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De-assimilation Without Assimilation? The Continuities in the Polish Secular Model of Jewishness
Author(s): Bilewicz, Michał; Bilewicz, Aleksandra
Date: 2023
Topics: Jewish Identity, Jewish Renewal, Jewish Revival, Main Topic: Identity and Community, Jewish Continuity, Assimilation, Secularity, Post-1989
Abstract: This article critically examines Krajewski’s (in this issue of Contemp Jewry) argument about the assimilation and subsequent de-assimilation of the Jewish population in Poland. While Krajewski asserts that Polish Jews underwent a process of assimilation followed by a revival of their cultural and religious practices, the authors argue that the term “de-assimilation” is not applicable in this context. They propose that post-war Polish Jews consciously chose to embrace a secular identity rather than a religious one, keeping their Jewish life private. This secular identity, characterized by interests in secular Jewish culture, learning, and social justice, as well as maintaining specific distinctive habits, remained dominant even after 1989. The authors also compare this process to the experiences of Spanish and Portuguese conversos, who returned to Judaism but retained syncretic identities. They emphasize the importance of understanding the complex nature of Jewish identity and involvement, highlighting the significance of secular and cultural practices among Polish Jews.
“Remember that we suffered!” The effects of historical trauma on anti-Semitic prejudice
Author(s): Skrodzka, Magdalena; Kende, Anna; Faragó, Laura; Bilewicz, Michał
Date: 2022
Topics: Holocaust, Jewish Perceptions of Antisemitism, Interviews, Main Topic: Antisemitism, Memory, Mental Health, Psychology, Trauma
Abstract: A history of group traumatization exerts significant influence on group members as well as their outgroup relations. In particular, historical trauma events and their ongoing repercussions may lead to feelings of control deprivation within groups. Members of traumatized groups are prone to believe in conspiracy theories, including ones that are anti-Semitic in nature, in an attempt to find explanations for their trauma and regain some sense of control. Often, these narratives depict Jews as those who possess control. In our study, we examine how the frequency of thoughts about historical trauma as well as historical trauma symptoms (behavioral, emotional, and depressive tendencies) are related to three forms of antisemitism: traditional antisemitism, secondary antisemitism, and a belief in anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. The study was conducted in Hungary (N = 350) where traumatic historical events often reverberate in the national narratives. The results indicate that a higher frequency of thoughts about historical trauma is associated with higher prejudice across all three forms of antisemitism. The effects of historical trauma on secondary and conspiracy antisemitism were partly driven by behavioral symptoms of historical trauma. The explanations and implications of these results are discussed.
Śmiech w Auschwitz, czyli o tym, w jaki sposób psychologia może pomóc zrozumieć łamanie tabu w miejscu pamięci Zagłady
Translated Title: Laughter in Auschwitz; or, How Psychology Can Help Understand the Breaking of Taboos at the Holocaust Memorial
Author(s): Marcinkowska, Karolina; Puchała, Dominik; Bilewicz, Michał; Bulska, Dominika; Winiewski, Mikołaj; Górski, Maciej
Date: 2023
Topics: Interviews, Holocaust Memorials, Educational Tours, Main Topic: Holocaust and Memorial
Abstract: Non-normative behavior at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum is often met with outrage and condemnation, including from the Polish media. The research described in this article checked whether reactions such as laughter or using a phone – among other things, to take photographs – could serve a regulatory function for visitors to the Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau rather than indicating disrespect for Holocaust victims. We conducted in-depth interviews with the Museum’s guides and observed museum visitors. In this way, we found that several non-normative reactions to Holocaust testimony appear quite commonly among visitors. Although these are stigmatized by the guides, the reactions appear adaptive in that they distance visitors from the potentially traumatizing Holocaust testimony.
Explaining the Inexplicable: Differences in Attributions for the Holocaust in Germany, Israel, and Poland
Author(s): Imhoff, Roland; Bilewicz, Michał; Hanke, Katja; Kahn, Dennis T.; Henkel-Guembel, Naomi; Halabi, Slieman; Sherman, Tal-Shani; Hirschberger, Gilad
Date: 2017
Topics: Psychology, Surveys, Holocaust, Main Topic: Holocaust and Memorial
Abstract: Seventy years have passed since the Holocaust, but this cataclysmic event continues to reverberate in the present. In this research, we examine attributions about the causes of the Holocaust and the influence of such attributions on intergroup relations. Three representative surveys were conducted among Germans, Poles, and Israeli Jews to examine inter- and intragroup variations in attributions for the Holocaust and how these attributions influence intergroup attitudes. Results indicated that Germans made more external than internal attributions and were especially low in attributing an evil essence to their ancestors. Israelis and Poles mainly endorsed the obedient essence attribution and were lowest on attribution to coercion. These attributions, however, were related to attitudes towards contemporary Germany primarily among Israeli Jews. The more they endorsed situationist explanations, and the less they endorsed the evil essence explanation, the more positive their attitude to Germany. Among Germans, attributions were related to a higher motivation for historical closure, except for the obedience attribution that was related to low desire for closure. Israelis exhibited a low desire for historical closure especially when attribution for evil essence was high. These findings suggest that lay perceptions of history are essential to understanding contemporary intergroup processes.
Survey on Antisemitic Prejudice in the Visegrád Countries - Research Report
Author(s): Ildikó, Barna; Kohut, Tamás; Bilewicz, Michał; Gyarfášová, Oľga; Kocián, Jiří; Mesežnikov, Grigorij; Babińska, Maria
Date: 2022
Topics: Antisemitism, Antisemitism: Attitude Surveys, Main Topic: Antisemitism, Surveys
Abstract: The aim of the study is to explore the extent, scope and prevalence of antisemitic prejudice in the four postcommunist countries of Central and Eastern Europe known as the Visegrád Four: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. Furthermore, it explores how antisemitism is related to various socio-demographic and attitudinal factors in order to understand what causes antisemitic prejudice and identify which social groups are prone to such prejudice. In addition, regional specificities, including victim consciousness, historical perceptions of Holocaust bystandership and
their relationship to antisemitic prejudice are also examined.
Marzec w lutym? Studium stosunku Polaków do Żydów i historii Holokaustu w kontekście debaty wokół ustawy o IPN
Translated Title: March in February? The study of Poles’ attitudes toward Jews and the Holocaust history in the context of the Holocaust law debate in Poland
Author(s): Bilewicz, Michał; Bulska, Dominika; Babińska, Maria; Haska, Agnieszka; Winiewski, Mikołaj
Date: 2018
Topics: Antisemitism, Holocaust, Holocaust Commemoration, Holocaust Memorials, Jewish - Non - Jewish Relations, Main Topic: Holocaust and Memorial, Law
Abstract: 2018 amendment of the act on the Polish Institute of National Remembrance that
was passed by the Polish Sejm in January 2018 raised a vibrant public debate
about Polish-Jewish relations. In this article, we try to trace the dynamics of this
debate and assess its consequences for contemporary Polish-Jewish relations and
present-day representations of the relations between Poles and Jews during the
German occupation in 1939–1945. To this end, we present the analysis of social
media content, data from search engines, as well as the results of two nationwide
polls conducted at the beginning of 2018. These studies indicate that the debate
on amendment of the Act on the Institute of National Remembrance has increased the expression of antisemitic prejudice in the media and on the internet,
increased the presence of defective codes of memory, and at the same time
polarized the Polish debate about the behavior of Poles during the Holocaust.
The results of these analyzes are discussed in the context of earlier debates on
the Polish-Jewish relations during Nazi occupation, referring to the category of
“secondary antisemitism” that receives growing support in current social sciences
From Judeo-Polonia to Act 447: How and why did the Jewish conspiracy myth become a central issue in Polish political discourse?
Author(s): Bulska, Dominika; Haska, Agnieszka; Winiewski, Mikołaj; Bilewicz, Michał
Editor(s): Astapova, Anastasiya; Colăcel, Onoriu; Pintilescu, Corneliu; Scheibner, Tamás
Date: 2020
Topics: Antisemitism, Main Topic: Antisemitism, Surveys
Abstract: Poland was home to one of the largest Jewish populations in the world: more than 3 million Jews lived in the country prior to the Holocaust. Currently, according to census data, there are approximately 10,000 Jews living in Poland. At the same time, antisemitic attitudes, especially the belief in a Jewish conspiracy, are widespread among Polish society. What are the sources of such attitudes? How can what has been described as “antisemitism without Jews” be expressed? What are the psychological functions of it? In this chapter, we aim to answer these questions by reviewing anti-Jewish conspiracy narratives in public discourse and by describing the results of nationwide surveys measuring the popularity of antisemitic conspiracy theories and conducted on a representative sample of Poles in recent years. Then we explain the psychological functions that belief in such conspiracy theories can provide for an individual.
Antysemityzm: dynamika i psychologiczne uwarunkowania
Translated Title: Anti-Semitism: Dynamics and Psychological Determinants
Author(s): Winiewski, Mikołaj; Bilewicz, Michał
Editor(s): Stefaniak, Anna; Bilewicz, Michał; Winiewski, Mikołaj
Date: 2015
Topics: Antisemitism, Main Topic: Antisemitism, Psychology
Visiting Auschwitz: Evidence of secondary traumatization among high school students.
Author(s): Bilewicz, Michał; Wójcik, Adrian
Date: 2018
Topics: Holocaust Memorials, Holocaust Education, Main Topic: Holocaust and Memorial, Psychology, Trauma, Mental Health, Students, Schools: Seconday / High Schools, Educational Tours
Abstract: Secondary traumatic stress has been intensively studied among survivors’ therapists, family members, and trauma researchers. We claim that people who are exposed to reminders of past traumatic experiences when visiting places of memory or museum exhibitions could also develop secondary trauma symptoms. Thus, scholars and practitioners must better understand how such places related to historical traumatization (e.g., Holocaust memorial sites) can affect the psychological well-being of visitors. The main aim of this quantitative longitudinal study was to assess the scale of secondary traumatization among visitors to such places. The study found that the syndrome of secondary traumatic stress was observed among 13.2% of high school visitors to the Auschwitz memorial museum. Longitudinal analysis revealed that empathic reactions to the visit in Auschwitz (e.g., a greater inclusion of victims into the self) were associated with higher levels of secondary traumatic stress levels 1 month after the visit. This study suggests that visits to places related to traumatic past events should be preceded by a more intense elaboration of Holocaust history and by proper psychological preparations.
What breeds conspiracy antisemitism? The role of political uncontrollability and uncertainty in the belief in Jewish conspiracy.
Author(s): Kofta, Mirosław; Soral, W.; Bilewicz, Michał
Date: 2020
Topics: Antisemitism, Psychology, Surveys, Main Topic: Antisemitism, Antisemitism: Attitude Surveys
Abstract: Belief in conspiracy theories about Jews is a prototypical example of how a naïve theory can serve as a universal explanation of “all the bad things happening in society.” Such a theory often arises in times of political unrest that tend to breed feelings of uncertainty in politics and a lack of control over politics. As both uncertainty (a sense-making deficit) and lack of control (an agency deficit) can relate to conspiracy-based antisemitism, this research examines which of the two processes plays a pivotal role in the belief in Jewish conspiracy. Specifically, we hypothesize that political uncontrollability, rather than political uncertainty, is a critical factor in triggering conspiracy theories about groups. In Study 1 (N = 812) we found that lack of control, but not uncertainty, in the political domain predicted belief in Jewish conspiracy, and subsequently led to increased discriminatory attitudes toward Jews. The results of longitudinal Study 2 (N = 476) revealed that only political uncontrollability led to an increase in conspiracy-related stereotypes of Jews. In Study 3 (N = 172) we found that experimental induction of political uncontrollability increased belief in Jewish, German, and Russian conspiracy, whereas induction of political uncertainty did not. Finally, Study 4 (N = 370) replicated this pattern in another cultural context with more general measures of uncontrollability and uncertainty. It was lack of personal control, rather than uncertainty, that increased belief in Jewish conspiracy—and indirectly predicted other conspiracy theories. Our findings consistently support the critical role of political uncontrollability, not uncertainty, in triggering a conspiracy theory of Jews.
Memory in the Inter-Ethnic Environment: 'Difficult Questions'In the Relations Between the Polish and Jewish Youth
Author(s): Bilewicz, Michał; Ostolski, Adam; Wójcik, Adrian; Wysocka, A
Date: 2004
Topics: Jewish - Non - Jewish Relations, Dialogue, Main Topic: Other, Memory, Youth
Abstract: The article examines Polish-Jewish youth encounters as a sociological phenomenon, revealing the processes of approaching collective memories of both groups. The authors presents data collected during Polish-Jewish meetings, as well as qualitative analysis of letters and 'difficult questions' written by young Poles and Jews. The main issues of Polish and Jewish collective memories are shaped by the adult discourse, that strongly influences the youth inter-group discourse. However, the main differences that underlie most of the 'difficult questions' in Polish-Jewish dialogue are based on the different ways of approaching the past: individualised and emotional among young Jews, but collectivist, depersonalised and rather neutral among young Poles. These differences show, that not only the content, but also the form (pragmatics) of collective memory has to be studied by the sociologist in order to understand the role of history in inter-ethnic relations.
Can a victim be responsible? Anti-Semitic consequences of victimhood-based identity and competitive victimhood in Poland
Author(s): Bilewicz, Michał; Stefaniak, Anna
Editor(s): Bokus, Barbara
Date: 2013
Topics: Holocaust, Antisemitism, Main Topic: Holocaust and Memorial
Abstract: “The Holocaust was not unique to the Jewish population in Europe. Many oth-ers, including Poles, died in the same way,” said Romanian President Jon Iliescuin 2003 (Davidovitz, 2003), later mentioning that his nation cannot be accused of genocide in Transnistria. Similar statements were often made by other politicalleaders who denied the uniqueness of the Holocaust in order to present their ownnations as unique victims of historical atrocities and to deny the historical cru-elties perpetrated by ingroup members. Thus, perception of ingroup victimhoodserves as a strategy that allows for denial of responsibility
How to Teach about the Holocaust? Psychological Obstacles in Historical Education in Poland and Germany
Author(s): Bilewicz, Michał; Witkowska, Marta; Stubig, Silviana; Beneda, Marta; Imhoff, Roland
Editor(s): Psaltis, Charis; Carretero, Mario; Čehajić-Clancy, Sabina
Date: 2017
Topics: Conflict Resolution, Dialogue, Inter-Communal Relations, Main Topic: Holocaust and Memorial, Holocaust Education
Abstract: Holocaust education in many countries faces severe obstacles, and the effects of such education are far from desirable. Research on German students found that education about the National Socialist period in Germany did not improve intergroup attitudes. Similarly, a study performed on Polish students in Warsaw showed that the extent of Holocaust education did not affect intergroup attitudes and led to more biased vision of the Holocaust. In both countries current Holocaust education seems to convey simplified entitative information about groups—such that all members of perpetrator group are presented as evil, and all bystanders as righteous. Based on psychological research on moral emotions and psychological needs in reconciliation, we propose another approach to the Holocaust education. We suggest that education about the Holocaust should take into account psychological knowledge about the diversity of human behavior during genocide , including greater understanding of dehumanization , stereotyping , moral exclusion and bystander non-intervention.
Oświęcim inaczej: Ewaluacja warsztatów antydyskryminacyjnych
Author(s): Wójcik, Adrian; Bilewicz, Michał
Date: 2012
Topics: Holocaust Education, Evaluation, Main Topic: Other
Abstract: Prezentowany raport stanowi ocenę skuteczności serii warsztatów antydyskryminacyjnych przeprowadzonych przez Centrum Żydowskie w Oświęcimiu. Szczegółowy schemat badań ewaluacyjnych, jak również użyty w badaniu kwestionariusz, została przygotowany niezależnie od organizatorów warsztatów przez członków Centrum Badań nad Uprzedzeniami Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego–dr. Michała Bilewicza i Adriana Wójcika.
Antysemityzm na gruzach sztetl. Stosunek polskiej młodzieży do Żydów w miastach i miasteczkach południowej i wschodniej Polski
Translated Title: Anti-Semitism on shtetl debris. The attitude of Polish youth to Jews in cities and towns of southern and eastern Poland
Author(s): Bilewicz, Michał; Wójcik, Adrian
Editor(s): Nijakowski, Lech M.
Date: 2009
Topics: Antisemitism, Attitudes to Jews, Jewish - Non - Jewish Relations, Main Topic: Antisemitism, Youth, Antisemitism: Attitude Surveys
Polish-Jewish intergroup communication: The mediating role of personalized cognition.
Author(s): Bilewicz, Michał
Date: 2006
Topics: Attitudes to Jews, Conflict, Conflict Resolution, Dialogue, Jewish - Non - Jewish Relations, Main Topic: Other, Psychology
Abstract: The goal of the present study was to test the mediating role of personalized cognition (perception of others as similar to self) in the impact of intergroup communication programs onthe improvement of intergroup attitudes. In Study 1, consistent with the contact hypothesis, the participants (N=190 Polish students) showed an increase of liking when they had moreopportunities to meet and to communicate with outgroup members. This effect was media-ted by the perception of outgroup as similar to self. Thus the present results support the personalization theory of intergroup contact. Study 2 (N=97 Jewish students) replicated theresults of Study 1 in an experimental model, with random assignment to contact and no-contact conditions, and demonstrated the mediating role of personalized cognition in theeffectiveness of intergroup communication programs. Both studies reveal the psychologicalnature of the positive effects of intergroup communication and suggest the direction for future real-life interventions.
History as an obstacle: Impact of temporal-based social categorizations on Polish-Jewish intergroup contact
Author(s): Bilewicz, Michał
Date: 2007
Topics: Conflict, Conflict Resolution, Attitudes to Jews, Jewish - Non - Jewish Relations, Main Topic: Other, Psychology, Dialogue
Abstract: Two studies examined the role of temporal-based social categorizations for attitude change during intergroup contact between Polish and Jewish students. In Study 1 (N = 190 Polish students), a cross-sectional analysis showed that contact focused on contemporary issues had positive effects on both outgroup attitudes and perceived similarity to the outgroup. No such effects were observed when groups talked about past issues. Study 2 (N = 97 Jewish students) demonstrated this effect experimentally when `historical' and `contemporary' issues were discussed during contact. Contact about the present generated more positive attitudes toward contact partners and (unlike contact about the past) toward the generalized outgroup. The present findings are discussed in the context of common ingroup identity model and collective guilt research.
Traditionell und doch modern? Über die Zunahme von traditionellem Antisemitismus in Polen
Author(s): Bilewicz, Michał; Winiewski, Mikołaj; Benteler, Lara
Date: 2014
Topics: Antisemitism, Main Topic: Antisemitism
Zagrażający spiskowcy. Zjawisko antysemityzmu w Polsce na podstawie Polskiego Sondażu Uprzedzeń 2009
Translated Title: Threatening conspirators. Anti-Semitism in Poland based on the Polish Prejudice Survey 2009
Author(s): Bilewicz, Michał
Editor(s): Bilewicz, Michał; Kofta, Mirosław
Date: 2011
Topics: Antisemitism, Main Topic: Antisemitism, Surveys, Antisemitism: Attitude Surveys
The emergence of antisemitism in times of rapid social change: Survey results from Poland.
Author(s): Bilewicz, Michał; Winiewski, Mikołaj
Editor(s): Guestnet, François; Jones, Gwen
Date: 2014
Topics: Antisemitism, Main Topic: Antisemitism, Surveys, Antisemitism: Attitude Surveys
Anti-Semitism in Poland and Ukraine: The Belief in Jewish Control as a Mechanism of Scapegoating
Author(s): Bilewicz, Michał; Krzeminski, Ireneusz
Date: 2010
Topics: Main Topic: Antisemitism, Antisemitism, Surveys, Antisemitism: Attitude Surveys
Abstract: Systemic transition in post-communist Eastern Europe resulted in high inflation, rapid economic changes, and increased lack of control in everyday life. Atthe same time, anti-Semitic incidents were reported in this region after 1989. The ideological model of scapegoating (Glick 2002; 2005) might serve asan explanation of anti-Semitic prejudice in post-transition Eastern Europe. The model predicts that the ideology defining Jews as powerful, cunning, and dangerous would gain popularity in times of crises and would lead to greater discrimination against Jews. In two nationwide representative sample studies of anti-Semitism, in Poland (n = 1098) and Ukraine (n = 1000), we applied the ideological model of scapegoating to study various forms of anti-Semitism (conspiracy-based belief in Jewish control and discriminatory intentions toward Jews). In both samples, economic deprivation led to increased discriminatory intentions toward Jews; however, only in the Polish sample was deprivation linked with higher beliefs in Jewish control (scapegoat-defining ideology). In Poland the rise of conspiracy beliefs about Jewish control partially explained the effect of deprivation on discriminatory intentions toward Jews. The implications of these results are discussed.
Victims under Siege: Lessons for Polish–Jewish Relations and Beyond
Author(s): Vollhardt, Johanna Ray; Bilewicz, Michał; Olechowski, Mateusz
Editor(s): Halperin, Eran; Sharvit, Keren
Date: 2015
Topics: Main Topic: Other, Psychology, Holocaust, Memory, Jewish - Non - Jewish Relations
Abstract: In this chapter, we review Daniel Bar-Tal’s pioneering work on collective victim beliefs and how they influence intractable conflicts and intergroup relations more generally. Bar-Tal’s early work on siege mentality and on societal beliefs related to collective victimhood stimulated research in social and political psychology on this important, understudied topic. We discuss his contributions and review empirical evidence of his postulates as well as more recent conceptualizations of collective victimhood that build on his work. In the second part of this chapter, we discuss collective victimhood in Poland where Bar-Tal grew up. Although Poland is not involved in an intractable conflict, centuries of occupation by surrounding empires and countries contribute to a powerful self-view of Poland as the “Christ of Nations.” We discuss research on the relationship between this victimhood-based identity and anti-Semitism as well as reactions to the role of Poles during the Holocaust. We also discuss some evidence of positive consequences of victim beliefs for the support of refugees in Poland, and end with a discussion of interventions and moral exemplars that may help transform collective victimhood and improve contemporary relations between historically victimized groups—in Poland, Israel, and beyond.
Are Surveys and Opinion Polls Always a Valid Tool to Assess Antisemitism? Methodological Considerations
Author(s): Winiewski, Mikołaj; Bilewicz, Michał
Editor(s): Kovács, András; Miller, Michael L.
Date: 2013
Topics: Antisemitism, Main Topic: Antisemitism, Methodology, Surveys, Antisemitism: Attitude Surveys
Traditional and yet modern? On the increase in traditional antisemitism in Poland
Author(s): Benteler, Lara; Bilewicz, Michał; Winiewski, Mikołaj
Date: 2014
Topics: Main Topic: Antisemitism, Antisemitism, Surveys
Harmful Ideas, The Structure and Consequences of Anti‐Semitic Beliefs in Poland
Author(s): Bilewicz, Michał; Winiewski, Mikołaj; Kofta, Mirosław; Wójcik, Adrian
Date: 2013
Topics: Antisemitism, Holocaust Commemoration, Main Topic: Antisemitism, Surveys, Antisemitism: Attitude Surveys
Abstract: The harmfulness of anti‐Semitic beliefs is widely discussed in current political and legal debates (e.g., Cutler v. Dorn). At the same time, empirical studies of the psychological consequences of such beliefs are scarce. The present research is an attempt to explore the structure of contemporary anti‐Semitic beliefs in Poland—and to evaluate their predictive role in discriminatory intentions and behavior targeting Jews. Another aim was to determine dispositional, situational, and identity correlates of different forms of anti‐Semitic beliefs and behavior. Study 1, performed on a nation‐wide representative sample of Polish adults (N = 979), suggests a three‐factorial structure of anti‐Semitic beliefs, consisting of: (1) belief in Jewish conspiracy, (2) traditional religious anti‐Judaic beliefs, and (3) secondary anti‐Semitic beliefs, focusing on Holocaust commemoration. Of these three beliefs, belief in Jewish conspiracy was the closest antecedent of anti‐Semitic behavioral intentions. Study 2 (N = 600 Internet users in Poland) confirmed the three‐factor structure of anti‐Semitic beliefs and proved that these beliefs explain actual behavior toward Jews in monetary donations. Both studies show that anti‐Semitic beliefs are related to authoritarian personality characteristics, victimhood‐based social identity, and relative deprivation.
Antisemitism in Poland: Psychological, Religious, and Historical Aspects
Author(s): Bilewicz, Michał; Winiewski, Mikołaj; Radzik, Zuzanna
Date: 2012
Topics: Main Topic: Antisemitism, Antisemitism, Surveys, Post-1989, Antisemitism: Attitude Surveys
Abstract: The article discusses the phenomenon of antisemitic prejudice in Poland after 1989. The comparative cross-national data suggests that prejudice against Jewish people remains visible in Poland independent of the difficult history of Polish-Jewish relations. The studies reviewed in this article present potential causes and mechanisms of anti-Jewish attitudes in Poland, such as relative deprivation, victimhood-based national identity, and authoritarian political attitudes. The role of Catholic clergy and the relative decline of traditional religious antisemitic beliefs are also considered, as well as the contrast presented by political antisemitism, which has remained unchanged for the past two decades.
Does identification predict community involvement? Exploring consequences of social identification among the Jewish minority in Poland
Author(s): Wójcik, Adrian; Bilewicz, Michał
Date: 2010
Topics: Surveys, Jewish Identity, Jewish Involvment, Main Topic: Identity and Community
Abstract: Previous research indicated that people who strongly identify with their own group are more involved in the group's actions. The current study examines the relation between three dimensions of group identification (affect, ties, centrality) and forms of community involvement among members of the Jewish minority in Poland. The strength of ingroup ties predicted involvement in the ethnic minority community. The link between identification and involvement was mediated by the cultural dominance. The reported study was the first quantitative survey of the Jewish community in post-War Poland.
Beyond Ethnicity. The Role of the Mixed-Origin Family for Jewish Identity: A Polish Case Study
Author(s): Wójcik, Adrian; Bilewicz, Michal
Editor(s): Wohl von Haselberg, Lea
Date: 2015
Topics: Intermarriage, Ethnicity, Jewish Identity, Family and Household, Main Topic: Identity and Community
Reconciliation through the Righteous: The Narratives of Heroic Helpers as a Fulfillment of Emotional Needs in Polish−Jewish Intergroup Contact
Author(s): Bilewicz, Michal; Jaworska, Manana
Date: 2013
Topics: Psychology, Conflict Resolution, Memory, Holocaust Education, Jewish - Non - Jewish Relations, Main Topic: Holocaust and Memorial
Abstract: Postwar Polish−Jewish relations are heavily affected by divergent narratives about the Holocaust. Debates about the role of Poles as passive bystanders or perpetrators during the Holocaust have deeply influenced mutual perceptions of Poles and Jews. Previous research has shown that historical issues raised during Polish−Jewish encounters inhibit positive consequences of intergroup contact, mostly due to frustrated emotional needs related to past genocide. The aim of the present intervention was to reconcile young Poles and Israelis by presenting narratives that could change stereotypical thinking about the past. Our results indicate that the narratives of historical rescuers of Jews during WWII allowed overcoming the negative impact of the past on intergroup contact by fulfilling frustrated needs for acceptance among Polish participants. The article discusses the potential role of the heroic helpers’ narrative for reconciliation after mass violence, as it may prevent entitative categorizations of groups as victims, perpetrators, and bystanders.
Living on the ashes: Collective representations of Polish–Jewish history among people living in the former Warsaw Ghetto area
Author(s): Wójcik, Adrian; Bilewicz, Michał; Lewicka, Maria
Date: 2010
Topics: Memory, Jewish Heritage, Jewish Neighbourhoods, Holocaust Memorials, Post-War Reconstruction, Main Topic: Holocaust and Memorial
Abstract: Before WWII Jews constituted one third of the Warsaw population. Muranów is the heart of the former Jewish district, the central area of the Warsaw Ghetto, installed by the Nazis in 1940. This district was totally destroyed during the war and its present urban shape not in the least reminds of its pre-war past. In this study, we investigated the collective memory of the district and representations of the Polish–Jewish history shared by contemporary inhabitants of Muranów. Ninety four residents were interviewed at their homes. The results show that “people living on the ashes” perceive the Jewish history of their place of residence as important and meaningful even though almost no visible remnants of the Jewish pre-war district have survived. The present attitudes and memories of the contemporary inhabitants seem to be shaped by the public ceremonies and educational tours which take place in the district, by presence of commemorating monuments and by the street names. These findings emphasize the crucial role of urban reminders such as museums, monuments and street names in the dynamics of collective memory.