National Identity and Social Welfare: the Example of the German Minority in Opolskie Voivodeship

Abstract

This article aims to characterise the positive and negative aspects of being a national minority, using the example of the German minority in the Opolskie Voivodeship and the category of social welfare in the sociological sense. In order to conceptualise and operationalise the idea of national identity, attention has been focused mainly on its cultural determinants, with particular emphasis on the role of language and organisational activity. The empirical exploration of the research questions was based on surveys, carried out by the authors of the article on behalf of the Social-Cultural Society of Germans in Opole Silesia (SCSG) in the summer of 2019, among members of the German minority organisation. [1] The research was carried out in the period from June to August 2019 as part of the SCSG's campaign entitled “The German minority has a value”, financed by the Polish Ministry of Interior and Administration.