In the last three decades we have seen important changes in the area of ethnic relations in Poland. In general, ethnic minorities are becoming more and more active and better organized actors in the public scene. Additionally, the state policy has been stabilised, as the official frames of minority protection have been created.

The lecture will concentrate on two general perspectives: agency and structural one. The main aim is to present these both faces of ethnic relations. The former, an agency perspective, concerns the activities undertaken by minority groups which are focused on their identity and culture. The main argument developed in this part is that a gradual process of moving from culture to politics could be observed in Poland nowadays. The activities undertaken by minorities take a different shape and expression both on institutional and public, as well as more spontaneous and personal levels. The latter, structural perspective, underlines the aspect of power inscribed in minority-majority relations. To develop this issue, the concept of ethnic field will be introduced to show prospects and barriers imposed on these groups, especially by current legal regulations, as well as by the dominating national discourse. The presentation will touch on the problems concerning the so-called old minorities living in Poland, among them Ukrainians and Lemkos.

Katarzyna Warmińska-Zygmunt, PhD hab., is a socioligist, an associated professor at the Department of Sociology, Cracow University of Economics. Her main interest concentrates on ethnic relations in Poland, identity and politics in the context of minority groups, and anthropological practice. She has conducted fieldwork among Polish Tartars and Kashubs. The author of over fifty articles, and one book (“Polish Tartars. Religious and ethnic identity”) and the coeditor of three other books.