Abstract
The article is based on an analysis of four selected biographies of nationalist activists in Poland – taken from a larger sample of 30 biographical-narrative interviews conducted with members of organizations such as the All-Polish Youth, National Radical Camp, and National Rebirth of Poland (2011–2015). During the analysis of all of the collected interviews, three main biographical paths to the nationalist movement were distinguished: (a) an individual project (with two subtypes), (b) the influence of significant others, and (c) being ‘found’ by an organization. The paper explores four individuals’ life stories – each representing one of the paths – and takes a closer look at all three main paths, including the role of family political orientation, circle of friends, and interests. The analysis shows that the Polish nationalist movement can be seen as a space that allows individuals to meet their various needs (the need to resist the political and social situation in the country; to express their values, discontent, and opinions; to maintain a feeling of doing something valuable and important; to carry out social work, promote patriotism, and to engage in educational activities). Moreover, when it comes to explanations of the growing popularity of nationalism nowadays, it can be said that the nationalist movement involves people who are dissatisfied with politics and looking for grassroots alternatives; feel endangered by cultural (liberal) changes; are seeking a return to tradition and Catholicism; and who are looking for stronger narratives (those opposed to liberalism and postmodernism).
Highlights
Public and academic discussions about young people’s potential political choices and their disengagement from institutional politics are ongoing
How and why do people decide to commit themselves to the nationalist movement? Do they reproduce their family’s political views, or are they drawn in from outside family circles? Based on interviews with participants in the nationalist movement in Poland, this paper explores the biographical paths to nationalist organizations
The paper has explored the routes of participants towards the nationalist movement; it looked at biographical paths to nationalist organizations and individual motives
Summary
Public and academic discussions about young people’s potential political choices and their disengagement from institutional politics are ongoing. There are some examples of research conducted from an internalist perspective (focused on intra-organizational dynamics and the movements in participants’ activity and discourses), including the biographical method (Blee, 1996; Fangen, 1999; Félix, 2015; Goodwin, 2010; Klandermans and Mayer, 2009), but none of these have focused on the Polish case They constitute a point of reference for the analysis described in this paper, it is necessary to be aware of the role of the type of researched group, as well as the national context. Goodwin, who writes about longer-term old guard activists, new recruits, and political wanderers (2010: 43)
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