The journal RURAL PERIODICALS [ZESZYTY WIEJSKIE] publishes articles, essays, reviews and reports of scientific conferences, which focus on the problems of rural areas (in Poland, Europe and the world) from the perspective of numerous fields of science: humanities, social sciences, agriculture and engineering. The interdisciplinarity of ZESZYTY WIEJSKIE is a result of the rural studies paradigm adopted and implemented by the Editorial Board. The diversity of research perspectives makes ZESZYTY WIEJSKIE a platform open for discussion about the countryside, which is not limited to a single discipline. It is published by Lodz University Press and is affiliated with the Faculty of Philosophy and History at the University of Lodz. The Editorial Board accepts texts in Polish and English. Texts in other languages require consultation with the Board.
“Truth and Work.” The Role of the Press and Catholic Action Associations in Disseminating Agricultural Knowledge in the Siedlce Diocese in 1930–1939
This article contributes to research on the role of the Catholic Action press and associations in disseminating agricultural knowledge in the Siedlce Diocese. The territorial scope of the work encompasses the aforementioned ecclesiastical unit, and within the administrative-state division, the northern area of the Lublin Voivodeship. The chronological framework, however, defines the years 1930–1939. During this period, the weekly “Głos Podlaski” and the “Podlaski Miesięcznik Katolicki” were published and reached readers, the former being the unofficial, the latter the official organ of Catholic Action. The 1930s also saw the creation and development of associations within the Diocesan Institute of Catholic Action in Siedlce, from 1934 onwards with the full complement of “four columns.” “Głos Podlaski” and “Podlaski Miesięcznik Katolicki” regularly featured articles devoted to agricultural economics in its broadest sense. The diocesan press thus influenced the dissemination of knowledge, modern forms of farming, and vocational education for the younger generation of rural residents, especially those associated with Catholic Action associations. These periodicals put into practice the slogan “Truth and Work,” put forward by Bishop Henryk Przeździecki in 1930. The press also serves as a primary source for research on the socio-economic activity of Catholic Action associations in the Siedlce diocese.
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Perceptions of the Ethnolinguistic Vitality of the Mapuche Language in the Context of Higher Education in Chile
This article is focused on perceptions of the ethnolinguistic vitality of the Mapuche language in the context of higher education in Chile. Data obtained during a questionnaire survey distributed online and face-to-face among students of two private higher education institutions located in Temuco and Valdivia (n = 175) were processed using Pearson’s chi-square analysis and Cramer's V coefficient. Furthermore, factor analysis was applied to the full set of statements. The views on Mapuche language, specifically its status, were found to be different between university students. The major congruence was observed in terms of teaching Mapudungun in schools. Regarding the representation of Mapudungun in Chilean media, a statistically unprovable difference in responses was found, and there was agreement in opinions between the respondents of both groups. Based on the methods applied, it was possible to confirm the hypothesis that perceptions of the Mapuche language and ethnicity are influenced by views on the status and inclusion of the ethnic group within society.
The Impact of Environmental Pollution on the Psychophysical (Well)being of Residents of Jalisco, Mexico. Anthropological Case Study
The aim of this article is to present the changes taking place in the ecosystem and their impact on the psycho-physical well-being of the inhabitants of Jalisco, considering their perceptions of the indicated transformations. In this article, I take a closer look at selected concepts of health, well-being and illness, and analyze specific cases of environmental pollution in Mexico. I then confront the found sources with the statements of the interviewees who presented their perspectives on the aforementioned topics. At the same time, I try to take into account the cultural meaning of the concepts indicated, which may or may not coincide with their biomedical definition.
In the Karabakh Conflict’s Shadow: Ethnic Divides and the Challenges of Social Cohesion in Georgia (Report from the Project)
This report from the project Azerbaijanis and Armenians in Georgia: Uneasy Peace and Conflict Mobility in the Context of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War presents the findings of field research conducted particularly in the rural areas of Kvemo Kartli, Samtskhe-Javakheti, and cities of Tbilisi, Marneuli, and Akhalkalaki, and media research carried out between 2020 and 2022. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has affected not only Armenia and Azerbaijan but also Georgia, home to sizable Armenian and Azerbaijani minorities. Although relations between these groups were largely stable before the war, the hostilities reignited tensions, manifested through grassroots (pro-war) activism, propaganda, and ethnic divisions fueled by social media. The impact of war varied by region – mixed villages maintained fragile coexistence, while homogeneous communities saw intensified animosity. External influences from Armenia and Azerbaijan shaped conflicting narratives, deepening polarization. Despite a slight post-war improvement, the continuing difficult political situation deepened distrust, fueled by propaganda and limited interethnic interactions. Georgia’s lack of a comprehensive minority policy has led to the marginalization of both communities, posing challenges to social cohesion and national integration.
Polish Villages in Siberia at the Turn of the 19th and 20th Centuries: A Trace in the Cultural Landscape of the Region
Polish villages began to appear in Siberia at the end of the 19th century, first, as a result of penal resettlements following the January Uprising of 1863–1864, and later, of economic migration. Polish rural settlement (of the petty nobility and peasants) increased after 1906 due to the favourable agrarian reforms of the Russian Minister Piotr Stolypin, and continued until the outbreak of World War I. It is estimated that between 170,000 and 600,000 Polish settlers may have arrived in Siberia at that time, with 20–40% of them returning to their homeland due to the harsh living conditions. When emigrating, they carried with them seeds, livestock, household items, farming tools, and equipment related to crafts and small rural industry. Upon arrival, immediately after building their homes, they sought to establish Polish schools and Catholic churches in their new villages. They ran farms but also opened craft workshops and businesses related to agricultural processing. According to the opinions of Russian officials, they were seen as good farmers, enterprising, frugal, religious people taking care of their houses. They also brought to Siberia their own rituals, customs, folklore, and eating habits. Today, only one village, Wierszyna, remains with a dominant Polish national identity. Currently, the main markers of Polish identity among the descendants of these settlers are Catholicism, annual and family customs, and eating habits. There are also a few remaining churches and cemeteries, and sometimes a memory of the Polish founders of the villages, which still play a role in the lives of their contemporary inhabitants. The descendants of Polish peasant settlers in Siberia nowadays mostly live in the cities, where they actively participate in the process of shaping the new identity of the Polish diaspora in Siberia.
Spisz “House pod Jedlami”: A Case of Regional Neo-vernacularism
Traditional regional architecture, often referred to as vernacular, has always been one of the topics of interest and exploration in ethnology. However, attention to this area of material culture is gradually decreasing as it undergoes intense changes. Namely, older architectural forms, strongly characterized by cultural localism, are being replaced by solutions that are universal or completely styleless. Only some traditions have found a creative development of their specificity, e.g. the Zakopane style. The traditional architecture of Spisz also has its originality, as illustrated by the few objects on both sides of the Polish-Slovak border. Based on their inspiration, the Spisz Guesthouse in Kacwin was designed and built, which is the only relatively complete implementation of the adaptation of old local architectural patterns to modern requirements. On the analytical level, the discussion of this case is intended to illustrate a possible research overview of various forms of regional neo-vernacular architecture, and on the pragmatic level, it is intended to highlight the existing potential in the field of contemporary architectural design based on regional inspirations.
Bread Baking Traditions in the Second Half of the 20th Century in the Silesian, Opole, and Lower Silesian Voivodeships in the Light of the “Polish Ethnographic Atlas” as Source Materials
This article addresses the topic of homemade bread production in rural areas of south-western Poland during the second half of the 20th century. The study focuses on selected localities within the Silesian, Opole, and Lower Silesian voivodeships. Its foundation rests on primary source materials gathered as part of the research conducted for the Polish Ethnographic Atlas [PEA], based on a standardized questionnaire titled Folk Material Culture. The core of this study consists of archival record – particularly the narratives of respondents and the metanarratives of researchers – which represent the most valuable aspect of the collected materials. The article presents the findings of an analysis of these archival sources. It discusses the methods of bread preparation, the tools and equipment necessary for this process, and the various ingredients involved, including sourdough starter used in making bread dough. In addition, the study addresses selected magical practices traditionally associated with bread-making. The documented accounts reveal not only traditional methods of preparing bread but also the evolving nature of these practices in the context of broader socio-economic transformations. These include the impact of modernization on everyday life and the influence of multicultural environments, particularly in regions inhabited by postwar settlers. The data thus provide a valuable basis for understanding the processes of change affecting domestic bread production in the postwar period.
Folk Influences and Origins of 19th-century Improvisational Poetry: A Study of the Oral Works of Adam Mickiewicz and Jadwiga Łuszczewska
Improvisation is a form of oral creativity that became popular in the nineteenth century, especially during the Romantic period, called the “Slavic Renaissance”. It is defined as “the spontaneous creation of a work on a topic assigned by the audience”. It can be regarded as salon entertainment as well as an activity of a performative or even causative nature. The most renowned Polish improvisers were Adam Mickiewicz and Jadwiga Łuszczewska (Deotyma). They referred to the folk intangible culture, reflecting the Romantic fascination with rural life. However, the references to folk oral creativity made by these poets differed because the Romantic bard was brought up in the countryside and knew refrains, songs, legends, and so on. Deotyma, by contrast, during the period when she improvised, lived in Warsaw and performed in her parents’ salon, Nina and Wacław Łuszczewski. The artist, therefore, had no direct contact with the countryside and folk creativity but only an indirect one, mediated through the works of writers and painters from her circle, habitual visitors to the salon. In this article, I explain the reasons for and manifestations of the interest in folkness and folklore in Romanticism. I also analyse the preserved fragments of the improvisations for features that coincide with oral creativity and the folk culture. Based on this analysis, one can speak of a folk provenance of A. Mickiewicz’s artistic activity, whereas in Deotyma’s case, only of certain influences and references.
Types of Transformations of the Rzeszów Folk Costume under the Influence of Kraków Fashion and Their Conditions
The Rzeszów folk costume underwent significant changes in the first decades of the 20th century. This article focuses mainly on an analysis of the transformation of its elements due to the Cracovian fashion. The analysis was conducted using ethnographic interviews and iconographic material collected by the Muzeum Etnograficzne in Rzeszów. It identified five main types of transformations: replacement, modification, changes in the way of wearing, addition, and renaming of elements. The first section of the article reviews previous scientific research on the folk costumes of the Rzeszowiacy. The second part outlines the various transformations of Rzeszów folk costume under the impact of Cracovian fashion and their primary causes.
The Presence of the Child in Ethnographic Research Approaches: An Analysis of Materials Collected at the Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology, University of Łódź
This article discusses the research attitudes towards children employed by ethnographers after the Second World War. The author distinguishes five types: the child as part of a broader research problem, as an object of research, as an active participant in research within a wider context, as a full-fledged subject of research, and as a co-participant in their own culture. The source material consists of interviews, observations and diploma theses collected over the years during fieldwork conducted by staff and students, and archived in the Bronisława Kopczyńska-Jaworska Ethnographic Archive of the Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology of the University of Lodz.
An Example of the Secondary Use of Flint Artefacts by the Lusatian Culture Communities Based on Recent Excavations in the Area of the Dobrzynka River Mouth
This article discusses a small assemblage of flint artefacts recovered from Lusatian culture settlement sites in Pabianice. While the artefacts themselves do not exhibit diagnostic features typically associated with this cultural unit, their stratigraphic context suggests that they may have been produced by Lusatian communities or were intentionally collected, reused, and deposited by them. The assemblage includes Mesolithic blade cores, a reused core showing clear signs of modification and double patination, as well as a retouched flake tool made of chocolate flint. Technological traits indicate that some of the artefacts may have originated in earlier periods, such as the Final Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, or Early Bronze Age. The retouched flake tool, in particular, appears morphologically comparable to forms associated with the Mierzanowice culture. These findings may reflect practices of secondary flint use within the Lusatian cultural context, potentially encompassing both practical and symbolic dimensions. The results contribute to broader discussions on the circulation and reuse of lithic tools in prehistoric Central Europe.
Mykhailo Hrushevsky as Founder and Editor of Periodicals for the Peasantry
This article investigates the content, ideological foundations, and public reception of the periodicals Selo and Zasiv, edited by Mykhailo Hrushevsky. It demonstrates that thanks to a well-considered editorial policy, these newspapers gained considerable popularity among the broader populace. The article puts the emphasis on the fact that the historian’s publishing initiatives, oriented toward a peasant readership, became an important component of the national socio-political movement in the Ukrainian territories of the Russian Empire at the beginning of the 20th century.
Agrarian Reforms in the Second Polish Republic as Exemplified by the Chroberz Entailed Estate
Agrarian reforms were one of the many problems facing the Polish state following its rebirth in 1918. The modernisation of agriculture in the Second Polish Republic was driven not only by the need to satisfy a “hunger for land” among the rural population or to rationalise farming in the country, but also by the need to harmonise agrarian relations in parts of the country that had been under the rule of different foreign powers. The flagship undertakings were agricultural reforms implemented under the acts of 1920 and 1925. Issues to be resolved included the abolition of servitudes, and land consolidation. Subdivision work was accelerated by the great economic crisis of 1929–1935, whose negative effects the authorities attempted to alleviate through subdivision carried out under the 1932 Act on facilitating the repayment of onerous debts. The situation in the Chroberz entailed estate examined here was, as in other such estates, somewhat different than in most landed estates. As entailed land was still legally inalienable in the interwar period (it was not covered by the 1920 legislation) and the estate was burdened with debt, the owners were forced to resort to behind-the-scenes dealings with the political elites.
Lists of Landed Estates Designated for Compulsory Purchase in the Kielce Voivodeship in the Years 1927–1938
The aim of this article is to present the most radical aspect of the implementation of the land reform, namely compulsory purchase, and to present two lists of names. The article consists of three parts and an annex. The first presents the legal basis for the implementation of the 1925 land reform with regard to the compulsory purchase of private land. The text contains excerpts from regulations containing lists of names of landed estates designated for compulsory purchase. The second part discusses two lists of names concerning the compulsory purchase of private land for various reasons in the Kielce Voivodeship between 1927 and 1938. The first one was presented in the text (List of changes in the state of the areas mentioned in the name list in the years 1927–1937), while the second one in the annex (Name list of landed estates put up for public sale in October 1938 for arrears in installments to the Land Credit Society, in the districts of Kielce, Sosnowiec, Piotrków Trybunalski and Radom).
On the Shape of the 1944 Agrarian Reform: Disputes between Andrzej Witos and the Communists
Andrzej Witos (1878–1973) was a farmer, activist of the people’s movement, younger brother of Wincenty. From 1907 he was active in the Polish People’s Party, during the war he was deported to the USSR, he became a member of the Union of Polish Patriots and the Polish Committee of National Liberation (PKWN). He served as a member of the State National Council and the Legislative Sejm. After the war he was again active in the PSL, marginalized by the communist authorities from 1950. As the head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reforms of the PKWN he was responsible for implementing the agrarian reform, however, due to differences in the approach to its assumptions and implementation he was removed after only two months.
Between Ideas and Pragmatism: Józef Tejchma Confronting the Origins of the Rural Youth Union
The article focuses on the origins of the Union of Rural Youth established in 1957. Its aim is to illustrate the dilemmas faced by one of the founders and the first chairman of the organization, a former member of the agrarian Związek Młodzieży Wiejskiej RP „Wici” and the communist Związek Młodzieży Polskiej. The text outlines the decisions made by Józef Tejchma in the context of the spontaneous events of 1956 and details how he consciously chose to be one of the builders of the new reality under Gomułka.
Memory of the Past of the Village of Jankowo in the Drawsko District in the Light of Interviews with its Inhabitants. A Research Reconnaissance
The main target of this paper is to present the memory and knowledge about the local history and consciousness about the places of remembrance such as the historic granary designed by Walter Gropius in Jankowo, Drawsko Pomorskie municipality. The main research method used was interviews with the village residents. The main part of the paper is a synthesis of the main topics and common elements of the interviewed people’s statements with relevant quotes. This paper is a starting point for further research on the local historical consciousness of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship’s villages.
A Pillar-type Roadside Shrine on a Hillock in Wykno (Będków Commune)
Tracing the history of the site, which featured perhaps a barrow, but certainly a mound, at first a boundary mound, then perhaps a burial mound, and on top of that a pillar vogue, is a mystery in itself. Attempts have been made to reconstruct possible historical events concerning this rare phenomenon, which, according to oral accounts and fairly general written sources or outlines, constituted a place separating the estates of Wykno and Będków. But it is also a possible burial site, perhaps once the abode of ethnic gods, to which the Catholic Church sought to give Catholic significance. There are several possibilities for interpreting the history and significance of this otherwise unusual site, as well as the pillar vogue occurring there.
Incantation by Word: Folkloric and Mythological Origins of Suggestion and Its Further Modifications in Rhetoric and Poetics
“A word can heal, a word can kill.” This maxim expresses admiration for the possibilities of the word, which can influence not only thinking, but also the sphere of the subconscious. In particular, in the archaic era, it was believed that spells, incantations and curses (charms) can bind or destroy evil forces. In the folklore of many peoples and in the literature of the most ancient civilizations, we find vivid examples of this kind of creativity based on suggestion. It is possible that it was in this lyrical form that the artistic word as such was born. However, similar moments are found both in the ancient epic, and in the most modern works of literature and art, and in the utilitarian rhetorical word - gossip, justice, advertising, politics, etc., which often appeal not only to the voice of reason, but also to the sphere of emotions, hints, manipulation. All this is united by a common attitude to suggestion, which lies in the deep foundations of human communication. This term comes from Indian culture, where spiritual practices are associated with the concept of “Brahma's sleep:” God–Creator of the world sleeps and sees us and our world in a dream; hence the Sanskrit term व्यञ्जन (vyanjana) – the power translated by the English as a suggestion. A suggestion is perceived by the brain uncritically, and logic often only reinforces the emotional impulse. Ways of suggestion include psychological mechanisms that have not yet been fully explored. But suggestion is one of the fundamental factors of culture. Primitive thinking in general was pre-logical, imaginative and emotional; the ability to think logically was formed in the area of the left hemisphere of the brain in the process of evolution. But the psychological mechanisms that turn a cloud into a dragon, a Lamb into an abusive Wolf, or Ukraine into a malicious aggressor against Russia continue to live in the minds of our contemporaries, taking on the appearance of a folkloric literary, artistic, sacred, legal or journalistic text, like the mythological Proteus. It is characteristic that modern psychology uses the method of affirmation, which clearly resembles the techniques of verbal magic; neuro-linguistic programming is spreading – coding of the psyche, etc. But all this requires some kind of integration in the counterpoint of religious-philosophical, ethical-moral, social-ethical and artistic-aesthetic searches of humanity, which can be carried out from the point of view of a culturologist. Verbal incantation magic is not localized in the realm of ancient folklore, but has had modifications in various spheres of culture over the millennia. However, if the actual archaic verbal magic, the experience of ancient rhetoric from persuasion of the interlocutor or the techniques of creating an artistic image in poetry are studied with due completeness, then the use of techniques of suggestion in modern mass culture is covered very unevenly: Areas such as advertising have been thoroughly studied, but suggestion in the sphere of politics, after all, is significantly less. In this exploration, incantation magic appears for the first time as the object of a systematic genealogical analysis aimed at revealing the evolution and transformation of the charms genre over time. Special attention is paid to radical changes in the European worldview paradigm. Thus, the adoption of Christianity led to a change in the view on the creative power of the word, which was understood no longer as the power of a magician, but as a Divine Revelation, a force that created the spiritual and material worlds. The establishment of the church on the deification of man stimulated preaching, the purpose of which was to convince sinful man to regain the image of God corrupted by sin; the sermon – one of the central genres of the Middle Ages – inherits a profound attitude towards changing reality and human consciousness; the condition for this is μετάνοια – “change of mind”, joining God’s plan. But the anthropocentrism of the Renaissance and the revival of interest in pagan occultism, as the Christian ideal eroded, increasingly took on the character of a tool for “transformation of the earthly world” and was increasingly used in the field of political propaganda. And these incantatory improvisations continue to function implicitly in our political culture today. It is characteristic that in secular religions such as communism or fascism there is a conspiratorial interest in magic (“Ahnenerbe” – special collections in the libraries of the Soviet Union). In fact, in the consciousness of a modern person, the apparent confidence in the power of logic and faith in science strangely coexists with a subconscious attitude to emotional competition, zombification of the interlocutor, verbal sparring in the spirit of “black rhetoric”, with propaganda and advertising of an unheard-of intensity and scale, etc. And, it seems, the number of gullible people is not decreasing at all, on the contrary. But at the same time, the erosion of these aspirations is gaining strength. The suggestion acquires a resonant projection in the perspective of the paradigm of the titanic “restructuring of the world” that European consciousness put forward in the Modern era, and which often degenerates into elementary lies and manipulation, which is determined by the destruction of moral foundations and the neo-pagan worldview of the era, globalization and unheard-of scale migrations, competition, destruction and mixing of various religious and cultural traditions. I hope that further research will stimulate a deeper understanding of the problem.
Skutki członkostwa fińskiego rolnictwa w Unii Europejskiej
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Kobiety a przeobrażenia polskiej wsi lat dziewięćdziesiątych
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Nowe elity lokalne na obszarach wiejskich
[Rec:] Stanisław Węglarz, Tutejsi i inni. Cz.1. O etnograficznym zróżnicowaniu kultury ludowej. "Łódzkie Studia Etnograficzne" t. 36, 1997, passim
[Rec:] Chłopi a państwo, Materiały z konferencji naukowej (12-13 czerwca 1995 r.). Pod redakcją: Juliana Janczaka, Łódź 1996, ss. 316
Jubileusz profesora Józefa Ryszarda Szaflika
Informacje o posiedzeniach Interdyscyplinarnego Zespołu Badania Wsi UŁ (w latach 1996-1998)
Interdyscyplinarny Zespół Naukowo-Badawczy Struktur i Przemian Społecznych Wsi Polskiej XIX-XX w. (1974-1996)