Postmigration and the Symbolic Status of the Local Community. Residents’ Attitudes Towards the Broken Historical and Cultural Continuity of the Place—the Case of the Główczyce Commune Cover Image

Postmigracyjność a status symboliczny społeczności lokalnej. Mieszkańcy wobec przerwania ciągłości historyczno-kulturowej miejsca — przypadek gminy Główczyce
Postmigration and the Symbolic Status of the Local Community. Residents’ Attitudes Towards the Broken Historical and Cultural Continuity of the Place—the Case of the Główczyce Commune

Author(s): Karolina Ciechorska-Kulesza
Subject(s): Regional Geography, Sociology of Culture, Migration Studies, Politics and Identity
Published by: Instytut Studiów Politycznych PAN
Keywords: Western and Northern Territories of Poland; postmigration; postmigration communities; identity; symbolic status;

Summary/Abstract: Contemporary approaches to Poland’s Western and Northern Territories revolve around the concept of “postmigration communities”, or more broadly—“postmigration”, understood as a significant feature (or set of features) of community and social phenomena. These terms are present not only in academic discourse, but also in discussions on local identity. They are also an essential element of their symbolic status. Based on field research in the Głowczyce commune in Pomerania, the author tackles the issue of inhabitants’ attitudes towards breaking the historical and cultural continuity and the formation of the community from scratch, as well as the role of postmigration in shaping the symbolic status of the place. The article shows the capacity of the term “postmigration”. In residents’ statements, postmigration appears unnamed, as a problem, a challenge, and an asset. Attitudes towards postmigration reveal diverse attempts to cope with the break in historical and cultural continuity, which turns out to still be a significant element of identity processes taking place in the community in question.

  • Issue Year: 65/2021
  • Issue No: 4
  • Page Range: 31-51
  • Page Count: 21
  • Language: Polish