The work of migrants and transborder commuters in rural and peripheralized localities is often considered invisible or, in fact, actively ignored. This multimodal essay reflects on transborder lifeworlds in the Polish–German border region, drawing onContinue reading
‘I can’t say these are bad people.’ How Polish commuting workers feel about the encounters with Germans, Ukrainians and others
In the VISION Project, we are interested in whether people who share the physical space create convivial relationships. In other words, we want to know if those whose lives intersect, interact and care for eachContinue reading
Spółdzielnia/Cooperative: An experiment in longitudinal visual ethnography of migrant activism
Spółdzielnia/Cooperative is an ethnographic documentary portraying the everyday work of a socially engaged cooperative in Manchester, UK, which is run mainly by Polish migrants. This short essay locates the film in a broader context andContinue reading
Language as a diasporic stance
Drawing on longitudinal ethnographic observations, and on an evaluation of statistics on language provisions and self-declared language practice, we examine the role of the Polish language in shaping single transactions and durable social bonds andContinue reading
Everyday Activism
Activism is typically associated with work within charities/NGOs or participation in social movements. This essay highlights activism different from these forms in that it happens without funding or mass mobilisation. Instead, it is powered byContinue reading
Visualising Invisible (Migrant) Activism
Migrant activism is usually assumed to happen within migrant organisations. This récit tells the story of how I came to rethink this concept in the course of producing an ethnographic documentary about someone who cannotContinue reading
Young Poles in Times of Dramatic Change: Refugees, Identity and Social Engagement
Young people have experienced profound changes in the way Polish national identity is expressed in public since the conservative Law and Justice Party (PiS) gained far-reaching control of Polish politics in 2015. This report examinesContinue reading
War in Ukraine: What Do Young Poles Think?
As Ukraine’s large neighbour, Poland has so far taken in the most Ukrainian refugees. A new ZOiS survey shows that many young Poles are in favour of protecting them. An overwhelming majority is, however, againstContinue reading
Three keywords to better understand the Polish abortion protests
When Poland’s new Constitutional Tribunal banned nearly all abortions on 22 October 2020, the move immediately sparked demonstrations and strikes across the country. The words Wypierdalać, apostasy, and Berlin help provide an understanding of theContinue reading
Poland’s creative civil society in times of Covid-19
It has often been argued that Poland, like other Central and East European countries, lacks civil society and civic commitment. A closer look shows that while Polish activism can be hard to quantify, it takesContinue reading