Migracja i tożsamość europejska. Polscy migranci niepełni wobec procesu integracji europejskiej

• Authors: Dariusz Niedźwiedzki

Title variants

EN

MIGRATION AND EUROPEAN IDENTITY. POLISH PENDULUM MIGRANTS IN THE PROCESS OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

The process of European integration contributes to the intensification of migration movement of Polish society. The article discusses different forms and levels of pendulum migrants’ identities and confronts them with variable models of European integration. Generally speaking, Polish migrants support participation in European structures. How should, then, common Europe look like according to our respondents? How should the process of European integration proceed? Should this be “Europe of homelands”, European federation or deliberative democracy model which assumes universal public sphere to arise on a scale broader than just Europe? Emigrant experiences influenced our respondents’ identity in such a way that we are able to clearly define local, national, European and universal levels of identification. Cultural complexity of pendulum migration entails reinforcement of various levels of identification in different situations. Local – in effect of longing for homeliness of everyday life lost after moving to a foreign social space in emigration. The level of national identification is reinforced by facing other ethnic cultures and other languages. It can be observed that the European identity of migrants is developed as an effect of adopting cultural elements from other national groups and by the emergence of a sense of belonging to one big cultural entirety. Last but not least, universal (common to all mankind) identity, especially in the case of those whose experiences result from staying in different countries and communities, can be seen arising from migrants’ contact with cultural diversity. It emerges as a simple reflection that indeed people are different.

Keywords

EN

MIGRATION; EUROPEAN INTEGRATION; FREE MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE; EUROPEAN IDENTITY; POLISH SOCIETY; POLISH IMIGRANTS

• Publisher: Centre for Europe, University of Warsaw
• Journal: Studia Europejskie-Studies in European Affairs
• Year: 2010
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 90-116

Contributors

author

Dariusz Niedźwiedzki

• Instytut Europeistyki, Uniwersytet Jagielloński, ul. Jodłowa 13, 30-252 Kraków, Poland