Rethinking history, reframing identity : memory, generations, and the dynamics of national identity in Poland

Acknowledgements . . 7

1. Introduction: National Identity in Eastern Europe after Communism . . 15
1.1 National Minorities in Eastern Europe: A Growing Field of Study . . 15
1.2 Selecting the Case: Polish Citizens with Ukrainian Descent . . 17
1.3 Fragmented Identities? Identity Process as a Research Focus . . 19
1.4 A Comparative Approach: Conceptualizing Three Generations . . 21
1.5 Research Questions . . 24
1.6 The Structure of the Dissertation . . 26

Part I: Dynamics of National Identity: Conceptual, Theoretical, and Methodological Approaches

2. National Identity as a Process . . 33
2.1 Introduction . . 33
2.2 Pillars of Identity Theory . . 34
2.3 The Salience of National Identity: Everyday Understandings and Social Context . . 39
2.4 Everyday Discourses: Dvnamics and Redefinitions . . 42
2.5 Ethnicity and Nationalism - Eastern Europe as a Special Case . . 45
2.6 Distinguishing Nation, State, and Ethnicity . . 46
2.7 Conclusion . . 51

3. The Life Course and Social Change . . 53
3.1 Introduction . . 53
3.2 Social Change, Dynamics and Collective Identity . . 54
3.3 Structural Conditions: The Terminology of Generations and Cohorts . . 56
3.4 Historical Generations and Familial Transmission . . 60
3.5 The Power of History: Myths, Memory, and Generational Consciousness . . 62
3.6 Conclusion . . 66

4. Methodology . . 69
4.1 Selection of the Case Study . . 69
4.2 The Case of the Ukrainian Minority . . 70
4.3 Data Collection . . 73
4.4 Description of Data . . 76
4.5 Exploratory Data Analysis . . 79
4.6 Analytical Tools . . 84
4.7 Analyzing the Data . . 89
4.8 Conclusion . . 94

Part II: Empirical Research: Historical Experience and Intergenerational Differences

5. The Ukrainians in Poland: Social Structure and History . . 97
5.1 Introduction . . 97
5.2 Social Structure . . 97
5.3 Organizational Structure of the Ukrainians in Poland . . 107
5.4 Poland and Ukraine: From the Commonwealth to the Second Rzeczpospolita . . 110
5.5 Interwar Poland and World War II . . 112
5.6 The Communist Period . . 115
5.7 The Transition Process after 1989 . . 116
5.8 The Insistent Presence of the Past . . 119
5.9 Conclusion . . 120

6. Homeland and Belonging as Factors of National Identity . . 121
6.1 Introduction . . 121
6.2 Action Vistula and the Disruption of Home . . 122
6.3 Cohort One: Memories of Operation Vistula . . 125
6.4 Cohort Two: Between Narration and Place of Birth . . 136
6.5 Cohort Three: Between Corporal and Mental Home . . 149
6.6 Conclusion . . 159

7. Overcoming the Past: Experience, Memory and the Present . . 161
7.1 Introduction . . 161
7.2 The Tragedy of Volhynia and Personal History Perception . . 162
7.3 Cohort One: Past, Memory and Justification . . 165
7.4 Cohort Two: Making Sense of the Narrations . . 174
7.5 Cohort Three: Leaving Historical Accusations Aside . . 185
7.6 Conclusion . . 195

8. Talking about Identity and Prejudices: Interweaving Sameness and Otherness . . 197
8.1 Introduction . . 197
8.2 Cohort One: The Experience of Being Strangers . . 198
8.3 Cohort Two: Tradition and Integration . . 210
8.4 Cohort Three: Self-confidence and Open Discourse . . 224
8.5 Conclusion . . 241

9. Religion, Language and Traditions in Everyday Life . . 243
9.1 Introduction . . 243
9.2 The Greek Catholic Tradition . . 244
9.3 Cohort One: Inscribed Religiosity and Resistance to Assimilation . . 250
9.4 Cohort Two: Similarity and Difference to Polish Traditions . . 267
9.5 Cohort Three: The Julian Calendar and Differentiation in Everyday life . . 278
9.6 Conclusion . . 298

10.Conclusions: Explaining Heterogeneity in National Identity by Means of Generational Change . . 301
10.1 Introduction . . 301
10.2. Summary of the Findings . . 302
10.3 Towards Theorizing National Identity and Generational Consciousness . . 312
10.4 Strengths and Limits of the Qualitative Generational Approach . . 317
10.5 Some Remarks on National Identity in the European Context: The Youth . . 319
10.6 Implications of the Study . . 321

References . . 325
Appendix . . 343