Cultural Security As a Paradigm of Migration Policy of the Government of the Republic of Poland in 2015-2018 Adrian K

4. LESSONS LEARNED AND CONFLICTS HISTORY Cultural SECURITY as A paradigm OF migration POLICY OF THE Government OF THE REPUBLIC OF Poland IN 2015-2018 ADRIAN K. Siadkowski ABSTRACT DOI: 10.26410/SF_2/18/10 Migration, as a phenomenon being at the same time . a challenge and a threat to cultural security, lays within the social potential of security and is conditioned by the national identity and national heritage. Hosting migrants from a different cultural-religious area in reference to the improvement of the economic potential being a challenge, and at the same time having assimilation mechanisms, which do not function properly, is a threat. What is to be understood under „efficient assimilation mechanisms”? It seems that it is not only an issue of efficient and proper procedures. The problem with this mechanism lays in the readiness of the society to host migrants and include them into the social and cultural paradigms of a hosting society. Adrian K. SiadKowsKI KEy WORDS WSB University, Migration, migration crisis, securitisation. Dąbrowa Górnicza Preface Cultural security is the ability of the state threat.to.the.state.interests..Regardless.the. to.create.the.foundation.and.security.of.cul- perception and discourse regarding the so tural. identity,. cultural. goods. and. national. called migration crisis, a challenge that all heritage, under circumstances allowing to states.have.to.encounter.is.the.introduction. be open to the world (also to join interna- process of migrants not only into the social tional structures) and enabling the develop- structures, but also to create proper pos- ment of culture through the internalization sibilities of acculturation and adaptation, of values being not contradictory to one’s including at least the process of learning own identity. Migration in this context, es- a language and functional abilities in the pecially the one from other cultures and hosting society. Poland is becoming attrac- religions, can be treated by the ruling elites tive for migrants, not only refugees coming after the elections in 2018 as a substantial from conflict areas, but also for economic 112 4.1. LESSONS LEARNED AND CONFLICTS HISTORY migrants. Ideal circumstances granting cul- historical experience. This is referred to as tural.security.is.not.only.the.fact.of.reach- national identity, an important indicator of ing. a. satisfactory. level. of. cultural. identity. which is national heritage (national culture) of own citizens, but also the assimilation of and the feeling of necessity to commemo- migrants. It seems obvious that migration rate this and pass on to next generations” from the same civilizational-cultural area (BiałaKsięga, 2013:73). The crux of the will be more accepted. Such an approach matter is to convince migrants to partici- can be found in the National Security Strat- pate in this paradigm, which is especially egy of the Republic of Poland where one a matter of psychology. This publication can read that “it lays in the interest of Po- deals with the research issue being the de- land to have a EU migration policy not dis- scription of the policy of Law and Justice criminating the Eastern Partnership and to (PrawoiSprawiedliwość) party in the case enable an influx of highly qualified workers” of migrants coming to Europe as part of the (Strategy, 2014:23). On the one hand, this is so called migration crisis in 2015, and the an approach directed at securing the eco- decision of the EU Commission concerning nomic development, on the other hand, it the implementation by EU countries of the shows concern regarding the attempt of an relocation mechanism. efficient and effective assimilation and acculturation process. Subjective components of It seems that migration, as a phenom- cultural security reception enon being at the same time a challenge The fundamental issue of creating the and a threat to cultural security, lays within object of cognition, in an epistemological the social potential of security and is condi- sense, is especially complex, the limits are tioned by the national identity and national blurry, hence they do not fully convey the heritage. Hosting migrants from a different meaning of the phenomenon. The subject cultural-religious. area. in. reference. to. the. has to strive to constitute the object of cog- improvement of the economic potential nition in a correct way, which would include being a challenge, and at the same time the relation between cognitive powers and having assimilation mechanisms, which do the recognized objects (Ziarko, 2010:63-. not function properly, is a threat. What is -64). Hence, two substantial components to be understood under „efficient assimila- are part of security: subjective and objec- tion mechanisms”? It seems that it is not tive ones. The first one has a subjective only an issue of efficient and proper pro- character and is described as a feeling of cedures. The problem with this mechanism security,. an. internal. conviction. that. there. lays.in.the.readiness.of.the.society.to.host. is nothing to be afraid of. The latter one migrants and include them into the social is external with reference to the entity and and cultural paradigms of a hosting soci- means no threats for life (health, wealth). ety. “Every nation develops and cultivates Security is a complex structure, consist- the values and remembrance about its ing of psychological and non-psychologi- history, which distinguishes it from others cal components. In some cases security and are the foundation, on which the be- (objective element) can be inadequate to lief about its distinctiveness from others is the feeling of security (subjective element). being created and, on the other hand, the If this lack of relations can’t be explained sense of belonging to a particular com- in a rational way, then one deals with the munity, which has its own awareness and case of pathology. The roots of this might Cultural security as a paradigm of migration... 113 be in the human psyche (anxiety, psycho- most general statements of social con- sis, mental illness) or in the pathology and structivism are being build based on that social culture deviations (e.g. escalation of – there are many different (often contradic- terror and uncertainty by the media). tory) social realities. Constructivists say The relations between the subjective and that people do not discover knowledge, objective scope of security have a theoretic but they do construct it – “they define the value and do not have to be reflected in real- reality”. There is no single interpretation of ity. They do highlight the role of psychology any phenomenon, which might be superior and subjective reception of social reality in to any other, as well as there is never a sin- the.general.creation.of.security..Those.rela- gle answer to a given question. The reality tions can be explained through the exposi- is a result of social processes, accepted as tion of emotions and personal aspects of normal in the specific context. The issue security understanding, as well as through of knowledge being the mirror of reality is highlighting motives, showing how the is- replaced with “social construction of real- sue of security is perceived, experienced ity”, which puts emphasis on interpretation and explained-finally- how the individual and.negotiation.of.the.senses.of.the.social. behaves. Security, from a psychological world. Hence, security is a construction point of view, has to be understood totally evolving together with the social and his- subjectively, as an interactively perceived torical context shaped in the process of so- stability, certainty in various interpersonal cial interaction between actors. agreements, which are based on the rela- Security in the migration context, and tion of the individual with the environment cultural threats stemming from them, is (Marciniak, 2009:56-65). The feeling of conditioned in constructivism by identity security of an individual is a very complex relations. In the conventional stream of category..The.structure.of.sense.of.security. constructivism, in the relations of security is shaped by a dynamic arrangement of a and identity, what is being highlighted is series of feelings, e.g. sense of information, that. national. identity. is. a. certain. constant. sense of certainty/stabilization, sense of matter, which consists of certain historical belonging to the social environment, sense and cultural experience, it shapes the na- of authorship. It is exactly a subjective crea- tional.interests.and.directions.of.its.activity. tion, through psychological criteria, which in international policy. Critical constructiv- conditions the perception of a threat as ism perceives national identity as a merger an existential one, which is a precondition of various identity narrations, which are for the securitization process of important dominant according to the context, and safety problems, as the issue of migrants this again translates into the limits of enti- and other religious-cultural areas, to be tled and meaningful political acting. In this successful. Security can be understood perspective, the identity is un stable, rela- by the individual as subjective and mean tive and is shaped as a result of constant something completely different for another political rivalry (Williams, 2012:62-63). The individual. It is exactly the cultural-religious reception of security and threat is defined representation which has a vital meaning in on the basis of the identity „we” and „they”, the process of creating the feeling of secu- from which one has to protect oneself. rity.and.refers.directly.to.cultural.safety.of. E.Machut- Mendecka, however, rightly an individual and its subjective perception shows that the contemporary Arab world, or of migration crisis as a major threat. The Muslim world, is strongly diversified, hence 114 4.1. LESSONS LEARNED AND CONFLICTS HISTORY it is difficult to determine one’s own identity. a kind of end-result of the adaptation and The habitant of those areas is inflicted in .

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