Poland: The VIP of Europe
How does Poland’s nation branding align with its national identity? More specifically, does the nation branding of Poland in the context of the Eurovision Song Contest represent the actual identity of the nation?
In my first blog post, I discussed the national identity of Poland. A national identity is the ideals and figures of a nation that are true to the people in that group. It involves the history, culture, and language of a country, amongst other things. National identity is closely tied with the citizens of the country and what unifies them as a group of people. Poland’s national self is one-dimensional and does not involve much diversity in race, ethnicity, or language. At a ninety-seven percent of the population identifying as Polish and ninety-eight percent speaking Polish as their primary language, the country has little representation of other nations and histories (Central Intelligence Agency). Further, over eighty-seven percent of the population identify as Catholic (Central Intelligence Agency). These factors come together to paint an image of an exclusive country; to have such overwhelming statistics of Polish ethnicity and language that is not represented well in other countries creates a society in which Polish people may feel uninclined to move. On the other end, the exclusivity could also keep others from coming into a country where they are not well-represented and would struggle to find a community of a similar cultural or religious background. Within the Catholic, Polish population lies disparity between genders, however. Women have equal legal rights to men but are still considered to be housewives and caretakers while men provide for the family (World Trade Press 2). Women tend to earn only seventy percent of what a man makes, and women are displayed as sexual objects in the media (World Trade Press 2; Chowaniec et al. 6). In Poland, “feminist” is a nonsensical term that is sometimes used as an insult (Chowaniec et al. 6). Women may have equal rights in the law, but they do not receive equal treatment from society.
Nation branding is different from national identity in that it is a fabricated or carefully-selected identity chosen for a particular purpose. Nation branding can be used to make the country known worldwide or attract economic activity, such as tourism, by highlighting key elements about the country. This identity can be at odds with the actual national identity and can upset people within the nation through the misrepresentation. Nation branding often perpetuates stereotypes by simplifying the country. The nation branding of Poland can be represented well through the Eurovision Song Contest, as I analyzed in my second blog post. Poland's performers have all been Polish and white-passing from 2009 to 2015, showing no representation of other cultures or race. Many of the songs had strong cultural and traditional influences, either in dress or use of the Polish language. Although four of the five songs were performed by women, the message behind some of them was misogynistic, especially "Legenda," performed by a man. For the most part, the songs were those of empowerment and acceptance without much representation regarding diversity.
The traditional and cultural representations of Poland took the stage in Eurovision most notably through traditional attire and the use of the Polish language. Three of the five songs were entirely or partly in Polish and two of those three involved traditional clothing. “Leganda,” performed by Marcin Mroziński, was sung in both Polish and English; Mroziński wore a modern suit, surrounded by women in customary Polish dresses in what could be interpreted as a blend of tradition and modernity. The contrast between the two styles is emphasized even more by the combination of languages; the Polish language showcases tradition as it has strong roots and importance in Poland’s history, specifically in the Catholic church (Porter 294). Poles today continues to celebrate their history and culture through festivals, and frequently wear traditional clothing to those festivals or weddings (Sofia). This fusion of tradition and modernity does have relevance to Poland's national identity, so the representation of it on stage at Eurovision and in the array of modern and traditional styles across performances creates a national brand that aligns with the true identity.
The representation of minorities in the Eurovision Song Contest is minimal. Granted, Poland does not have a large pool of other races, ethnicities, or religion within its population. Because Poland’s Eurovision presence is so strongly rooted in Polish culture and history, all performers and music writers are Polish, leaving out alternate ethnicities to represent a more accepting and welcoming nation brand. Poles choose performers and songwriters that represent the majority of the country, which is a massive percentage of the population; selecting exclusively Polish performers does coincide with the ethnic representation within the country. But, does this appropriately represent the views Poles have about acceptance of other races, ethnicities, and religion? It would seem so. An article from The Guardian notes that Poles are unwelcoming to outsiders and immigrants; a study in 2013 found that “as many as 69% of Poles do not want non-white people living in their country” (Leszczyński). The nation branding that Poland puts forward in Eurovision aligns with the majority perspective on immigration and the acceptance of alternate ethnicities and race. Something to consider is whether Poland should take a more progressive stance in the Eurovision Song Contest to display acceptance and welcoming to immigrants, even if the majority of the country is still against that idea.
The representation of women in the Eurovision song contest shows conflicting messages; some performances, such as “In The Name Of Love,” performed by Monika Kuszyńska, are empowering for women. Most of the performances in the time range I looked at were led by women, which brands Poland as accepting and equal between genders. This represents the national identity in a sense, as women do have equality in the eyes of the law and the empowerment of women has been trending upwards over time. Unfortunately, there are some demeaning messages towards females in Poland’s Eurovision entries that align with the traditional gender roles still upheld in the country. Both Marcin Mroziński’s “Legenda” and Dontan & Cleo’s “My Słowanie” objectify women; “Legenda,” sung by a man, is the more noticeable of the two. Mroziński is surrounded by women in traditional clothing while he remains in a modern suit, and the lyrics and dance are disrespectful towards women and the right to themselves and suggest violent acts towards the “princess.” “My Słowanie” could be interpreted as a power anthem for women who embrace their sensuality and use it to their benefit, but plays up the stereotype of women taking care of chores at home and being beautiful in any case. These stereotypes and patronizing messages in these performances align with the Polish expectation for women to be housewives and stay at home, as well as the sexualization in media and inequalities in the workplace (World Trade Press 2).
Poland takes on nation branding in an honest way: highlighting the positives without fabricating things about the country that are not at all present. For the most part, the nation branding in Eurovision aligns with Poland's national identity but plays up the equality of women while glossing over the inequalities that are also present. The Eurovision nation branding uses traditional language and clothing that are relevant to Poland's identity but uses it as a way of sexualizing women more than to bring awareness or respect the country's heritage. The complete lack of representation from any group other than the majority does appropriately represent the population and the general views towards minority groups that most Poles share. Poland’s nation branding fits in very well with a generalization of its national identity, and it would seem that its branding is designed to appeal to the masses of Poles for the most part. Poland chooses performances that fit in with Eurovision’s tropes: either generic messages of hope or romance, or eccentric blends of tradition and modernity that have a place on the Eurovision stage. Performances like “Jestem” and “In The Name Of Love” have little complexity and involve little national identity by branding such curated performances to fit the Eurovision stage. Although many other performances have ties with their own country’s history or current political state, Poland chooses not to go in that direction, instead keeping the messages light and without much depth. This could explain why Poland has performed poorly in Eurovision; people could be looking for more.
The nation branding of Poland through Eurovision aligns well with its national identity. The Polish identity is rooted in culture and history, and some of the Eurovision performances allude to that. The question of whether the nation branding and national identity align has been answered, but a new issue arises: although they align, should they? Is it appropriate for Poland's Eurovision entries to be in line with the less progressive views the country has? Lack of awareness and representation of minorities and empowered women only perpetuates the harmful views the majority of Poles share. It is worth considering whether the nation branding of Poland should adopt more progressive and welcoming messages to change the opinions of the country both for the Other looking in, and for the citizens of Poland themselves.
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Works Cited
Chowaniec, Urszula, and Ursula Phillips. Feminism Today: Reflection on Politics and Literature. Women's Voices and Feminism in Polish Cultural Memory, by Chowaniec, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2012, pp. 1–23.
“Poland.” The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency, 2017. Web. 13 March 2017. www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/pl.html
Poland Women in Culture, Business & Travel: A Profile of Pole Women in the Fabric of Society. Petaluma, CA, World Trade Press, 2010.
Porter, Brian. "The Catholic Nation: Religion, Identity, and the Narratives of Polish History." The Slavic and East European Journal, vol. 45, no. 2, 2001, pp. 289-99.
Sofia. “National Dress of Poland. Delicate Lacing, Embroidery, Bright Stripes, and Impressive Headdresses.” Nationalclothing.org, Nationalclothing.org, 7 Sept. 2016, nationalclothing.org/europe/51-poland/121-national-dress-of-poland-delicate-lacing,- embroidery,-bright-stripes,-and-impressive-headdresses.html. Accessed 15 Mar. 2017.
Leszczyński, Adam. “'Poles Don't Want Immigrants. They Don't Understand Them, Don't like Them'.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media Limited, 2 July 2015, www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/02/poles-dont-want-immigrants-they-dont- understand-them-dont-like-them. Accessed 14 Mar. 2017.
