which a regional community meets its needs, it is a concept of region used by an inclusive and Marxist version of modernization theory. The first concepts mentioned above emphasized regional awareness superstructured on regional patterns of satisfying needs, while the latter objectively existing structure of a regional economy and society. Recently an institutional perspective has been developed. Such theoretical perspective makes us see a region in terms of relational qualities of regional space, institutions, society and created in public discourse symbols and myths. Wybrane koncepcje regionu w socjologii polskiej Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie najważniejszych koncepcji regionu w polskiej socjologii. To również opis inspiracji pochodzących z XIX-wiecznej etnografii oraz socjologii, zainteresowała się regionem jeszcze przed II wojną światową. Wczesne koncepcje rozwinięte przez historię i etnologię, podkreślające takie wyróżniki regionu jak społeczna świadomość oraz specyficzna ludowa kultura, używane były przez rozwijającą się w okresie międzywojennym socjologię. Po drugiej wojnie światowej większość socjologicznych studiów nad regionem wykorzystywała koncepcję regionu, w której definiowano go jako prywatną ojczyznę regionalnej społeczności, która integrowana jest przez regionalną tożsamość. Taka zbiorowość zamieszkuje terytorium traktowane jako fizyczny pojemnik tożsamości i kultury. Region to przestrzeń fizyczna, na której regionalna zbiorowość zaspokaja swoje potrzeby, to koncepcja regionu wykorzystywana przez integralną i marksistowską wersję teorii modernizacji. Pierwsze ze wspomnianych ujęć podkreślało ważność regionalnej świadomości nadbudowanej nad regionalnymi wzorami zaspokajania potrzeb, drugie obiektywnie istniejące struktury regionalnej gospodarki i zbiorowości. Ostatnio rozwija się perspektywa instytucjonalna, która każe widzieć region w kategoriach relacyjnych związków przestrzeni, instytucji, zbiorowości regionalnej oraz wytwarzanych w publicznym dyskursie symboli i mitów.
Primordialism as object of critique and source of inspiration for sociological studies of nationThe article presents the main assumptions of primordialist paradigm in sociological studies of nation. It has been assumed that most of surveys conducted in the primordial perspective refers to texts written by Edward Shils and Clifford Geertz. Consequently, the theories of these two scholars are presented. Then the critique of primordialist paradigm is reported. Because of inadequacy of some critical assertions, the heuristic values of some primordialist theses will be characterized, namely a phenomenon defined as a primordial consciousness of nation. Prymordializm jako przedmiot krytyki i źródło inspiracji socjologicznych studiów nad narodemW artykule zaprezentowane zostały główne założenia prymordializmu w socjologicznych studiach nad narodem. Przyjęto, iż znaczna część studiów nad narodem realizowana w perspektywie prymordialistycznej odwołuje się do tez i twierdzeń wyłożonych przez Edwarda Shilsa i Clifforda Geertza. W związku z tym przedstawiono teorię narodów ich autorstwa. Następnie zrelacjonowana została krytyka dotycząca prymordializmu.Z uwagi na to, iż część krytyki w opinii autora artykułu jest nieuzasadniona, przedstawiona została odpowiedź na nią przez ukazanie wartościowych heurystycznie tez prymordializmu, nazwanych w tekście świadomościową prymordializacją narodu.
The aim of this article is to critically analyze the binary concept of civic nations represented by the civic communities of Western Europe and ethnic groups living in Central and Eastern Europe. The works of Ernest Gellner and John Breuilly were selected for research because they have used the indicated concept in their texts, and have become an inspiration for many researchers of national issues. The former represents a deterministic trend of sociological inquiries, the latter – social constructivism. Due to the above, they are representative examples of academic reflection on national issues widespread in Western European thought. The research proposes to reject the binary model in which civil nations were characterized as rational and striving for consensus communities and ethnic groups as irrational communities striving for conflict. The analytical model characterizing nations as political and ethnic communities was proposed instead of it.
“The Last of the Mohicans” of the Native Culture in “De-Masurized” MasuriaThe Masurians as an ethno-regional group have almost disappeared from the ethnic map of the world: their descendants 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 save 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 Germanization policies and, later, Polonization policies in Masuria, which were introduced by force when necessary. Many attempts at establishing the institutional means to rescue the native Masurian 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.
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