University Report: Migration, Language, and Identity of Polish People

This report analyzes the intricate relationship between migration, language, and identity, drawing upon a study of Polish people. The research explores how language proficiency influences self-identification, cultural values, and integration within a new society. The study examines how Polish migrants in the UK perceive their identity, the role of language in differentiating between 'us' and 'them,' and the impact of cultural hybridity on their sense of belonging. It delves into the importance of language in maintaining cultural ties, the influence of class and values, and the emotional connection to their native language. The research highlights the challenges faced by migrants in navigating new cultural landscapes and the complexities of maintaining a sense of self in a new environment. The report also considers the role of place attachment and memory in the context of migration, emphasizing how public spaces contribute to a sense of belonging.

Running head: MIGRATION AND ATTACHMENTS
Migration and attachments
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Summary of Article 1
Temple, B., 2010. Feeling special: Language in the lives of Polish people. The Sociological
Review, 58(2), pp.286-304.
Introduction
The article “Feeling Special: Language in the Lives of Polish People” deals with the idea
that how language helps in self-assertion and helps one to define their identity and individuality.
The author in this article has researched upon the Polish people, who find speaking Polish as one
of the most important criteria of defining their identity. According to the people of Poland, if
they change their language and speak in a different language other than Polish, the manner in
which they present themselves to the outside world would be a matter of concern. Change in
one’s language means change in the values and the ways in which they are perceived in the
public, and in the manner they relate to other people.
Literature Review
According to the author, every language has a cohesive power. For instance the English
language has the capability to keep the communities connected and the proficiency of the
language also helps in the integration. Learning the language of English can help one to
understand the way the British people lead their life. The examination of the expertise in English
language that the migrants have to appear for achieving the citizenship of the nation, in UK,
helps in the community cohesion as well as mingling well with the native s of the place. Britain
is indeed rich with community diversity and there are a large number of people, belonging to
different nations, live in the city. The English language here plays an important role in binding
these people by defining one single culture and by being a mirror that reflects the culture of the

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pre-existing social world. The policies of languages in the nations thus attend to the fact that the
language has a unique ability to define one’s national identity as well as it is embedded in the
contestation of the disproportionateness of the domination and power. In spite of the domination
of the first language, there are other factors such as the social and economic factors that
influence the learning of a second language. However this presence of the second language
reduces the strong hold of the homogeneity in a culturally diverse immigrant community.
To strengthen this fact, the author has incorporated his research on the Polish people as
an example. He argues taking the help of his research that there are other broader factors that
influence an individual to learn languages, such as the self-concerns as well as for identification.
The people of the Poland used to speak Polish and considered the language to be an important
part of their identity which is used to differentiate between them and the others. Through the
findings of the Polish people the author aims to widen the debate about how the English
language is influenced by the issues of self and other identification. With respect to this fact, the
author has described that there are instances where there are people who have born in the UK
and speak the English language fluently in spite of the fact that they belong to different
communities and not British. The change of the languages does not only involves the
transformation of the words but also involves a change in the original identity of the individual
which the author calls “translation of self”. Through their original language the people explain
their social, political as well as national identity.
In accordance to this, the author also gives a brief view of the different authors and
researchers, who say that the use of language of different persons is based on variety of factors
such as the linguistic competence, the age when the people have this language acquisition, along
with the context of it. One of the arguments that he brings in this case is that being able to

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translate oneself into different languages does not essentially link oneself to the changes in the
identity directly. Instead the changes in the cultural hybridity might raise potential issues
between one’s identity and one’s mode of communication that is the language that he speaks.
Methodology
The author has supported his facts with the findings of the people of Poland. According
to them learning a different language other than Polish meant that they want themselves to adapt
the culture of the different individuals that they desire to become. Thus it involves acceptance of
the change within themselves. With this, the author has made use of the theory of identity and
narrative by different authors. The discussion of identity goes beyond being just a simple process
to the possessive property of the individuals. The author has concentrated himself with the
research that he had done with 30 people who were Polish, living in the Northwest of England
and used to speak Polish language. He had chosen 6 different participants from various
communities and backgrounds. Out of al, the participants, four people had belonged to England
since they were the refugees from the Second World War. There were two students, nine people,
who were originally from the English birth and there were 14 people who had come to seek for
professional settlement in Poland after the nation joined the EU. The participants also varied in
their gender and sex. There were 16 male and 14 female participants of the interviews. Everyone
had different levels of involvement with the Polish organizations and every one of them had
different time periods of migration, in the terms of which they defined themselves with the
culture of Poland. There had been participants who even attended the Polish Catholic Church.
These people had been interrogated by the author about their connections with the people who
spoke English and what were their individual thoughts about making a settlement with the
English community. The author had allowed them the freedom of choosing the language in

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which they were comfortable of answering. The interviews had been translated to the maximum
possibility focusing on how the people spoke about their lives and their experiences. There have
been ethical considerations since the people were not comfortable with their identification to be
made public. So all the participants had been given pseudonyms to safeguard their privacy and
anonymity. The author did face problems in identifying and classifying the participants who
came from the Poland. None of the participants did work manually in Poland as well as England.
The data that the author had collected from interviewing these Polish people was aimed
to support the thesis statement of the article which included the nature of the Polish diaspora and
identity, in accordance with the role of language in the same. According to the research data,
there were seventeen people, who described themselves as Polish. These included one person
who was born in England and the twelve other people who were immigrants. The person who
was born in England considered himself to be British of Polish extraction. Here the main
problem that was prevalent was that of ethnicity. Ethnicity in the article had been described as
the belongingness of a person with respect to their historical, biological and linguistic
background. In the interviews that was conducted, it was difficult to judge the ethnicity of these
persons because there were people who claimed that they were administratively Polish, but their
emotions belonged to Europe. Thus there was the presence of duality in their nationality. The
author says that for these participants the concept and the definition of ethnicity had not been
rigid and it got changed on the basis of contexts.
All the participants did talk about the importance of the Polish language, but there was a
sharp contrast that the research found out between the Polish women and the women of English
culture. The respectable Polish women were responsible enough for their childcare and their
practical work and they did not attend the pubs like the English women. One of the participants

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who were born in England but to Polish parents said that the Polish language was an integral part
of them since they were brought up learning the language along with the Polish cultural values.
The language had been seen as emotional repertoires to the participants. Changing the language
seemed to involve self-translation and the change reflected their different ways of relating
themselves to the two environments.
Language and culture are closely related and they are sometimes intermixed. Language is an
aspect of the one’s culture which is further related to the tradition, values and ethnicity that a
group of people identify with. This article talks about how the change in one’s language causes a
change in one’s culture and values that are held by the people.
Data Analysis
The culture or the community one belongs to becomes their identity because it includes
the values, tradition and belief system that a particular group people believe in. The participants
of the research identified and shared their views on the polish and the English values. It was
found that some of the participants were of the opinion that polish culture is better than the
English culture. However, some participants also were also of the opinion that the English
culture is far better in some ways than the polish culture. According to the article, Krzystof Biel,
an immigrant from Poland said that he could not fit into the English culture as he found it to be
all about shagging boozing, parties with wild and spoilt people doing whatever they feel like ().
Some people found the polish culture to be more disciple than the English culture. However,
some participants also said that they found the English culture to be better than that of Poland
because of the multiculturalism and the wide variety of options concerning the career choices
and freedom that it provides. the atmosphere of freedom, happiness, confidence, liberation of
England has been praised along with its anonymity and freedom from the strict ties of the church

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that was preset in Poland. The older people also felt safer in England than in Poland because in
England the benefits are more and the state looks after them.
Role of values
Values play an important role in shaping the personality and behavior of a person. Some
of the participants of the research were of the opinion that the bond that binds a family together
into one is stronger in England than in Poland. Since, the value of a family reflects the values
that a child inherits from their parents it; the family values are very significant in shaping the
persona of a child. The research results shows that the family bonds in Poland are stronger than
that of England. Participants of the research are of the opinion that the children in Poland are
more respectable towards their elders than that of the children of England. The article also states
that there is a lack of communication in the children in England. This anti social behavior is said
to be an English attitude by the participants though it is because of the lack of fluency in English.
Influence of class
There is a huge influence of class in making the immigrant feel out of place in a country
like England. Most of the population of England could not relate to or understand the attitude
described as English by the immigrants. However, the immigrants feel that they could not fit into
or reach up to the English class. The class distinction or the disidentification of class that the
polish community feels here in England is because of the reason that the class position they used
to hold in Poland is higher than what they hold in England. The position they hold is based on
the occupation they have taken up for themselves. The article talks about the different aspects
that are related to class like the gender, sexuality and economic background of the people. Social
class and values are also changing in the younger generation of polish immigrant people and they
are similar in nature to that of the English people.

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Language, pronunciation and manners
All the polish people are not seen as being polis in the same way. There are differences in
class, gender and diction. Polish people are used to making judgments according to how a person
speaks: their diction, grammar and pronunciation. There are differences in the way the polish
speaker speak according to the time they have migrated to England. The way people use
language is used to maintain the hierarchy of the people. The newcomers language was
considered to be rude and barbaric compared to the other people who are older.
The other
There is a significant difference created between the older and the newer immigrants. The
older immigrants are found to be more inlaid following the ethical path of life. The older
immigrants lead a life that more towards the religious path connected to the church, while the
newer immigrants are different in their outlook towards life. They were more modern and liberal
in their behavior and ways to lead their life. They did not even need any certificate for the
relationship they have with their partner and children.
The Networks
The participants of the research perceived the language of English and its proficiency to
be the important vehicle with the aid of which they could intermingle with the English
population. It was noted that there were only eight participants who had migrated to England
without knowing anything about the English language. In this respect, when the participants
were made to understand the issue of integration, they realized that they could do so only with
the aid of communicating with the native population on a regular basis while also indulging in
other activities such as travelling in public transportation system.

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There is a deep and significant difference between the areas of integration and that of
assimilation. The idea of integration is based on the extent to which the migrants were capable of
interacting with the non-migrants. On the other hand, assimilation is considered to be uni-
directional in nature whereby the migrants and the ancestors are seen to have given up on their
culture in order to adopt a new cultural heritage. On the other hand, in the aspect of integration,
there is no abandonment of the original culture of the concerned people.
To this extent, the research article tried to understand the predominant and prevailing
patterns of networks,. The first network identified was that of the Polish network. Through the
data gathering process, it was seen that some of the participants were comfortable to only
communicate with the polish people. This was due to the fact that they did not have a lot of
English people to communicate in their place of work, which severely reduced their ability to
integrate themselves with the English speaking population.
The second network which was identified was that of the limited choice network. In this
network, it was observed that the chosen participants frequently communicated with the English
speaking population at their work place. Furthermore, they even find out the opportunities to
socialize with the English people outside of their work place, which contributed to their process
of integration in the society. However, in the event that an English friend of theirs is present
along with their Polish friends, they often preferred to socialize with their Polish friends. This is
due to the fact that although they were willing to socialize and communicate with the English
speaking population, they were still hesitant to form any lasting friendships with the native
people.
The third network identified is that of the divided network. In this it was observed that
the second and the third generation Polish people who migrated to the United Kingdom found it

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convenient to mingle with the English speaking population. They had an inclination to work with
both the English speaking and the Polish speaking population. However, in their attempt to
socialize with both, it was observed that they often preferred to keep them separated based on
their ethnicities. This is due to the fact that they were able to recognize the prevailing differences
which existed between their two ethnic groups of friends.
The final network identified was that of the mixed networks. In this, some of the
participants realized that they had different lives to lead. In this respect, they preferred to
intermix with individuals belonging to different ethnic backgrounds. For instance, one of the
participants stated that when she went out with her Polish friends, she preferred to take out her
English friends too. This enabled them to communicate with each other in a better manner and
also gain important insight in to their culture.
Conclusion
Thus from the findings the author had successfully concluded that the use of the Polish
language in accordance to the culture of the Poland, being born in Poland and having the values
of the country were all the characteristics of being Polish. The people also called themselves
Polish if they were emotionally attached to Poland, and they practiced the religion of the nation.
Thus language was indeed an important part that helped to define one’s identity, but it was not
alone in describing the individuality of a person. The values and the religion of Poland help to
define the Polish identity as well. The language is all about identity and the change in the
languages bring about issues relating to the identity as well as brings about a change in the
communicative power of the individuals.

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Summary of article 2
Rishbeth, C. and Powell, M., 2013. Place attachment and memory: Landscapes of
belonging as experienced post-migration. Landscape Research, 38(2), pp.160-178.
Introduction
Migration as a movement has been in existence in the human civilization since times
immemorial. The main idea behind migration refers to the desire of the concerned individuals to
settle down in a place which is different from their place of origin. This aspect is bound to have a
severe repercussion on the minds of the people in the form of psychological issue. They are often
seen to have a deep and significant impact on the aspect of memory of the concerned individuals.
The individuals of a society live in a place since their birth. They start to form attachments and
other memories which are related to their place of origin. The main purpose of the article titled
“Place Attachment and Memory: Landscapes of Belonging as Experienced Post-migration” is to
understand this issue of migration and the associated psychological challenges which are faced
by the individuals by the way of migrating from one place to another.
The research paper focuses on the issue of three main research questions which can be
stated as follows-
1. How are aspects of the everyday local environment perceived as familiar or strange, especially
in the initial stages of settling in a new country?
2. What forms of remembering are engaged through the embodied qualities of using outdoor
places?