Hostname: page-component-669899f699-rg895 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-05-05T06:44:27.320Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Constructive emotions? Patriotism as a predictor of civic activity in Poland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2019

Radosław Marzęcki Open the ORCID record for Radosław Marzęcki [Opens in a new window]
Radosław Marzęcki*
Affiliation:
Pedagogical University of Cracow, Institute of Political Science, Cracow, Poland
*
Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

In many post-communist countries, the concept of patriotism is used instrumentally in populist discourses. It is rarely the subject of a substantive public debate, in which symbolic elites would be able to openly discuss and negotiate the scope of its meaning in front of an interested audience. A long-term plan to shape constructive civil attitudes gives way to the pressure of being effective in current politics. The author proposes to look at the category of patriotism in a socially useful way and to treat it as an important factor in the process of building a civil society. The young generation can play a significant role in this process. Poland seems to be an interesting case for the analysis of this research problem. This paper has two objectives. The descriptive objective is to present the author's research data on a sense and understanding of patriotism among Polish students. Its aim is to describe the prevailing pattern of patriotic attitudes and ideas about patriotism as shared by students. The explanatory objective of this paper is to answer the question about the constructive potential of patriotism: whether and to what extent it is an important determinant of civic activity. The results obtained should lead to practical conclusions that may be useful for various social institutions which are interested in releasing the positive energy of citizens and orienting them to functional goals, that is, the education system, as well as for political institutions that design and implement elements of the so-called youth policy.

Keywords

Civic activitycivil societynationalismpatriotismPolandyouth
Type
Research Article
Information
Italian Political Science Review / Rivista Italiana di Scienza Politica , Volume 50 , Issue 1 , March 2020 , pp. 33 - 51
Copyright
Copyright © Società Italiana di Scienza Politica 2019

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Abbott, P (2007) The Many Faces of Patriotism. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.Google Scholar
Ariely, G (2018) Evaluations of patriotism across countries, groups, and policy domains. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 44, 462–481.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Banaji, S (2008) The trouble with civic: a snapshot of young people's civic and political engagements in twenty-first-century democracies. Journal of Youth Studies 11, 543–560.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bar-Tal, D (1993) Patriotism as fundamental beliefs of group members. Politics and the Individual 3, 45–62.Google Scholar
Bar-Tal, D (2000) Shared Beliefs in A Society: Social Psychological Analysis. Thousand Oaks: Sage.Google Scholar
Bar-Tal, D and Staub, E (1997) Introduction: patriotism: its scope and meaning. In Bar-Tal, D and Staub, E (eds), Patriotism in the Lives of Individuals and Nations. Chicago: Nelson-Hall Publishers, pp. 1–21.Google Scholar
Ben-Porath, S (2006) Citizenship Under Fire: Democratic Education in Times of Conflict. Princeton: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Brzozowska, M (2014) Kłopotliwa Miłość: Patriotyzm W Polskich Dyskursach Publicystycznych [Troublesome Love: Patriotism in Polish Journalistic Discourses]. Lublin: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej.Google Scholar
Carnegie Corporation of New York & CIRCLE (2018) The Civic Mission of Schools, http://civicyouth.org/PopUps/CivicMissionofSchools.pdf (accessed 1 June 2018).Google Scholar
Čolović, I (2002) The Politics of Symbol in Serbia: Essays in Political Anthropology. London: C. Hurst & Co. Publishers.Google Scholar
Conover, PJ and Feldman, S (1987) Memo to NES Board of Overseers Regarding ‘Measuring Patriotism and Nationalism’. Ann Arbor: Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research.Google Scholar
Dermody, J and Hanmer-Lloyd, S (2008) 21st century British youth: politically alienated or an engaged critical citizenry?’. In Kane, LT and Poweller, MR (eds), Citizenship in the 21st Century. New York: Nova Publishers, pp. 155–183.Google Scholar
Druckman, D (1994) Nationalism, patriotism, and group loyalty: a social psychological perspective. Mershon International Studies Review 38, 43–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
EVS (2018) European Values Study 2017: Integrated Dataset (EVS 2017). GESIS Data Archive, Cologne. ZA7500 Data file Version 1.0.0, doi: 10.4232/1.13090.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Federico, CM, Golec, A and Dial, JL (2005) The relationship between the need for closure and support for military action against Iraq: moderating effects of national attachment. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 31, 621–632.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Federowicz, M (2000) Anticipated institutions: ‘The power Of path-finding expectations’. In Dobry, M (ed.), Democratic and Capitalist Transitions in Eastern Europe. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp. 91–106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finell, E and Zogmaister, C (2015) Blind and constructive patriotism, national symbols and outgroup attitudes. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 56, 189–197.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Forbrig, J (2005) Introduction: Democratic politics, legitimacy and youth participation. In Forbrig, J (ed.), Revisiting Youth Political Participation: Challenges for Research and Democratic Practice in Europe. Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing, pp. 7–18.Google Scholar
Furlong, A and Cartmel, F (2007) Young People and Social Change. New Perspectives. Maidenhead: McGraw Hill/Open University Press.Google Scholar
Gangl, K, Torgler, B and Kirchler, E (2016) Patriotism's impact on cooperation with the state: an experimental study on Tax compliance. Political Psychology 37, 867–881.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Geijsel, F, Ledoux, G, Reumerman, R and ten Dam, G (2012) Citizenship in young people's daily lives: differences in citizenship competences of adolescents in the Netherlands. Journal of Youth Studies 15, 711–729.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hand, M (2011) Should we promote patriotism in schools? Political Studies 59, 328–347.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heaven, PCL, Rajab, D and Ray, JJ (1985) Patriotism, racism, and the disutility of the ethnocentrism concept. Journal of Social Psychology 125, 181–185.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hitchens, C (2001) Letters to A Young Contrarian. New York: Basic Books.Google Scholar
Huddy, L and Khatib, N (2007) American patriotism, national identity. American Journal of Political Science 51, 63–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Inglehart, R (1977) The Silent Revolution: Changing Values and Political Styles among Western Publics. Princeton: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Inglehart, R (1999) Postmodernization erodes respect for authority, but increases support for democracy. In Norris, P (ed.), Critical Citizens, Global Support for Democratic Governance. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 236–256.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jaskułowski, K (2010) Western (civic) versus eastern (ethnic) nationalism. The origins and critique of the dichotomy. Polish Sociological Review 171, 289–303.Google Scholar
Jaskułowski, K, Majewski, P and Surmiak, A (2018) Teaching the nation: history and nationalism in polish school history education. British Journal of Sociology of Education 39, 77–91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kahne, J and Middaugh, E (2006) Is patriotism good for democracy? A study of high school seniors’ patriotic commitments. Phi Delta Kappan 87, 600–607.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karasawa, M (2002) Patriotism, nationalism, and internationalism among Japanese citizens: an etic-emic approach. Political Psychology 23, 645–666.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karvonen, S, Young, R, West, P and Rahkonen, O (2012) Value orientations among late modern youth – a cross-cultural study. Journal of Youth Studies 15, 33–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kateb, G (2006) Patriotism and Other Mistakes. New Haven: Yale University Press.Google Scholar
Keating, A (2015) Are cosmopolitan dispositions learned at home, at school, or through contact with others? Evidence from young people in Europe. Journal of Youth Studies 19, 338–357.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kelman, HC and Hamilton, VL (1989) Crimes of Obedience: Toward A Social Psychology of Authority and Responsibility. New Haven: Yale University Press.Google Scholar
Kosterman, R and Feshbach, S (1989) Toward a measure of patriotic and nationalistic attitudes. Political Psychology 10, 257–274.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Levinson, M (2010) The civic empowerment Gap: Defining the problem and locating solutions. In Sherrod, L, Torney-Purta, J and Flanagan, C (eds), Handbook of Research on Civic Engagement. New York: John Wiley & Sons, pp. 331–361.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lopes, J, Benton, T and Cleaver, E (2009) Young people's intended civic and political participation: does education matter? Journal of Youth Studies 12, 1–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marzęcki, R (2013) Młody Obywatel we Współczesnej Demokracji Europejskiej [Young Citizen in Contemporary Democracy in Europe]. Warszawa: Elipsa.Google Scholar
Marzęcki, R (2017) How to engage “democratic natives”? Political sophistication as important determinant of civic activity of young citizens in new democracies (the case of Poland). Romanian Journal of Political Science 17, 135–169.Google Scholar
Marzęcki, R and Stach, Ł (2016) Youth of today and the democracy of tomorrow: polish students’ attitudes toward democracy. Education and Society 34, 39–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McFarland, DA and Thomas, RJ (2006) Bowling young: how youth voluntary associations influence adult political participation. American Sociological Review 71, 401–425.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Merry, M (2009) Patriotism, history and the legitimate aims of American education. Educational Philosophy and Theory 41, 378–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miller, R (2007) Unlearning American patriotism. Theory and Research in Education 5, 7–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mitev, P-E and Kovacheva, S (2014) Young People in European Bulgaria. A Sociological Portrait 2014. Sofia: Friedrich Ebert Foundation.Google Scholar
Monticelli, L and Bassoli, M (2018) Precariousness, youth and political participation: the emergence of a new political cleavage. Italian Political Science Review/Rivista Italiana Di Scienza Politica 49, 99–113. doi: 10.1017/ipo.2018.11CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mouffe, C (2013) Agonistics: Thinking the World Politically. London: Verso Books.Google Scholar
Müller, J-W (2007) Constitutional Patriotism. Princeton: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Müller, J-W (2016) What Is Populism? Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nowak, S (1979) System wartości społeczeństwa polskiego [The system of values of polish society]. Studia Socjologiczne 75, 155–173.Google Scholar
Nowicka-Franczak, M (2018) Committee for the Defense of Democracy in Poland: Rebellion of the “Beneficiaries of the Transformation”?, http://www.iwm.at/transit/transit-online/committee-for-the-defense-of-democracy-in-poland-rebellion-of-the-beneficiaries-of-the-transformation/ (accessed 1 June 2018).Google Scholar
Nussbaum, M (1996) Patriotism and cosmopolitanism. In Cohen, J (ed.), For Love of Country. Boston: Beacon Press, pp. 2–17.Google Scholar
O'Donoghue, JL, Kirshner, B and McLaughlin, M (2002) Introduction: moving youth participation forward. New Directions for Youth Development 96, 15–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ost, D (2006) The Defeat of Solidarity: Anger and Politics in Postcommunist Europe. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press.Google Scholar
Pawlak, M (2015) From sociological vacuum to horror Vacui: how Stefan Nowak's thesis is used in analyses of Polish society. Polish Sociological Review 189, 5–27.Google Scholar
Plamenatz, J (1976) Two types of nationalism. In Kamenka, E (ed.), Nationalism: The Nature and Evolution of an Idea. London: Edward Arnold, pp. 22–37.Google Scholar
Plutzer, E (2002) Becoming a habitual voter: inertia, resources, and growth in young adulthood. American Political Science Review 96, 41–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Quintelier, E (2008) Who Is politically active: the athlete, the Scout member or the environmental activist? Young people, voluntary engagement and political participation. Acta Sociologica 51, 355–370.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ray, JJ and Lovejoy, FH (1986) The generality of racial prejudice. Journal of Social Psychology 126, 563–564.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rothstein, B (2003) Social capital, economic growth and quality of government: the causal mechanism. New Political Economy 8, 49–71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schatz, R and Lavine, H (2007) Waving the flag: national symbolism, social identity, and political engagement. Political Psychology 28, 329–355.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schatz, RT, Staub, E and Lavine, H (1999) On the varieties of national attachment: blind versus constructive patriotism. Political Psychology 20, 151–174.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sekerdej, M and Roccas, S (2016) Love versus loving criticism: disentangling conventional and constructive patriotism. British Journal of Social Psychology 55, 499–521.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, N, Lister, R, Middleton, S and Cox, L (2005) Young people as real citizens: towards an inclusionary understanding of citizenship. Journal of Youth Studies 8, 425–443.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Soutphommasane, T (2012) The Virtuous Citizen: Patriotism in A Multicultural Society. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Staub, E (1997) Blind versus constructive patriotism: moving from embeddedness in the group to critical loyalty and action. In Bar-Tal, D and Staub, E (eds), Patriotism in the Lives of Individuals and Nations. Chicago: Nelson-Hall, pp. 213–228.Google Scholar
Straughn, JB and Andriot, AL (2011) Education, civic patriotism, and democratic citizenship: unpacking the education effect on political involvement. Sociological Forum 26, 556–580.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Szeligowska, D (2016) Polish Patriotism After 1989: Concepts, Debates, Identities. Bern: Peter Lang Publishing.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Terrén, E (2002) Post-modern attitudes: a challenge to democratic education. European Journal of Education 37, 161–177.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Theiss-Morse, E (2009) Who Counts as an America? The Boundaries of National Identity. New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tismăneanu, V (1998) Fantasies of Salvation: Democracy, Nationalism, and Myth in Post-Communist Europe. Princeton: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Walicki, A (1991) Trzy patriotyzmy: trzy tradycje polskiego patriotyzmu i ich znaczenie współczesne [Three Patriotisms: Three Traditions of Polish Patriotism and Their Contemporary Meaning]. Warszawa: Res Publica.Google Scholar
Westheimer, J (2006) Politics and patriotism in education. Phi Delta Kappan 87, 608–620.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Westheimer, J (ed.) (2007) Pledging Allegiance: The Politics of Patriotism in American's Schools. New York: Teachers College Press.Google Scholar
Westheimer, J and Kahne, J (2004) What kind of citizen? The politics of educating for democracy. American Educational Research Journal 41, 237–269.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wolak, J and Dawkins, R (2017) The roots of patriotism across political contexts. Political Psychology 38, 391–408.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zembylas, M (2014) The teaching of patriotism and human rights: an uneasy entanglement and the contribution of critical pedagogy. Educational Philosophy and Theory 46, 1143–1159.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zukin, C, Keeter, S, Andolina, M, Jenkins, K and Delli Carpini, MX (2006) A New Engagement? Political Participation, Civic Life, and the Changing American Citizen. New York: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar