Project information

Images of Russia: comparative qualitative study in Poland and Germany
Kierownik projektu: Prof. Dr. Agnieszka Halemba (Polish Academy of Sciences); Prof. Dr. Joachim Otto Habeck (Universität Hamburg)
Financed by Polish-German Foundation for Science

Description:

The aim of the project is an in-depth analysis of narratives on attitudes towards Russia as a state, cultural area and historical-political agent. The research will be carried out in selected regions in Poland and Germany.

Analyses to date, based mostly on survey data and existing sources, point towards significant differences in attitudes towards Russia in both countries. In Germany we can observe ambivalent and diverse narratives, with significant disparities between eastern and western part of the country. In Poland, on the other hand, the image of Russia as inimical state seems to be coherent and stable. Both in Poland and Germany there is observable co-occurrence of both fear and fascination with Russia; however those function differently in both contexts. In Poland Russia plays an important role in building a self-image of Poles as a nation of victims. In Germany awareness of historical, political and economic ties with Russia seems to be more important.

The existing research in the area remains at a generalising level. There is significant lack of research offering in-depth description and analysis of the strategies of argumentation, dominant narratives and topoi functioning in everyday social life.

This project is based on qualitative, un-structured interviews that enable more astute and coherent investigation of narratives about Russia in Poland and in Germany.

Research team at IAE PAS:

• Agnieszka Halemba
• Marcin Skupiński
• Łukasz Smyrski

Research team at University of Hamburg:

• Joachim Otto Habeck
• Natascha Bregy