The Sense of Identity of Young Learners in Schools with Polish as the Language of Instruction in Belarus, Ukraine and the Czech Republic

In the publication, the Author focuses on the issues of the sense of identity of young people belonging to the Polish national minority. The book uses extensive literature from many disciplines of the humanities and social sciences. The theoretical structure is formed by the theories of Tadeusz Lewowicki’s identity behaviour and Henri Tajfel’s social identity, as well as the concepts of Grzegorz Babiński’s national identity and Jerzy Nikitorowicz’s multifaceted and constantly emerging identity. They constitute the theoretical basis of the research and were used in the interpretation of the results of the analyses.

Issues related to the issue of identity and the determinants of the sense of identity and behaviours defined as identity have been presented in the monograph in a comparative manner. The use of comparative research allowed to describe facts, phenomena, and processes taking place in communities living in three neighbouring countries – Belarus, Ukraine, and the Czech Republic. Changes taking place in the sense of identity under the influence of various factors contribute to the formation of a model of multidimensional identity of young people belonging to the Polish national minority.

The publication is addressed to theoreticians of intercultural education, teachers, educators, activists of minority organizations, as well as to all those who are interested in the issues of Polish national minorities and the functioning of education for minority groups.