Suchergebnisse

"The Lisbon Strategy and Europe 2020" published on by Oxford University Press.

"This chapter, assesses the role of myth in shaping the Poles' European identities. The author states that myths of European belonging handed down in Polish culture, that were strengthened during the period of Soviet hegemony as a kind of countermemory and iconized in the Slogan of "joining Europe" in the 1990s, served as Charter for action when Poles were to decide about EU accession. It is argued that the Poles, despite their negative expectations regarding the consequences of accession and despite various counter-myths, voted for 'Europe' because they believed in the myth that Poles are historically and culturally European. Thus, accessing the EU meant the fulfilment of an exalted desire present in the national subconscious and a reward for the sacrifices of many generations. This interpretation draws on Sahlin's, Malinowski's, and Leach's understanding of myths as sacred tales structuring actual social action. It is backed by a discussion of survey data on the Poles' negative ex pectations related to EU accession and by an overview of competing myths about Poland's place in Europe." (author's abstract)