Stigma, Language and Identity: The Impact of Education Reforms on Upper Silesian Language Teachers and Educators

The study explores the impact of Poland’s (1999 and) 2017 education reform(s) on Upper Silesian language teachers and educators, focusing on how reforms influenced their (professional) self-perception and identity. Through twelve autobiographical-narrative interviews with teachers and educators from rural Upper Silesia, the study aimed to understand why individuals choose to become a language teaching person in this region and how their professional and personal identities have evolved post-reform. The research follows Fritz Schütze’s biographical analysis method, grounding its theory in the data collected. The findings reveal that the 2017 reform not only disregards the cultural distinctiveness of Upper Silesians but also stigmatizes them. The PiS-party’s reform attempts to assimilate those who resist a singular national identity, leading to the degradation of the teaching profession and renewed stigmatization of Upper Silesian people and their heritage. The study highlights how these teachers and educators continue to pass on their Silesian consciousness and dialect to future generations, along with the stigma associated with it. The reform has reintroduced painful experiences of stigma, making it challenging for Silesians to maintain their identity without enduring suffering.